Surfer Faces Shark Fear

After a dozen years of surfing, Port Alfred professional Lungani Memani yesterday said one of his biggest fears was getting eaten alive by a shark.

“I am just like everybody else who surfs … I am scared of sharks and getting attacked,” the 23 year-old admitted.

Memani and fellow professional Andrew “Roosta” Lange are on the ride of their lives along the wild coast filming “Surfing & Sharks: A film about close encounters in South Africa”.

According to Dutch filmmaker Joep van Oppen the aim of the documentary is to “inform and educate” people about sharks and “bridge the gap between myth and reality.”

Focusing in on Memani and Lange, and their two contrasting views on sharks, the film will be shot during a three week sardine run road trip from Port Elizabeth to Durban - speaking to shark attack survivors and experts along the way.

Currently shooting in Memani’s hometown, the crew also plans to stop in at Port St Johns’ “beach of death” and speak to locals about a spate of shark attacks that have killed several swimmers and surfers in recent years.

Memani, - a two time Springbok surfer - made history in 2005 when he became the first African surfer to represent his country in the World Junior Surfing Championships – finishing a respectable 49th out of more than  80 surfers in his division.

During filming yesterday, the crew interviewed several Port Alfred locals – including Daily Dispatch journalist David Macgregor and surfing estate agent Warwick Heny - about their rolls in nurturing Memani and their encounters with sharks.

Holland based, Australian born, film director and kite boarder Julian Watson said the idea to film the 52 minute Surfing and Sharks documentary germinated during a visit to South Africa earlier this yearplace when they went cage diving and saw the sharks close up – and “listened to the stories” about them from the dive operators.

“I decided I would only get involved in something special.”

He said the catalyst was making contact with Roosta and Memani and hearing about their differing feelings on sharks.

“Roosta’s Dad used to let him surf during the sardine runs on the South Coast while Lungani’s parents were afraid when he started surfing that he would offend the ancestors or get attacked by a shark.

“Roosta says he likes sharks but Lungani is like you and me, he is scared.”

Mason said because surfers were in the “frontline” they were able to raise awareness about sharks and help with their conservation.

Memani said although he was always fearful of a shark attack, things became worse when he saw a guy knocked off his board while surfing next to him at Jeffreys Bay.

Although the plan is to hook up with Roosta on the South Coast before speaking to experts and then finishing things off with a free dive with sharks, Memani is not so sure.

“I am still thinking about free diving with sharks.”

Wavescape is working in collaboration with the Surfers and Sharks project, and has been intimately involved from inception. Wavescape's Chris Mason is the South African producer for the project, and will be travelling with the crew assisting with logistics, transport, location scouting, accommodation and surf forecasting. The film is an official selection for the Wavescape Surf Film Festival that takes place in Cape Town in December.