One More Step

Many years ago, if my shaky and addled memory serves me well, Zigzag ran a very passionate article about Wendy Botha, explaining that she had the absolute ability to become the World Champ, and nothing was being done about it. She was getting little support (I even remember that at the time the only way she got started on the tour was a plane ticket given to her by Cheron Kraak) and she was given very little coverage through the surf press and the mainstream media.

After that hard-hitting and heartfelt article, possibly written by Jeremy Saville (my shattered memory banks) Wendy went on to win multiple world championships, four in total, and got a cover of Zigzag magazine. In 1989, she shared the world champion podium with men’s world champ Martin Potter.

It seems history does repeat itself, but it repeats itself into a different world full of spinning digital platforms, quickly digested media and a need for pop-up shops as well as pop-up heroes. Bianca Buitendag, through to the semi-finals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, has the potential to be ASP Women’s World Champ.

It seems history does repeat itself, but it repeats itself into a different world full of spinning digital platforms, quickly digested media and a need for pop-up shops as well as pop-up heroes. Bianca Buitendag, through to the semi-finals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, has the potential to be ASP Women’s World Champ.

To be fair, Bianca doesn’t get left out of the media as Wendy did back in the day. She has a good and solid sponsor in Roxy, and gets her boards from Channel Islands, and gets her fair share of print and digital coverage. The ASP does support her as well, giving her credit and coverage when due.

To witness her here at the Roxy Pro has been quite an incredible experience. Bianca is a fearless competitor and she is not scared of anyone. When ASP commentator Peter Mel asked her if she had anyone she would rather be surfing in the semi, or anyone she didn’t really want to surf against, our Bianca, said, with a huge smile on her face, “I can surf against anyone. I don’t really mind,”

Her approach on the zippering walls of firing Snapper has had one outstanding characteristic – straight up. The waves at Snapper, particularly near the take off zone and with the wash off the rocks, are strangely similar to Victoria Bay, with a wobble, a side wash, and a rock boil or two. Many unsuspecting surfers get knocked off their feet by the weird water movements, but Bianca uses those little pockets of whitewater and backwash as places to bank off, to do re-entries off, to foam climb and float. One of the trickiest little waves is a piece of cake for her.

There is much talk in amongst the media as to Carissa Moore, Steph Gilmore, Lakey Peterson and Malia Manuel.  Bianca sits here as an underdog, much like Travis sits on the Men’s World Tour. That’s ok. Underdogs have nothing to lose. Bianca has to get through one more heat to get into the final. That’s what she’s going to do…