Thandi Africa

The Bukit

2009-02-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

"Discovered" in the early '70s by traveling Aussies, Bali's Bukit peninsula is blessed with tradewinds, an open swell window, beautiful cliffs and small pocket beaches, warm water, and barreling lefts. We spent some quality time on the bluffs, on the sand, and in the ocean.

Canggu

2009-02-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Canggu, Bali is a rural region that has recently captured the eyes and hearts of the world's best surfers as a sanctuary and retreat from Bali's hustle and bustle. Moni and I enjoyed our bike rides through the rice paddies and villages to the ocean each day, sharing the road with motorcycles, barking dogs, and children around every corner yelling, "Hello Mister!"

Bali 2008

2009-02-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Moni and I visited the Island of the Gods, Bali, in August 2008 to celebrate our honeymoon. We started in the rural backwoods of Canggu, biking to the beach each day and visiting local temples on the high tide line.

Girl Power!

2009-01-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

We had some epic surf over the past week, and Moni and good friend Rebecca were the only women in sight consistently charging double-overhead plus waves with the fellas. Here is a sequence of a wave the two shared. Rebecca paddled back out laughing, explaining that she was happy Moni went as she (Rebecca) was too deep. Good work, ladies --- charging steep and deep, sharing waves, and smiling afterwards. We could all learn from you! Photos courtesy of Pat Campion.

Kilauea Hale

2008-07-25T19:08:00.001-07:00

"Hale" means home in Hawaiian. After a few days on the island, we checked in to a hale on the cliffs above Secret Beach on Kaua'i's north shore, truly one of the most beautiful pieces of earth we have ever seen. Friends arrived, and the festivities began. At the peak of our celebration, we had something like 19 people living under one roof -- one big, happy family, an 'ohaha nui.

The view from the deck/lanai

Os and the Kid, enjoying the pool

Tailor made for romance -- the view from the master bedroom

The legendary Christer "Da Kid" Cole and his lovely Kai

A big man and his castle, Ryan Seelbach, surveying the domain

The soon-to-be married, legendary "Oregon John" a.k.a Johnny Bowling, with his garage sale find -- a choice 7'4" Terry Chung thruster, which he put to good use throughout the week.

Moni, living the dream.....

Kit, aquaman

Kaua'i the Beautiful

2008-07-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

We arrived on the island of Kaua'i on the first week of June, and got straight to business -- out of the 5/3 fullsuits and straight into the ocean!

Hawaiian Wedding -- Kilauea Male 'Ana

2008-07-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

So after four and a half years of dating, Moni and I tied the knot in Kilauea, Kauai, on Sunday, June 8th, 2008. We were joined by family and friends on the blufftop above Secret Beach and were blessed with all things great --- friends, music, food, laughter, memories. We hope you enjoy the photos --- courtesy of our pal and amazing photo-genius, Colin Vincent.

The old Stevie Wonder tune comes to mind about now .... "Isn't She Lovely?"

Grown Man Business

2008-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

So, it takes a real man to craft a board from scratch with his bare hands, and then paddle it out in triple overhead surf and put it to the test.

Case in point: Senor Daniel P. Hess, pictured below with legendary SF Bay Area foam and wood-carving hero Marc Andreini, admiring the bottom contour and rail-line of one of Danny's bonzers.

And Senor Hess putting a 9'6" pintail quad through its paces in maxing San Francisco -- steep and deep, behind the peak. This, ladies and gentlemen, is some real grown man business....

Click on images for larger views.

California Gold

2008-05-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

So the colonists labeled California "The Golden State" after they stole the land from the Native Americans, and despite their ethnocentrism, they chose a name that makes complete sense.

Here are some photos from our fall and winter of 2007-2008, all taken from Santa Barbara to San Francisco, 350 miles of California coastal gold. Enjoy.

Cape Town -- Final Days

2007-12-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

We arrived in CT without a hitch --- the storm passed and the offshores returned, allowing us to get in the water one last time before boarding our flight from Cape Town to San Francisco via London, a 30 hour travel marathon.

The Journey Home --- Road Trippin'

2007-12-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

Our journey home began with a quaint 8 hour drive from J Bay to Capetown. We encountered a radical rainstorm at sundown on the eve of our departure, so we took refuge in the small coastal hamlet of Wilderness. We saw raging seas just before dark, and anxiety set in immediately --- did we leave J Bay a day too soon?!

Bye for Now, J Bay

2007-12-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Well, like the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." After nearly 2 months at Jeffrey's, Moni and I bade our farewells: to our friends, to the sunrises and sunsets, to the surf-checks from the Supers deck, to Woolie, to the aloes, and to the endless walls of joy. So long J Bay, we'll be back (boo hoo, sniff, sniff).

AVG from the water

2007-12-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

Of course, the days we dream of, read about, hear about, and lose sleep over, are the sunny, beautiful, perfect point break days, days such as this one captured by Cape Town photo maestro, Allan Van Gysen.

Flat Day Fun -- Part II

2007-12-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Other flat days were spent in the tidepools, looking for octopus and other sea creatures. The waves at Supertubes break over a submerged lava shelf. On flat days at low tide, much of this lava shelf is visible. This shelf is not only responsible for Supers’ endlessly steep walls; it also makes for amazing natural aquariums that host all kinds of sea life including the unsuspecting sleeper set that occasionally rolls through unannounced.

Flat Day Fun -- Part I

2007-12-18T14:19:00.001-08:00

What many people fail to realize is that Jeffrey's Bay is tucked deep inside of a bay. It sounds obvious, but the surf media has a tendency of making surf spots larger than life. Many people imagine that J Bay is graced with double overhead walls and offshore winds nearly every day. The reality is that Supers does not break every day, even during the winter. The other reality is that J Bay is surrounded by the African wilderness. On one flat day, Moni and I decided to take a ride through the dunefields located in the innermost depths of the body of water called Jeffrey's Bay.

When water and sand collide

2007-10-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

When the big swells hit J Bay, waves washed up onto the sand dunes at high tide, and the retreating water took buckets of sand back with it into the lineup. The result --- numerous super shallow, sandy sections scattered from the top of the Supertubes lineup all the way down to the base of the point.

Here is an image of what you get when you mix a shallow sandbar with a good swell, coupled with a talented and fearless water photographer, and finally sprinkled on top with one of the best tube riders on earth: a tiny miracle, captured for our enjoyment, courteousy of the Indian Ocean, Allan Van Gysen, and Mr. Kelly Slater. Photo courtesy of AvG via ZigZag via Deon.

And here is the beast that made this moment possible.

When the surf finally dropped....

2007-10-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well, after the series of storms made their way past the tip of Africa, the waves calmed down, affording us the opportunity to visit some of our favorite places close by before packing up and heading on to Cape Town. Stuey and Helen decided to load up the cooler, the kids, Moni, and me, and launch the boat to watch the sunset from the dunes behind J Bay.

Being a good South African, Stuey is handy with an open fire, a fishing rod, a bottle opener, an outboard and attached skiff, and various other "man-tasks." Hels and Moni, on the other hand, just sit back and look pretty and let the boys be boys.

We landed at the base of a giant sand dune, where Moni and Lolo raced to the top to watch the sunset.

Surfing with Friends

2007-10-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of life's joys is sharing good waves with friends. Here are images of some of our pals whom we surfed with, who inspired us, and with whom we love to share the ocean.

Our legendary host and good friend Stuey, one of J Bay's hardest chargers and a stylish goofyfooter (below).

The Wolfman, a J Bay local since the early '80's and one of the spots primary enforcers. Respect this man; he has shed blood and sweat to protect this wave.

Some guy with gloves named Kelly, enjoying a moment of effortless glide.

Deon, local artist, friendly neighbor, closet gardener/chef/yogi/karate expert.

Unknown sap lucks into one of the best waves I've ever seen -- look at the lip line!

True pointbreak gliders.

Hand Jive

2007-08-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Deon is a good friend of ours who lives just across the street from Supertubes. He's a good man and it shows -- lovely wife, happy-go-lucky dog who can also guard the house when he needs to, nice home with garden, steady work as a land surveyor, nice car, great friends, and a budding quiver. He also is one of J Bay's best tube riders. He sent me these shots in two installments -- the water photos are from Cape Town's AvG, who swam at Impossibles for hours on the biggest days; Pete Frieden took the beach shots a month later.

We are always our own harshest critics when it comes to judging photos of ourselves surfing. Here is what Deon has to say about the Frieden photos:

"Here are some shots that Frieden got of me on the Green Mamba out for a Sunday drive. Not the greatest shots, but anyway... More bottom than turn - a little embarrASSed to send them - hope Moni doesn't think any less of me.

The board looks really small? What is of more concern is my decidedly Elko hand jive that I have not only in these shots but also in the cuttie shot that AVG got of me. Anyway - could be worse - could be doing the "Sideshow Bob" thing....

Classic Deon.

ENJOY!

Kit's RICH Fish

2007-08-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

Of the various boards we brought, my all-time favorite -- and the board that seemed to work the best -- was my 5'9" Pavel Speed Dialer. High lines, bottom turns, speed runs, tubes, and the odd cutback or carve, this board did it all. Thanks, Rich, for more magical moments birthed from your planer.

Dream Girl

2007-08-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

What kind of woman shows up at a world class surf spot with 2 bonzers, paddles out, and proceeds to surf with grace on her backhand? Well, Moni of course! She turned heads and earned respect out at Supers with her positive attitude, her bright smile, her warm-hearted laugh, and her willingness to push herself over the ledge. Countless locals and travelers alike were impressed by her overall act in the water, coming up to me and others saying, "Geez, she surfs good, aye?!" 99 percent of the time, she was the only female in the water; she became friends with all of the local heavies, earning her respect by charging hard and being beautiful, all at the same time. We love you Moni. (Photos courtesy of Sashimi Steve).

The COOKING continues....

2007-08-05T03:13:00.000-07:00

As low pressure #1 moved away, a new storm slid into its place. The result: larger waves than the previous swell, stronger winds, longer, more intense rides, longer hold-downs, and even bigger smiles at the end of the day.

Absolutely COOKING!!

2007-08-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

The day after the contest, the surf was head high to 8' faces and perfect. The surf continued to pump as three mega-low pressure systems positioned themselves perfectly off of the South African coast. The result -- mind blowing rides, long paddles back up the point, long tubes, offshore winds, and in the end, noodle-arms and worn out adrenal glands.

Post Contest Bliss

2007-08-05T02:58:00.000-07:00

After the contest, J Bay slipped back into its usual rhythm -- beautiful sunrises and sunsets and cozy dinners around the fireplace. Local surfers were able to re-stake their claim in the lineup, and the rest of us were rewarded with instant karma for our patience -- 12 days of non-stop waves.

Bong Pro 2007

2007-08-05T02:28:00.000-07:00

Every year, the WCT lands at Jeffrey's Bay, bringing with it 45 of the world's best competitive surfers, a veritable boat-load of photographers and other media slaves, judges, coaches, fans, paparazi, wanna-be surf-pro rats, soccer dads, and other assorted kak (shit). Any sane surf traveler would avoid this circus, but Moni and I decided that we'd sit back and enjoy the show.

Highlights were Kelly Slater playing music at Pepper Street restaurant, Kelly free surfing, and watching a few others take Supers apart.

Side note: your average pro surfer lacks wave etiquette and behaves like a spoiled brat both in and out of the water. Of course, the best-of-the-best are well mannered; our favorites to surf with were Kelly Slater and Taylor Knox, both gentelmen in and out of the water. As for the others? Never mind.

Still, when the contest was over, we celebrated with locals and pros alike. Deon tracked down his childhood hero, Shaun "the Prawn" Tompson and had "Snips" take a photo. We laughed and sang and high-fived and carried on, and in the back of everyone's minds was the age-old local mantra -- thank you for coming, now go home! Ha ha!