Aye Aye Captain!

Kai Linder has a fast life. Playing an integral part in many surf events around the country, we decided to catch up with the man and try to figure out what makes him tick.

WS: Captain Kai! You pop up all over the place in the action sports world in South Africa. What is it that you do exactly for a crust?

KL: I blog action sports, I vlog action sports, I have a weekly radio show covering action sports on 2 Oceans Vibe (6pm Wednesdays www.2oceansviberadio.com), I commentate surfing, I MC Action Sports, I have a video production company called Black Media with my partner Andrew Black. I have also just become part of a Talent Agency called Swoon, with my other awesome partner, Lorin Barnes.

Shew. Pretty busy then. How long have you been doing this, and how did it all begin?

I was always in love with surfing, and then I tried the other sports and fell in love with them as well. As you know, all the action sports share a common thread and lifestyle. I started videoing with Andrew Lange and his bro for fun as a hobby and then realized I wanted to do it all the time. My biz partner Andrew Black helped me move in that direction as a career and then I realized that I wanted to do all the things I had always dreamed of doing, so I started to MC for free at events by basically grabbing the mic and talking, which was pretty funny. I worked my twenties doing events and stretch tents, but gave that up to follow my dreams, so all in all about seven years now.

That’s quite some time. During that period, and all the events that you have worked on, which one really stands out?

Doing anchor on the Billabong Pro at JBay was pretty special. First time I did a webcast and Billabong really took a chance on me, but I think I rocked it, and getting to do the semis and final with Greg Long was special.

Out of surf, skate and snow, which discipline has the worst slams that you have ever seen?

I have seen many big slams. Snowboarding and free ski, especially in icy conditions are pretty gnarly! I have seen guys airlifted off the mountain absolutely broken. Big wave surfing can produce some pretty heavy scenarios too. Downhill Skating is probably the worst ones I have seen though. Seeing a kid die one year was pretty damn hard.

Who are the coolest bunch of dudes, skaters, surfers or snowboarders, and why?

Surfers are my people, and especially in SA where we are such a small community it feels like a big family. I always have good times with the boarders and the skaters though, but I would say my surf family.

What is the funniest moment that you have ever experienced at an event?

Working with Wok on webcasts is pretty damn hilarious! On the Dew Tour, two years ago, at UKZN we were doing a skate and bmx demo and one of the young, blonde skaters, Martin Stoffberg, was charging hard. There was a group of black girls who decided he was the man and they started screaming and whistling every time he even moved. The funny part was that they pronounced his name “Mutton” so every time they screamed, “Yeeeew Mutton, we love you Mutton!" I started packing up and could not mc. Needless to say the name stuck haha.

What was the scariest moment that you personally have experienced at an event?

Scariest moment for me was actually out filming Rally. I was filming a piece for DC with a guy called Jon Williams and I wanted a shot of the car flying past me on a corner. Jon looked at the corner and there was a fence post with this wire coming off at an angle and tunes me if I am behind the wire I am safe. So I decide to take the chance and get the shot. Next thing I have a rally car coming at me at about 140km per hour and going past me by centimeters. I almost dirtied my shorts. You can see it in this video as the other camera took a wide of the corner!

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Even though you don’t have much free time, what do you do with it?

It has been hectic because I am doing what I love, but I realized last year that I was not exercising, or surfing, almost at all, which is strange considering what I do, but work just sucked up my time. This year I am just trying to surf whenever I have a gap and be more active. I even got myself a longboard, so no more ‘the waves are crap’ excuses.

Who is the biggest South African action sports legend in your eyes and why?

I would have to say Grant Twig Baker. I have been privileged to be part of his journey as a friend, and to see the man go from being written off by the industry and many people, to winning the Big Wave Title. On top of this he is still pushing the boundaries of one of the heaviest sports in the world. That is inspirational! He is also one of the biggest patriots I know.

What irritates you in the surfing world?

The lack of a Pro Tour in SA. What has happened to our open surfing division? When I get to the most prestigious event in our country, SA Champs, and it feels like a local clubby event, there is something very wrong. Our top young guys need a local tour to train on and more importantly to earn qualifying points at home like the guys in Oz and Brazil.

Why is it important to have fun, even nonsensical events, like the RVCA Rolling Retro on the calendar? It’s pretty obvious that it has a popular slot in the surfing calendar.

They celebrate our culture as surfers and not competition. I watch what goes on at the junior comps, for example, and the kids are put under a huge amount of pressure to perform. Surfing at its heart is about having fun. It is about the love of riding waves with your friends. It is about the bond between yourself and the community you surf with. That is why we started the RVCA Rolling Retro and that is why it is probably the most popular surf event on the calendar. It is for everyone, with no pressure to perform, and the opportunity to ride boards that form part of our history.

Is the RVCA Rolling Retro something that makes you proud to be involved with and integral to the inception of the event?

To see the event grow from our first one has been incredible. What started as a conversation on the patch over beers with Robby McDonald and Roosta has grown into an event that brings our community together and makes people happy. It makes me very proud.

Do you have any superstitions?

Not really. Be good to others and the planet and it will come back.

Do you have any vices? Please elaborate.

Beer, food and good times! I realize now, in my late thirties, that balance is super important and I probably should have tried to achieve it earlier in life. Hindsight can be a bitch!

Any Captain Kai health and nutrition tips for our readers?

Watch out for that sun! Get off your butt and get out there. Like I said above, it’s all about balance. I am trying very hard to lose weight, jol less and surf more! If I don’t, I am probably looking at type 2 Diabetes and a shitty 40’s and 50’s. So tune that mate, and feel free to tune me, and lets rather go for a surf and earn our beers.