The High Light

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Beyrick De Vries ventured around the wave-rich African coastline alongside fellow shredders Brendon Gibbens, Shane Sykes and Dale Staples, to capture the material needed for a solid video, and the high production values of the Higher Light production are notable.

Apart from travelling around South Africa, they ventured as far as Senegal, Mozambique and Namibia in search of perfect waves, and found insane surf along the way, including epic barrels, classic point-break surf, reefs and beaches, and cool people and diverse cultures. You always need cool people and diverse cultures when you make a surfing video.

You always need cool people and diverse cultures when you make a surfing video.“I believe I grew up a lot during the making of the movie,” says De Vries about the project. “In the process, I realised you can be competitive and be a free surfer. You don’t have to choose if you plan well enough. You can go to Japan and compete on the ‘QS in 1-foot waves, and then go straight to Indo for a sick trip. I've been learning that it's all about balance.”

From the video it's patently obvious that De Vries has found the right footing. He is surfing sharper than ever, whether tucked effortlessly in a never-ending tube, throwing down a heavy-footed hack or landing a gravity-defying air - all the kinds of things that get you amped to go surfing: just like watching the matinee and it was a western and afterwards you frolicked on the lawns re-enacting the action, including multiple deaths in a hail of bullets and arrows and God knows what.

Beyrick also realised during this project that there are some definite goals out there for him to achieve. “In five years I want to be qualified for the WSL Championship Tour (CT)," states De Vries. This movie is testament to his talent and skills as a surfer, and qualification should be a cinch.