Dakine SA Signs Sean Holmes to Surf Team
Surf accessories brand Dakine South Africa has announced that they have signed a deal with South African competition surfer extraodinaire, Capetonian Sean Holmes, making him their leading South African brand ambassador.
Dakine SA’s brand manager, Reinhardt Fourie, who himself has been a long-time member of the Cape big-wave community and surfing buddy of Holmes, is “super stoked” to have Holmes on the Dakine team.
“He is one of my favourite surfers to watch and is a world class performer in surf from two feet to 20 feet. Sean is also one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet and embodies the Dakine spirit in every way. A true Aloha guy!”
The excitement and respect seem to be mutual. 31-year old Holmes is excited about the advantages Dakine’s superior products will give him in the variety of surf conditions that he enjoys and has huge respect for the brand which has been relaunched locally after it was bought by surfwear multi-national Billabong.
“I have a lot of respect for Dakine. It’s a solid brand with a hard edge, and I have full confidence in the products which is a vital factor when the surf is bigger,” Holmes said. “Now all my equipment needs are in place for the winter waves in Cape Town and I’m looking forward to spending time out at Sunset and Dungeons, which produce some of the world’s biggest rideable waves.”
Holmes is a multiple South African and international event champion. He won the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event in 2000 and is also a member of the Billabong Adventure Division along with internationally renowned big-wave maestros Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker and Greg Long.
He is looking forward to competing in specialty events here and overseas during 2009 and will be starting in the trials of the major ASP World Qualifying Series contests in South Africa over the next three months to boost his world ranking and qualify for the top rated international events in 2010.
Read More
Peek-a-Board?
New inventions get patented daily. Some ideas are so awesome, they become manufactured products that we use on a daily basis and eventually can’t fathom life without.
On the other hand, some of the other ideas are best left in someone’s head… where it ought not to be granted a second thought or even remain a memory.
We’d like to know what you guys (and gals) think about this one: A surfboard with a viewing window. The idea, patented in 2005, has been subjected to mixed reviews.
One reviewer – a South African surfer no less – didn’t particularly like the view he saw through the window when he took the board out for a spin: a Great White Shark swimming below him…
Now, we agree with him that in these terrifying instances ignorance might definitely be more blissful, but the knowledge did give him the upper hand and he was able to get out of the water quickly and safely.
Other reviewers don’t necessarily ascribe to the idea that ‘less is more’. Some have suggested that, instead of merely having a smallish window at the one end of the otherwise solid board, the entire board should be clear. An entirely clear acrylic board will leave no mystery as to what lies ahead or underneath the surfer.
What do you think? Cool idea or not?
My roommate’s immediate reaction: “How on earth will an entirely clear board be visible in the water?”
She makes a clear point! And she doesn’t even surf!
Read More
Saffa Surfers Are Rad
South African surfers are the bomb.
And that isn’t our biased opinion. Okay, wait… let us rephrase: It isn’t merely OUR biased opinion.
Our riders have been doing so well over the past few years, they’ve wracked up enough medals to give us third place in the recently published International Surfing Association’s (ISA) country medal standings! Australian and Brazilian surfers hauled in the most and second most medals respectively.
Since 1996, South African surfers have won no less than 41 medals while representing the country at all World Championships events organised by the ISA.
South Africa’s medal total comprises fifteen Gold, seven Silver, eight Bronze and eleven Copper. The Golds include overall team victory in the 2002 World Surfing Games held in Durban, and in the two Masters events run in Puerto Rico in 2007 and in Peru last year.
Clinton ‘Gigs’ Celliers is SSA’s most successful representative, having won the WSG kneeboard title in 1992, ‘94’, ’96 and ’98 (although it has to be noted that only the ’96 and ’98 medals are included in the table) and also taking Silver in 2000 and 2002.
Jordy Smith, Matthew Moir and Chris Knutsen have each won two Golds. Smith earned the Under 16 crown in Durban in 2003 and the Open Men title at the WSG in California in 2006, where Moir also clinched the Longboard title which he successfully defended in Portugal last October. Knutsen won the Kahuna’s (Over 45) title in Puerto Rico and then the Grand Kahuna’s (Over 50) in Peru.
Individual Gold’s have also been won by Travis Logie (Open Men) and Warwick Wright (Under 18) in Durban in 2002 and by Mark Wright (Grandmasters / Over 40) and Heather Clark (Women’s Masters / Over 35) in Peru. The SSA Junior team took Gold in the ISA Cup (tag team) event in Brazil in 2006.
“Considering South Africa’s small surfing population, the number of medals won by our surfers is exceptional,” says proud SSA General Manager, Robin de Kock. “It is a tribute to the talent of the athletes and also the hard work and dedication of the coaches, managers and administrators in this country.”
We couldn’t agree more! Which is why we’ll be keeping our eyes on our surfers during these future events:
The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships at Salinas in Ecuador (March 28 – 5 April) followed by the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games (July 31 – 8 August) and the World Masters in Chile later in the year.
Our advice to our South African surfers would be to pack light! Because at the going rate, they’ll be paying loads in excess baggage fees for all those medals that they are going to bring home!
Read More
That Guy Girl ‘Stoked’ to be on Pro Girl’s Surf Team
Capetonian and madly skilled chick surfer Stacey Guy has been chosen by Island Style International to head up their 2009 Pro Girl’s Surf team.
“Yay, I’m so stoked to be on the team, really happy with the deal!” said Stacey of her new sponsor. At just 24 years old, Stacey is the number two women’s surfer in South Africa.
Despite her young age, Stacey has already wracked up a long list of achievements and accolades, and she is already regarded as one of South Africa’s most formidable female competitors.
She earned her South African Junior colours in 2002 and 2003 and was WP Champion in every year from 2002 until 2007. She is apparently just as at home in front of the lens as she is in the surf, because she has already been featured on the cover of no less than five major international surfing publications, including Saltwater Girl Surf (twice), Liquid Girls Surfing Magazine, SurfGirl Europe (twice).
“Stacey is an awesome personality to have on board,” said Kyle Mclaren, Island Style’s Marketing Manager. “She is well respected by male and female surfers the World over and has been a formidable entity in the South African surf scene and on the local and international competitive calendar – her results definitely speak for themselves.”
Read More
Surfin’ SA: Some Sweet Spots
With South Africa’s summer vacation looming just around the corner, Travel iAfrica
compiled a helpful list of some of South Africa’s best beaches, including those where only surfers dare to tread.
Their list isn’t too much of a revelation – no surprises or major secret spots are revealed – containing just the usual suspects, like national surfing Mecca Jeffrey’s Bay and the hotspots along this stretch of coastline like Supertubes, Kitchen Windows, Boneyards and Bruce’s Beauties(actually at St. Francis). But it’s still a good and helpful primer, especially for foreigners or those new to the sport and the local surfing scene.
For the full list (which also includes best kid friendly beaches and the name of SA’s most trendy beach), surf to this link.
Read More
Instagrams
We support
