Hi all and welcome to another glorious day in Cape Town. The weather has been just perfect the past few days and today looks like it’s going to be another classic!!
Since my last entry we’ve managed to get ourselves settled into the swing of things in Cape Town. The lessons down in Muzenberg have been going really well, with everyone showing progress even at this early stage in the trip.
On Thursday the conditions looked ideal as the group paddled out with Sheldon for their lesson. The waves were easy and consistent, allowing the guys to get in a lot of wave time. These early days in your surfing career are really all about finding your feet, so to speak, and finding out what techniques work best for you. The inevitable wipeout is all part of the learning curve. Olli put in a few of the more notable wipe-outs (sorry Olli), but it all paid off when he managed to put in a few decent rides towards the end of the session. Emma and Tash cruised along, finding good waves throughout the morning. Lizzy made up for lost time by putting in a few good rides as well. Pierce, who already has 3 years experience surfing in the States, headed out on a longboard and cruised his way around the backline, getting in some really long rides!! It was a good effort by all and a wonderful way to spend the morning.
After lunch I took the group along the scenic route towards the Cape Point, through the small coastal towns of Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town. The panoramic views over the ocean from the mountain pass really make it a worthwhile detour. Once we’d rounded the mountains, we made our way south through the Cape Point National Park. This park encompasses the southern tip of the Cape Peninsular and is home to hundreds of different kinds of bird and animal species. The peninsular itself forms a large part of South African history as an important point on the early trade route between the east and the west. The scores of shipwrecks in the area tell of the sailors who weren’t so lucky when trying to round the point, and ran aground or sank in high seas at the “Cape of Storms”. We hiked the trail up to the old lighthouse and enjoyed the view of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, which are bisected by the peninsular.
Yesterday, we made our way back down to Muizenberg for another session in somewhat more challenging conditions. The waves were small enough for all the guys to paddle out to the back, which proved to be a lot harder than it looks. Paddling is a very important skill to have when surfing. If you can’t paddle, you can’t catch waves; if you can’t catch waves, you can’t surf. While the other guys worked on their paddling skills, Pierce and I spent some time on the beach going over a few of the more advanced techniques of trimming and turning. It was a tiring day for all and some weary surfers beached themselves on the shore after the morning lesson. As a reward for all their effort, I took the guys down to the fishing harbor in Kalk Bay to enjoy fresh fish and chips for lunch before we headed back over to Kommetjie for a cruise on Shaun’s boat. Cape Town is well known for its many Big Wave spots so Shaun took everyone to check a few of them out.
In the evening we met up with the kids from the local township, Massiphumlele for a few games of football on the beach. The girls played first, together with some of the younger kids. You could say that things didn’t really go their way. In the second half, most of their team decided to go for a swim rather than finish the match, leaving the girls to try and keep out the opposition who ended up putting away 10 goals. Ouch girls! In the second game things got a little more intense as Pierce, myself and a couple of the older guys took on Ollie’s team who were joined by Tim and his brother Bernie (also from the UK). It was a well-played game, with a lot of good maneuvering and passing. In the end though, it was team South Africa (and Pierce) who made it a convincing 5-2 victory.
With such a busy day already, it seemed almost impossible for there to be more to come, but there was. Shaun lit up a fire and cooked us up a huge, traditional braai after which we headed down onto the beach for some stargazing. The clear skies in Kommetjie made it really easy for us to pick out all the constellations, as well as get a good view of the Milky Way, which was out in all is glory.
Today we’re planning on taking the hike up Table Mountain, one of the icons of the city of Cape Town. The weather is looking perfect and I can hear the guys getting up now so I’d better be on my way.
Till next time…
Bevan