Carving Glass

Age: You can lie in this part
I just turned 30 in March.

When did you start surfing, what got you into it?
I started surfing around the time of my 16^th birthday. My dad and brother got me hooked!

You and your brother Rory seem to be the proverbial gypsies of surfing. Where has the trade winds been blowing you the last couple of years?
Haha , yeah who doesn’t LOVE to travel for surf ! I’ve been really lucky, so far: Bali, G-Land, Madagascar, Australia, Maldives, Seychelles and Mozambique. I also never forget how much incredible surf South Africa has to offer... Right here on our doorstep!

Working as a surf guide in the tropics, sounds like a dream come true; tell us about your time with Tropic Surf.
Yeah that was really amazing! Not a day goes by that I don’t think about beautiful Maldives. I pretty much hassled the owner of Tropic Surf for about six months before he finally gave in and said I could go over and tryout as a beginner surf guide. They hired me right away and I spent some time working and training, then I went back as a manager for 3 months and then from there I went to work for them on the island of Mahe in the beautiful Seychelles.

Wetsuits or bikinis?
Well in Cape Town it’s pretty impossible but I would say BIKINIS all the way!

Current board set up, do you have a preferred setup or do you roll with a quiver?
At the moment I’ve just got a new board from DVG and I’m loving it! It’s slightly thicker and wider than my previous boards so I find I’m getting lots more waves. I also have a 6’4 rounded pin for slightly bigger stuff (for me bigger stuff is like 5 to 6 foot!)

I recently realised that I’ve been pretty ‘stuck in my comfort zone’ with boards  - so I’ve decided I want to try out as many new and interesting shapes as I can, swopping with friends and feeling how different boards go..

Most embarrassing moment surfing?
Well I constantly battle with a bit of a looser complex, but my most embarrassing experience would have to be surfing in a bikini and being completely undressed by the ocean (in Bali)

For someone who has ben to so many places, what are your personal top 5 waves on earth?
Wow that’s a tough one... for me I’d have to say Elands, Supers, Maldives (secret spot) Angourie in Oz and ‘20/20’s in G-land

You attended Claytons Surf training seminar, what do you think of what he had to say?
Wow how much time do we have..? Ha ha, no seriously – Clayton is an incredible surfer, shaper and coach - he puts the mechanics of surfing into a language everyone can understand.. I realised that for my entire surfing life I’ve been ‘skateboarding’ down the middle of the wave and basically loosing all my speed and NEVER engaging my rail!!  I need to try break ALL my old habits and start all over again ... its going to be interesting  but I’m focussed on improving and try nail the top to bottom power surfing !!

So rumour has it you are putting roots down here in South Africa, does that mean we are going to see more of you around town?
Yes, building a house up the west coast and putting all my energy back into my glass art business

Tell us about your glass art business, I have seen some mind blowing pieces.
Thanks man! We specialise in sandblasted and carved glass art, mainly functional art in that most of our pieces are glass showers, windows, door inserts, etc.. We also now offer custom glass signage with LED edge lighting which is really stunning!

How did you get into the Glass art business?
I’ve always been fascinated by glass - when I was still in high school I used to spend weekends at craft markets selling my hand painted glassware. Then during my last year of school my dad bought an old sandblasting cabinet at an auction, we tried sandblasting a few wine glasses and that was it... I decided to go big and so Glass Art was born!

Yoh, you started that young, must have been a tight learning curve, what were the biggest challenges you faced in the early days?
Yeah, I was only 17 when I started up so I couldn’t get a cheque or phone account…but my dad helped me so much, he gave me the confidence to make it happen. I started small and things steadily grew, we established a good reputation for quality and service. Today we have been operating for over ten years and have even exported a few of our projects overseas.

Do you enjoy being your own boss?
Damn straight! I get to surf and travel whenever I want!

Do you like cooking?
Not as much as I like eating

We hear you are building a house in Readlinghuis, any wildlife encounters on site?
Ah yes! Scorpions, snakes and spiders! The quiet little town of Redelinghuys, for those who don’t already know is 25km inland of Elands Bay. A perfect little weekend retreat from the city, yet still very close to a good few west coast gems...

What scares you more, scorpions’, snakes or spiders?
Eish! Snakes!!

How many pairs of shoes do you have?
Thats a random question!?   Um, five: slops, takkies, slippers, Uggs and smart-ish (well smart for me) sandals

Lastly, for someone who has been pretty much everywhere, what is left on your bucket list? 
Wow that’s a tough one! Ok here my main ones: Mentawais, Morocco, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Tahiti, Namibia, Portugal, the moon (just kidding – checking if you still even there) haha

Cool, that’s it. Thanks for your time Mandy, give me a shout when the house up the weskus is finished.
Sweet, thanks for the chat, yeah definatly pull in when you have time.

To find out more about Mandy's Glass Art Business, check out: http://www.glassart.co.za/