The talks of course are not of snow but of water. Waves. Monstrous walls of water that could annihilate even the most gifted athlete. Tales of endless barrels and double overhead drop-ins are passed around the fire. Now, the stories are beginning to shift to tomorrow. A long Easter weekend would be sending Jacob, Sarah, Steve, and me up South Africa's west coast to Eland's Bay - one of the country's, and world's, premiere off the beaten path surf destinations. The report had predicted a six meter swell powering in like a Spartan army late on Saturday evening, with the potential of slight showers all weekend. As the last few drops of beer are drained, and the songs of reggae legends faded from the speakers, we all decide to put out the fire and retire for the night, assuring rejuvenated energy for the weekend ahead.
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It's usually pleasant to awake in the morning without the aid of a blaring alarm clock. That is, however, unless that natural wake-up call comes from a rain drop straight to the forehead. Cheap tents in South Africa are not exactly meant to handle the occasional morning downpour. I scrambled to save my clothes, books, and i-pod from the incoming river of rain and remained under my sleeping bag drifting in and out of sleep until 10am before the boredom and frustration took over. Eland's was out, the heavy groans from the surrounding tents confirmed it. I reached for my i-pod and Zig Zag in hopes that with a little bit of help I could float the storm out in my now flooding tent and maybe salvage the trip with a late departure.
With the Grateful Dead playing through a well worn pair of headphones I flipped through the pages of the Apr/May 2012 issue of Zig Zag. The magazine was filled with the articles and photographs of the tropical waters of Hawaii and Indonesia, a far cry from South Africa's frigid Atlantic Ocean. How long would I have to wait? Surely I would go insane in my tent all day, and the others would too. We were stuck waiting for a gap in the rain that would make 300 kilometers in the back of a pick-up truck just a little easier. Hell, zip me up in my surfboard bag and throw me in back - just get me out of this tent! As I lay in my tent watching it slowly fill with water, my thoughts shifted a half month back to the week following St. Patrick's Day - a spontaneous trip up South Africa's other coast to a place of legend.
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There I was sitting on the couch with a head full of self loathing. St. Patrick's Day had chewed me up and spit me out the night before. A shot of beer every minute for 131 minutes without a bathroom break officially made me a not-so-proud member of the hostel's 100 Club, but the morning after headache hardly seemed worth a blue ribbon. We had successfully thrown a green-clad farewell party for the one Irish chick in our crew, and I had nothing to show for it but oversleeping a morning swell and watching a Friend's marathon on television. Something needed to snap me out of this funk.
As a few guys wandered in from the water, there were murmurs of a car leaving for Jeffrey's Bay in less than an hour. When the words "Jeffrey's Bay" are dropped with the potential of a road trip involved, it seems like the ears of anyone who knows anything about surfing perk up. As details started trickling in, it turned out there was a backseat spot open in a white Chico Golf on it's last leg - just the St. Paddy's antidote I needed.
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A road trip is only as good as your traveling companions, and I only previously knew one of them. Mike was a South African, English born, watersport connoisseur. Splitting time between England and South Africa, while also spending years of his life teaching surf and kite-boarding lessons in Hawaii and snowboarding in Utah, he assumed the role of tour guide. Mike smoked like a chimney and could rant for hours about stand-up paddle boarders, surfer discrimination, prepped out tennis players, and chasing women. He had spent nearly all 40 years of his life in the water, and he has more than a handful of trophies for competitions in windsurfing and kite-boarding to prove it. Mike is no slouch on a surfboard either and is familiar with all of the cleanest breaks, nicest locals, and most heinous line-ups across the country. He was currently a month into his annual Visa required 3 month leave from England and was in need of a break from his seascape paintings and the cold waters of Cape Town. Jeffrey's Bay was calling his name.
With me in the backseat was another Mike, this one from Australia. No more than twenty two, Aussie Mike was only a few weeks into a 6 month African adventure. He had been working on his family's farm back home and took off travelling to find himself. They mystery and vibe of the African continent is just the place for self reflection. After spending a few nights on the busy streets of downtown Cape Town, Mike had moved to the surfer hostel in Table View in finding some like minded heads with which to travel. I introduced myself in the cramped backseat of the Golf, and Table Mountain was getting smaller and smaller behind us.
The man responsible for putting this trip together was Roy, a surfing Scotsman with one of the driest and most hilarious senses of humor I have ever witnessed. Roy was enjoying a three week vacation from his six on, three off rotation at a Middle Eastern drilling station 5,000 miles from any surfable water. His last three weeks off he spent surfing Leaky Peaks and as much of the rest of Indo that his body would allow - an excursion that still left him with scars from Indonesia's infamous reef breaks. Six weeks prior to that trip, Roy was surfing Mexico. Before that, Jamaica. If there was one person you wanted behind the wheel in a search for waves, it was this beer guzzling Scotsman. Not only was he a well-traveled, well-practiced surfer, but he had a story for every conversation. Talks of his mates back home were painted in such hilarious detail that they easily could have been straight out of Scottish legend. First, there was William Watson. Once, William had a five day vacation and on a whim decided to check the surf report on Hawaii's North Shore. It was pumping. Before leaving work on Wednesday, William had a flight booked to the Pacific hotspot, and by Thursday morning he was checked into one of the most luxurious beachside resorts on the island - just because that was the only room available. Come Monday, Watson was back at work and apologizing to his body for stacking up countless hours on a plane for a day and a half of surf.
Then there was Russel Crookshank. Russel can no longer enjoy a drink in his home town in Scotland, not because of previous lewd behavior, but because many reckon he has shagged every female under the age of 40 within the city limits. Aside from womanizing and surfing like a pro, he also had a keen eye for style. After a session in the frigid waters of the UK, Russel would go back to his car, take of his salty wet suit, slick back his hair, and put on some of the most outrageous golf attire money can buy. He would beat you in the water and then on the course. Now married to a well-to-do sugar-mama, Russel is currently living it up in a house fit for a golf pro and surfing every day he can.
Only in his late twenties, Roy had more than enough stories to fill the 8 hour drive to Jeffrey's Bay. Between the Scottish banter, Mike's commentary on surf culture, and a few backseat beers with Aussie Mike, the St. Patrick's Day remorse was long gone and South Africa's famed Garden Route was just around the corner.
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As the Golf wound up through the mountains just outside of Cape Town, leaving the city and adjacent townships behind, a new door to South Africa was opened. Three hours east of Cape Town is Mossel Bay, the start of South Africa's Garden Route. Any traveler passing through these parts would find it damn near impossible to not stop and take in the sights - between the mountains, vegetation, and coastline this region more than earns its moniker. The sounds of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, along with some local African reggae, crackled through Mike's paint covered portable speakers as the scenery sped past the windows. This was bliss. This was Africa. The combination of a new destination, spontaneous companions, and my love of road trips had all come together perfectly. With the four boards still securely, albeit hastily, attached to the roof, we pulled into a small Knysna pub for some dinner and beer before calling it a night.
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Bosun's is a quaint bar and grill on Knysna's famous lagoon that just happened to be run by Mike's stepbrother. He was more than excited to see us and especially a stepbrother that has been absent chasing waves for the last few years. Before long we were all enjoying the tall beers in front of us and giant plates of food, all on the house, as well as the company of Mike's sister, brother-in-law Francois, mother, and step father Archie. Each member of this crew had an excellent sense of humor and blood running thick with South African hospitality. It only took a few minutes before we were offered a night's rest at Mike's parents' place on the aptly named Leisure Isle. Just around the corner from the pub sat the island, and on the way we took a quick pit stop to watch the reflection of the stars on the lagoon. One philosophy driven chat with a parking lot Rasta later and we were ready for bed - but not before Archie and Mike's mom offered us another beer and evening's chat about South Africa and the world at large.
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We awoke at the crack of dawn anxious for the final stretch to J-Bay. Naturally the island was much more beautiful during the day, and we spent the morning soaking it all in under the family's canopy of grape vines - eating the fresh fruit, sipping on tea, and answering our calling appetite with big bowl's of porridge, all while watching a chameleon meander around the house. In two hours we would be in Jeffrey's Bay and with some luck we could get in the water instantly upon arrival. After double checking the security of our boards we took a quick daytime tour of Knysna and The Heads that open the lagoon to the ocean, all eyes were set to our destination up the coast.
We wove through the last stretch of the Garden Route and pulled into the car park above J-Bay's legendary 'SuperTubes' just before noon. We sat and watched the swell pick up over the point break for about 30 minutes before scrambling for our wetsuits. Mike and Roy waded through a keyhole in the reef to ride one of the world's best breaks, and Aussie Mike went up the road to shop for a new board. Less bold, yet knowledgeable of my own skill, I took a short walk down the beach to another key hole in the reef and the tail end of the SuperTube wave. Less locals, less danger, and less pressure meant more waves, more risk, and more fun for me.
The water was a jacuzzi compared to that of Cape Town, and the waves came in with a whole new level of speed. These were the same waters that were host to the Billabong Pro in July and one session in the line-up made it obvious as to why. There were countless waves to choose from, and the consistency was unmatched. Three hours in the water was long enough for the first session of the trip, and I jaunted back up the beach to the guys. Roy was nursing a new reef puncture to add to the collection he started in Indo, and we collectively decided to take the thirty minute drive to Cape St. Francis, a place made famous by the 70's surf film 'Endless Summer.'
The 20 minute drive out was almost entirely gravel, and we approached Seal Point to find a group of kids absolutely tearing up seemingly unridable waves. We opted out of getting in the water, partially due to the waves partially due to the combination of Roy's open wounds and a spot named 'Seal Point,' and instead sat on the sideline and watched the youngsters shred. As I flipped through some pages in a Zig Zag that was left in the car, something jumped out at me. A kid named Dylan Lightfoot had a full page spread inside of a massive barrel. The issue was dedicated to South Africa's up and coming surfers, and 17 year old Lightfoot happened to be 20 meters in front of me slashing wave after wave at Seal Point. We picked our jaws off the ground and decided to head back to Jeffrey's Bay to find a place to rest our heads for the night.
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Island Vibe in JBay may be one of the top hostel's in the world. Situated atop a sand dune overlooking the beach, it attracts surfers and backpackers alike and it's no surprise as to why. The view, the bar and restaurant, the dogs and staff. If you didn't have to leave, there would be no reason to. We enjoyed the setting sun from the beach and took in every aspect the hostel had to offer. A few cold beers and a surf movie on the bar television was the perfect end to a perfect day and we retired to the dormitories for the night.
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5am came early, but the sunrise was not one to miss. I rolled over to my side, wiped some morning slobber off my mouth, and Aussie Mike greeted me with a warm cup of tea. The sunrise was creeping over the nautical horizon, and the whole view could be taken in without leaving my cozy bed. After another bowl of porridge, the guys headed back down to SuperTubes for a morning session. I opted to try a different spot.
Kitchen Windows, another reef break, and a clean beach break were meters from the hostel. I spent my morning riding these speedy swells and watching schools of fish share the waves as well. A long morning session on relatively intense waves taught me a lot, and a 1.5m washed up shark on the beach was sign enough for me to take a break. I had a quick lunch and jumped on my longboard for a cruise through town before returning to Island Vibe to find the guys packing up their bags.
MagicSeaWeed predicted a bleak next few days in JBay, and it was decided that it would be in our best interest to take our time getting back to Cape Town. Aussie Mike wasn't so sure. With no plans but to travel, he decided to wait out the dry spell and hope for some waves while cooking dinner for two Dutch girls at Island Vibe. When I return in a few weeks, I would not be at all surprised to have Mike greet me with a cup of tea and an early morning surf.
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Two hours after saying our goodbye's to Aussie Mike, the three of us were back in Knysna. Mike would be spending a few weeks with his family, and Roy and I decided it wouldn't be the worst idea to take advantage of another day or two of free accommodation on Leisure Isle. We 'checked in' at Mike's parents' place and headed back to Bosun's for round two of a monstrous South African cheeseburger before bed.
In the morning, the three of us made for The Heads again to watch the treacherous water at the mouth of the lagoon and do a bit of hiking on the water's edge. We had a quick breakfast at Easter Cafe on the base of a hiking trail, rounded up Francois, grabbed a few 6 packs, and made for the mountains for a day in the Knysna forest. These woods are the last place in South Africa to house forest elephants, of which many think there are only two left. Why not take a look? The car was pushed to it's limits climbing the narrow mountain passes, but the views proved well worth the drive. We got turned around for a couple of hours and made it out of the woods just before the sun set on the other side of the mountains.
Keeping true to the Garden Route hospitality, Francois invited us back to his place for a classic South African braai. Salad, potatoes, steak, sausage, chicken - all some of the most delicious I have ever tasted. Roy and I were a bit down on having to leave the Knysna kindness and another one of our crew behind, but duty called back in Cape Town
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The next day, we woke up to more porridge, tea, and fresh grapes. We filled ourselves up before Roy and I put the boards back on the roof and made for a quick stopover in Mossel Bay to visit a friend from Scotland. Our quick stopover turned into another overnight visit, with no complaints. When traveling on budget, it would be foolish to turn down a free night's stay and a couple of home cooked meals - especially if experiencing a new destination and meeting new people.
Roy's friend Casey was staying with her mom and 16 month old kid while her husband was working on an oil rig in Nigeria, a gig similar to that of Roy's. Casey showed us around Mossel Bay, local surf spots, cliff jumping ledges, and old high school make-out points and here too we regretted having to leave in the morning.
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We took off early the next morning, and three quick hours later Roy was dropping me back off in Table View. He was off to Cape Town to find his visiting mom, sister, and nephew. I returned to the hostel to wait for that cold Atlantic Ocean swell, precisely where I am now. The two day rain storm has sense ceased, but not without completely flooding my tent and destroying our planned mission to Eland's Bay. For now, I'll have to live on memories past to get me through the lake-like water. However, a little optimism goes a long way in life. There will always be more waves, and as long as there's sunshine and good company you can wait out the dry spells. For now, I'm off to Shipwreck to ride whatever the ocean has to offer and wait for the next opportunity to head up the coast to Eland's.
As the Golf wound up through the mountains just outside of Cape Town, leaving the city and adjacent townships behind, a new door to South Africa was opened. Three hours east of Cape Town is Mossel Bay, the start of South Africa's Garden Route. Any traveler passing through these parts would find it damn near impossible to not stop and take in the sights - between the mountains, vegetation, and coastline this region more than earns its moniker. The sounds of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, along with some local African reggae, crackled through Mike's paint covered portable speakers as the scenery sped past the windows. This was bliss. This was Africa. The combination of a new destination, spontaneous companions, and my love of road trips had all come together perfectly. With the four boards still securely, albeit hastily, attached to the roof, we pulled into a small Knysna pub for some dinner and beer before calling it a night.
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Bosun's is a quaint bar and grill on Knysna's famous lagoon that just happened to be run by Mike's stepbrother. He was more than excited to see us and especially a stepbrother that has been absent chasing waves for the last few years. Before long we were all enjoying the tall beers in front of us and giant plates of food, all on the house, as well as the company of Mike's sister, brother-in-law Francois, mother, and step father Archie. Each member of this crew had an excellent sense of humor and blood running thick with South African hospitality. It only took a few minutes before we were offered a night's rest at Mike's parents' place on the aptly named Leisure Isle. Just around the corner from the pub sat the island, and on the way we took a quick pit stop to watch the reflection of the stars on the lagoon. One philosophy driven chat with a parking lot Rasta later and we were ready for bed - but not before Archie and Mike's mom offered us another beer and evening's chat about South Africa and the world at large.
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We awoke at the crack of dawn anxious for the final stretch to J-Bay. Naturally the island was much more beautiful during the day, and we spent the morning soaking it all in under the family's canopy of grape vines - eating the fresh fruit, sipping on tea, and answering our calling appetite with big bowl's of porridge, all while watching a chameleon meander around the house. In two hours we would be in Jeffrey's Bay and with some luck we could get in the water instantly upon arrival. After double checking the security of our boards we took a quick daytime tour of Knysna and The Heads that open the lagoon to the ocean, all eyes were set to our destination up the coast.
We wove through the last stretch of the Garden Route and pulled into the car park above J-Bay's legendary 'SuperTubes' just before noon. We sat and watched the swell pick up over the point break for about 30 minutes before scrambling for our wetsuits. Mike and Roy waded through a keyhole in the reef to ride one of the world's best breaks, and Aussie Mike went up the road to shop for a new board. Less bold, yet knowledgeable of my own skill, I took a short walk down the beach to another key hole in the reef and the tail end of the SuperTube wave. Less locals, less danger, and less pressure meant more waves, more risk, and more fun for me.
The water was a jacuzzi compared to that of Cape Town, and the waves came in with a whole new level of speed. These were the same waters that were host to the Billabong Pro in July and one session in the line-up made it obvious as to why. There were countless waves to choose from, and the consistency was unmatched. Three hours in the water was long enough for the first session of the trip, and I jaunted back up the beach to the guys. Roy was nursing a new reef puncture to add to the collection he started in Indo, and we collectively decided to take the thirty minute drive to Cape St. Francis, a place made famous by the 70's surf film 'Endless Summer.'
The 20 minute drive out was almost entirely gravel, and we approached Seal Point to find a group of kids absolutely tearing up seemingly unridable waves. We opted out of getting in the water, partially due to the waves partially due to the combination of Roy's open wounds and a spot named 'Seal Point,' and instead sat on the sideline and watched the youngsters shred. As I flipped through some pages in a Zig Zag that was left in the car, something jumped out at me. A kid named Dylan Lightfoot had a full page spread inside of a massive barrel. The issue was dedicated to South Africa's up and coming surfers, and 17 year old Lightfoot happened to be 20 meters in front of me slashing wave after wave at Seal Point. We picked our jaws off the ground and decided to head back to Jeffrey's Bay to find a place to rest our heads for the night.
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Island Vibe in JBay may be one of the top hostel's in the world. Situated atop a sand dune overlooking the beach, it attracts surfers and backpackers alike and it's no surprise as to why. The view, the bar and restaurant, the dogs and staff. If you didn't have to leave, there would be no reason to. We enjoyed the setting sun from the beach and took in every aspect the hostel had to offer. A few cold beers and a surf movie on the bar television was the perfect end to a perfect day and we retired to the dormitories for the night.
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5am came early, but the sunrise was not one to miss. I rolled over to my side, wiped some morning slobber off my mouth, and Aussie Mike greeted me with a warm cup of tea. The sunrise was creeping over the nautical horizon, and the whole view could be taken in without leaving my cozy bed. After another bowl of porridge, the guys headed back down to SuperTubes for a morning session. I opted to try a different spot.
Kitchen Windows, another reef break, and a clean beach break were meters from the hostel. I spent my morning riding these speedy swells and watching schools of fish share the waves as well. A long morning session on relatively intense waves taught me a lot, and a 1.5m washed up shark on the beach was sign enough for me to take a break. I had a quick lunch and jumped on my longboard for a cruise through town before returning to Island Vibe to find the guys packing up their bags.
MagicSeaWeed predicted a bleak next few days in JBay, and it was decided that it would be in our best interest to take our time getting back to Cape Town. Aussie Mike wasn't so sure. With no plans but to travel, he decided to wait out the dry spell and hope for some waves while cooking dinner for two Dutch girls at Island Vibe. When I return in a few weeks, I would not be at all surprised to have Mike greet me with a cup of tea and an early morning surf.
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Two hours after saying our goodbye's to Aussie Mike, the three of us were back in Knysna. Mike would be spending a few weeks with his family, and Roy and I decided it wouldn't be the worst idea to take advantage of another day or two of free accommodation on Leisure Isle. We 'checked in' at Mike's parents' place and headed back to Bosun's for round two of a monstrous South African cheeseburger before bed.
In the morning, the three of us made for The Heads again to watch the treacherous water at the mouth of the lagoon and do a bit of hiking on the water's edge. We had a quick breakfast at Easter Cafe on the base of a hiking trail, rounded up Francois, grabbed a few 6 packs, and made for the mountains for a day in the Knysna forest. These woods are the last place in South Africa to house forest elephants, of which many think there are only two left. Why not take a look? The car was pushed to it's limits climbing the narrow mountain passes, but the views proved well worth the drive. We got turned around for a couple of hours and made it out of the woods just before the sun set on the other side of the mountains.
Keeping true to the Garden Route hospitality, Francois invited us back to his place for a classic South African braai. Salad, potatoes, steak, sausage, chicken - all some of the most delicious I have ever tasted. Roy and I were a bit down on having to leave the Knysna kindness and another one of our crew behind, but duty called back in Cape Town
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The next day, we woke up to more porridge, tea, and fresh grapes. We filled ourselves up before Roy and I put the boards back on the roof and made for a quick stopover in Mossel Bay to visit a friend from Scotland. Our quick stopover turned into another overnight visit, with no complaints. When traveling on budget, it would be foolish to turn down a free night's stay and a couple of home cooked meals - especially if experiencing a new destination and meeting new people.
Roy's friend Casey was staying with her mom and 16 month old kid while her husband was working on an oil rig in Nigeria, a gig similar to that of Roy's. Casey showed us around Mossel Bay, local surf spots, cliff jumping ledges, and old high school make-out points and here too we regretted having to leave in the morning.
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We took off early the next morning, and three quick hours later Roy was dropping me back off in Table View. He was off to Cape Town to find his visiting mom, sister, and nephew. I returned to the hostel to wait for that cold Atlantic Ocean swell, precisely where I am now. The two day rain storm has sense ceased, but not without completely flooding my tent and destroying our planned mission to Eland's Bay. For now, I'll have to live on memories past to get me through the lake-like water. However, a little optimism goes a long way in life. There will always be more waves, and as long as there's sunshine and good company you can wait out the dry spells. For now, I'm off to Shipwreck to ride whatever the ocean has to offer and wait for the next opportunity to head up the coast to Eland's.
