20 20 Vision

BIG BARREL: It looks small from far away but its far from small when you're out there.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: There is a new crop on the up. This is Troy, Fabian, Dan, Mark and York.

A new wave of groms paddled out at Sunset in the winter of 2020. Many had not surfed across the bay at Dungeons or heaving Factory yet but that was a year ago. Trouble is, 2021 has not quite delivered as it did last year in the time of Covid.

And time moves on inexorably. The likes of Frank Solomon, Matt Bromley and Josh Redman are no longer the groms. It is hard to believe they are engaged, or married and married with kids. How old does that make the rest of us. But life goes on.

What follows are images and profiles of 20 of the surfers who paddled out at Sunset during the winter of 2020, which more or less encapsulates the core of our big wave community. There will be surfers that are not mentioned but that is because I never managed to get a picture of them.

ANDREW MARR

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Surfboards 10’ 4”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Although Andrew spent most of the 2020 winter with an injury, you normally can count on him in the water before sunrise. He has an ability to catch the big set waves and make it look easy. He pops up on a couple of insiders, always keeping busy. Hardly a swell goes past that he does not surf. Even when the wind is wrong you will find him paddling his big boards in stormy conditions - it’s his way of staying fit. Chasing barrels down the beach is also a passion and he is not too bad at that either. He also does his time doing safety. He is one of the friendliest guys around with that broad smile and infectious laugh. But a word of warning to the groms. Don’t use him as a marker buoy. He may be getting on in years but he can still bite.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Frank Solomon

GO-TO BOARD: Pyzel Paddilac 10’ 0”
https://www.pyzelsurfboards.co.za
LIVES IN: Llandudno

As a goofy footer, you will often find him on the left side of the reef. He dislikes his backhand, and is not known for going right. If he is not in the water, you can find him in Llandudno, where he is a lifesaver: one of the speedo boys. He likes his coffee in the morning so not known to be first in the water. He has to drive over the mountain so a Dungeons report always comes with him. Frank pops up on most of the swells but with lockdown could not travel. Not sure when last he spent a whole winter in the Cape. A regular these days, he is no longer a youngster chasing the older guys.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact Vest

Simon Lowe

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Surfboards 10’ 2”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Mr Lowe has been on more swells out in front of his house than he cares to remember. One thing is for sure - he keeps the takeoff zone honest. He has been known to take control of the lineup but has kept people safe by doing this. When it gets big, its men like Simon that stand out. He is not scared to help the youngsters with markers and currents and suggestions, but don’t paddle on his inside. He also does his time doing safety. Many a surfer has the big man to thank for getting pulled from the impact zone. It’s all about timing and understanding and he has plenty of both. On the equipment front, he has travelled and experienced different equipment more than most, and has accumulated a wealth of knowledge. Deep and late take offs are common when he is in the lineup. Simon surfs anything from a 9’ 0” to an 11’ 0”.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation vest

James Lowe

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Surfboards 10’ 2” and 9’ 6”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

They call him Long John. He is 6 foot 4 and square across the shoulders. Now that he is working offshore he pops up from time to time but with lockdown he was here for the winter, with no trips to Hawaii. A Kommetjie local, he has started to understand the reef. One never truly does, but you don’t pick up the kind of waves he is riding without an understanding of how it works. James is not an outspoken guy and you won’t find him sitting in the channel hooting but will rather see him on a wave coming towards you. More often than not it is the wave of the session. He is always very fit and has one of the longest static breath holds around.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Not sure but I know there is no inflation vest

Dave Smith

Go-to board: Twig / Hurricane 10’ 2”
https://hurricanesurf.net/Twig.php
LIVES IN: Camps Bay

Dave has been surfing the outer reefs for years and seems to come and go. This winter he was on almost all the swells because business dried up during lockdown, and he was able to get more time off. Every swell he managed to score something special. He is not afraid to go hard and will always be found deep looking for those special waves. Easy to tell who is on the wave because he paddles a pink board.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Jeremy Johnson

GO-TO-BOARD: Twig / Spider 11’ 0”, 10’ 6” and 10’ 0”
https://safarisurf.com
LIVES IN: Constantia

Jeremy has been around for a while, and you won’t find him sitting on the inside. He takes his time and will wait for the set waves. It’s maybe that he has popped his eardrums too many times but he hates getting caught inside so you’ll invariably find him right out the back catching the bombs. He is happy to split his time on his board and doing safety. He will never be found shoulder hopping and hooting. He lives in Constantia but likes to be known as a Hout Bay local.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Both

Josh Redman

GO-TO-BOARD: Bilt Surfboards 9’ 0”
https://biltsurf.com
LIVES IN: Durban

Living in Durban, it’s always a big call to come to the Cape. He has to decide when to pull the trigger and fly and when to stay at home and potentially miss out. We somehow always get better days when he stays at home. Josh is not shy of a good beating and will always be in the thick of what is being dished up. A real hard man of big wave surfing although he makes brownies as a living. He is never found sitting on the shoulder hooting but pulling into impossible sections. I’ve witnessed some massive beatings and multiple wave hold downs but it’s all part of the fun, he says. He won’t paddle in waves under 15ft but is happy surfing 2ft surf back home.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Matt Bromley

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Shapes 10’ 2” and 9’ 6”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Muizenberg

Matt spent the whole winter in the country due to the lock down, but covered plenty of kilometres chasing swells up and down the coast. He has become very calm and calculating over the years. He is always happy to take his time and wait for the right one. He does not chase a wave count but likes to find himself in the right position for waves that count. If he is not surfing, he is training and is always fit and ready for the swell.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation vest

Mike Schlebach

GO-TO-BOARD: Lyle Carlson surfboards 10’ 2”
https://lylecarlsonsurfboards.com @lylecarlsonsurfboards
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

He has become a guy that seems to get his waves whenever he is out in the lineup. Mike is also a guy who is happy to take his time and make sure he is correctly positioned while patiently waiting for the set waves. This is most probably due to the fact that he has had his fair share of beatings. Now a father of two he shares his water time with family commitments. He still manages to find time to score every predicted swell.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Both

Paris Basson

GO-TO BOARD: DVGShapes 10’ 0”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Having spent so much time in the mountain bike saddle riding crazy endurance marathons, Paris brings a hyper energy to the lineup. Paris can’t sit still and wait for waves, but will rather paddle up and down looking for waves. But he is also comfortable to sit out a session and do safety. It’s very hard to do this while your mates catch waves.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation vest

Caitlin Moir

GO-TO-BOARD: Pierre de Villiers Dream Surfboards 10’ 0”
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Sunset has been a stop-start kind of relationship for Caitlin. Having been out of Cape Town for a number of years she has finally come back to Kommetjie and was a regular during the 2020 winter. Understanding her limitations or is it her fear factor, she is selective on the waves she rides. She adds a little intelligence to the lineup.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Twig Baker

GO-TO-BOARD: Twig / Hurricane 9’ 8”
https://hurricanesurf.net
LIVES IN: Durban

Twig was injured for most of the 2020 winter and only made one swell. But he made it count. He and Mickey were out in the dark and both had caught a couple of waves before the crowd arrived. They then had a second session later in the day on a dropping swell. Twig is always in the correct position and surfs really gracefully on the wave. He draws such smooth, clean lines with what seems like plenty of times on his hands. He has the ability to make it all look so easy. All his waves are special but this must have been one of the waves of the winter.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation vest, and has for a long time

Mikey Duffus

GO-TO-BOARD: Twig / Hurricane, DVG Shapes 10’ 0”
https://hurricanesurf.net/Twig.php
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

At around 59, Mikey must be the oldest guy in the lineup but he gets more excited than any grom when the charts show swell. Mickey will be found on the mountain most mornings after the school run just taking in the view. No swell or wind direction change goes unnoticed. He paddles almost every day no matter the conditions as he runs on salt water and he needs plenty of it. He managed the South African winning big wave surfing team of Cass Collier and Ian Armstrong at Todos Santos in 1999 and was instrumental in managing the Red Bull Africa Big Wave Africa event. He quietly goes about his business in the water. He doesn’t have to ask for respect. He gets it by the way he conducts himself in and out the water. Barrels down the beach are also a favourite of his.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Fabian Campagnolo

GO-TO-BOARD: Spider/ Safari 10’ 4”
https://safarisurf.com
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Although still one of the younger surfers, Fabian is one of the standouts during any given session. He often works in Europe picking fruit to pay for his surf travels. In 2019, he made the final of the Punta Galea Challenge in Spain as a late injury replacement. He suffered a number of injuries (concussions) in 2020 and had to sit out of a few swells. He left the temptation of the big waves in the Cape for the warmer point breaks of the Eastern Cape as part of his recovery.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation Vest

Jurie Muller

GO-TO-BOARD: Gonza Surfboards 10’ 0” or 10’ 2”
LIVES IN: Vlees Baai

He spends loads of time watching the charts and making the call to drive down from the Southern Cape. He almost never misses a swell and would rather be in the Cape and be skunked than miss out on the farm. Other than Twig and Ian Armstrong, he is one of the select group of shapers who test their own big wave boards in 20ft waves. Not known to back out of a challenge, Jurie turns and burns. He injured himself at Platbank and had to stay out the water for the second half of the winter. Not scared to travel he will show up with his wingman Pieter de Witt on any swell from way up the west coast to JBay. He is very selective on who gets to eat his lamb but if you get offered you will not be disappointed.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? He wears an impact vest and only uses an inflation vest when it gets nasty

Jason Hayes

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Shapes 10’ 0”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Surfs up tools down. Jason lives by that and won’t miss a swell. Coming from a navy diver background he is very comfortable in the surf and he does his time doing safety. Many a surfer has him to thank for being pulled out the impact zone.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Both

Stuart Fowles

GO-TO-BOARD: Twig / Hurricane 10’ 2”
https://hurricanesurf.net/Twig.php
LIVES IN: East London

It’s a long drive but he always seems to pop up with Grant as his wingman. Not really sure how to explain Stuart as he turns and goes. I’ve seen him get more on the head than make. I don’t think there is a fear button in his body or maybe it’s just because he has driven so far to be here, he does not want to miss out.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact Vest

Phil Nel

GO-TO BOARD: DVG Shapes 10’ 0”
http://www.dvgshapes.co.za
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Dr Nel – a physiotherapist who specialises in surfing fitness and rehab – recently moved his family from the Boland to the deep south. It’s taken him a long time to realise that there are waves other than “Caves”. You know if his PA calls to move your appointment there is a big swell on the way. He can be relied on for not missing out. Sometimes he arrives late but will always be there.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest

Jake Kolnik

GO-TO-BOARD: Fursman 10’ 0”
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Jake works in the film industry so 2020 is a year that he will want to put behind him. It did, however, give him loads of time to surf. When he is not surfing and the wind is blowing, he is windsurfing on the offshore reefs. He sells himself as a Kom local but he actually owned his 1st house in Scarbrough. He has a 12 year old son Levi that is starting to ride bigger swells. He also does the walk down the beach keeping himself busy in the water. His inflation vest is partially inflated, which makes him look bigger than he is. But easy to ID in the water. Not scared to turn and go, he has had his fair share of big hold downs.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Inflation Vest

Roddy Torr

GO-TO-BOARD: Twig / Hurricane 10’ 2”
https://hurricanesurf.net
LIVES IN: Kommetjie

Rod is the owner of the Kom surfshop so he is often conducting product tests when he is in the water. He knows what size swell he is comfortable in and will favour the left. He takes his beatings and always says that’s enough but can’t resist coming back for more.
There not too many goofy footers surfing Sunset so he is always easy to ID.

IMPACT OR INFLATION VEST? Impact vest