Gliding the Slide!

STYLE COUNCIL: Belinda Baggs has one of the most unique longboarding styles. Photo Supplied

Don't miss a really special, virtual version of Slide Night that features nine amazing speakers, with salty tales from the ocean but edited with amazing footage, photos and the latest research.

Part of this Covid journey has been finding ways to make things happen, with one very positive consequence for this special evening: in addition to the talented ocean folk in South Africa, we also had the privilege of inviting some pretty hard-hitting ocean gurus from around the world.

In addition to a healthy dose of science, and personal journeys into the big blue, you might be keen to hear and see some of the historic boards in Paul Naude's collection of more than 500 surfboards in Laguna Beach. He takes us down a unique memory lane, including the story behind his 5' 1" wiliwili wood twin-fin fish owned and ridden by Bunker Spreckels, step son of Clark Gable.

WILIWILI WOOD: Paul tells us about this Fish that was owned by Bunker Spreckels. Screengrab

Bunker inherited a fortune and surfed strange surfboards very well. Many of you remember how he rampaged across South Africa, surfing Jbay and wreaking havoc.

We also have Chris Burkard Photography in da house. A prolific filmmaker and photographer, Chris chats from California about his latest project, a beautiful film shot in Iceland called Unnur - a film we premiered this year (pic right).

We are also privileged to have Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier - born in Mexico City, who founded the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers, and co-founded Sea Legacy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean; Namibian conservationist Naude Dreyer, one of the local surfers you find at Skeleton Bay, who runs Ocean Conservation Namibia, which saves seals and other animals from being injured and killed by plastic pollution; as well as lifelong waterwoman and longboarder Belinda Baggs who is star of multiple movies like Sprout, Dear and Yonder and Come Hell or High Water, who recently founded Surfers for Climate with director Jack McCoy.

THE BLACK MERMAID: The title of the 10min talk by dive instructor Zandile Ndhlovu. Photo Supplied

Closer to home, we have Shamier Magmoet - the co-founder of #SeaThebiggerpicture Ocean Initiative and the director and producer of Rise From The Cape Flats; Maryke Musson, a self-confessed fish-nerd, who is CEO of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, and someone who always speaks from the heart; Zandile Ndhlovu, or the Black Mermaid, is the first black freediving Instructor in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, who chats about her journey; and Sarah Waries - CEO of Cape Town's acclaimed Shark Spotters programme - talking about their latest research.

Book your tickets and see you online tonight. Slide Night can be viewed until 12 December.

More info: https://www.wavescapefestival.com/slidenight-2020/
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/123003-wavescape-ocean-festival-2020/#/