Hi all
Our crew has had quite a busy few days on this Cape Town league of the African Road Trip.
On Saturday we headed back over to Muizenberg, although this time we weren’t there to surf – we were on our way to visit Titch Paul from Lifestyle Surf Shop to get kitted out with some brand-new surfboards. Buying a new board is always an exciting experience, particularly when buying your first new board. All week I’d taken the guys through all the different boards, their various shapes and sizes, and helping to narrow down which board would suit who; so by the time it came to selecting one, it was just a matter of which spray job looked the best. Olli and Lizzy got themselves a 7”10 mini-mal each while Tash went for the shorter 7”6 and Emma, the even smaller 7”2 shape. Nobody has really had a chance to surf their new boards just yet as they are still in the shop getting new sprays put on, but its nice to know that there’s a new board with your name on it!
In the afternoon we headed back round to Cape Town via the scenic route. We were on out way to climb a mountain, Table Mountain to be precise. The main peak stands at around 1000 metres about sea-level so to climb to the summit is a challenging task to say the least. From the bottom it doesn’t seem to be too bad, but after a half an hour or so into the climb and you soon start to realize just how high those peaks really are. The going was definitely tough, but everyone was up to the challenge and we all clambered our way to the top just before sundown.
In the evening I took the guys out to one of the local restaurants in the city for a good, Cape Town style dinner before heading back to Kommetjie.
On Sunday it was back to the water for everyone. The wind was offshore and the conditions were looking good at Muizenberg. The guys spent the morning with Sheldon working on their paddling through the surf. Muizneberg can be unforgiving at times as there are no channels through which to paddle out so you’ve just got to take it head on!
In the afternoon we went to check out a new spot on the Atlantic side of the peninsula called Noordhoek beach. The water was crystal clear and the waves were looking really fun. Pierce and I paddled out into the line-up while the girls sat in the channel watching as some of the local guys shredded their way past. Olli decided to give my bodyboard a go and found out that it was slightly harder than it looked. We managed to get in a few good waves before the onshore winds kicked up and the conditions deteriorated, but it was really good while it lasted.
We hung around on the beach playing some frisbee before watching the sun go down. It had been just another classic day in Africa!
Yesterday we spent the whole day in Muizenberg. As usual we met Sheldon for our lesson in the morning, and in the afternoon we had a video session with some feedback for the guys to see and gauge their progress. It was a long day of surfing, and the wind and waves held up for the entire session which was just perfect.
Later in the afternoon Tim arrived with some of the kids from the township and we all gave him a hand teaching them how to surf. Most of these kids hardly get the opportunity to get to the beach, let alone learn to surf so it was a wonderful opportunity for the guys to get involved and give back a little to the Cape Town community.
After all that hard work in to sea, I thought it only fitting that we spoil ourselves with a nice cup of hot chocolate before heading home. It was a good end to another perfect day.
On Thursday we make our way east to Plettenberg Bay, so we’re going to be making the most of these last few days in Cape Town.
So till next time…
Take Care
Bevan