Yesterday was the travel of the July African Road Trip, with today being the official start date in Cape Town. We have spoken with trip leader Bevan, and he informed us that Pierce, Natasha and Emma have all landed safely. When they have all loaded up the minibus they will head over to pick up Olly, who has already been in Cape Town for a couple of days, and then head over to Kommetjie where they will have a day's orientation and then enjoy a traditional South African braai in the evening.

Tomorrow the group will be completed with the arrival of Lizzy; and they will be able to get in the water for their first of many surfs of the trip. The conditions are looking great in Cape Town, with sun forecast for the next 5 days, aswell as a good sized swell which will create perfect learn to surf conditions.

Watch this space!!!

Hi all, and welcome to another TTride African Road Trip Classic.

Just a short note to let you all know that today we are officially all systems go as the group was joined by our newest member Lizzy, who flew into Cape Town around lunchtime today.

Lizzy managed to arrive just in time to join the others as they got their first day of surfing under way at Muizenberg Beach with Sheldon from the Kahuna Surf Academy.

Muizenberg is pretty much the best possible beach you can get for learning how to surf. The sand banks stretch out at a very slight gradient allowing for the swell to gently roll toward the beach. The waves are really mellow and easy to negotiate making them ideal for catching your first few waves. Today the group paddled out in classic Muizenberg conditions. Light off-shore winds, small, but consistent swell which angled right into the bay and allowed for the guys to get in a lot of practice. Unfortunately I had to head out early so I couldn’t stay for the entire lesson, but the smiles that greeted me upon my return seemed to say it all.

Apart from the waves though, we’ve been taking some time to get to know our surroundings. This evening the weather held out just long enough for us to get in a walk on the beach to watch the sunset over the sea. We’ve also done a bit of an orientation drive just to get familiar with the beaches, today being the first of many days of surfing still to come.

It’s early days yet and with so many things on offer in Cape Town and, indeed, all the rest of our stops, one can only sense that once we’ve gotten settled in properly and got in a little more water time things should start moving quite nicely.

Till next time

Hi all and welcome to another glorious day in Cape Town. The weather has been just perfect the past few days and today looks like it’s going to be another classic!!

Since my last entry we’ve managed to get ourselves settled into the swing of things in Cape Town. The lessons down in Muzenberg have been going really well, with everyone showing progress even at this early stage in the trip.

On Thursday the conditions looked ideal as the group paddled out with Sheldon for their lesson. The waves were easy and consistent, allowing the guys to get in a lot of wave time. These early days in your surfing career are really all about finding your feet, so to speak, and finding out what techniques work best for you. The inevitable wipeout is all part of the learning curve. Olli put in a few of the more notable wipe-outs (sorry Olli), but it all paid off when he managed to put in a few decent rides towards the end of the session. Emma and Tash cruised along, finding good waves throughout the morning. Lizzy made up for lost time by putting in a few good rides as well. Pierce, who already has 3 years experience surfing in the States, headed out on a longboard and cruised his way around the backline, getting in some really long rides!! It was a good effort by all and a wonderful way to spend the morning.

After lunch I took the group along the scenic route towards the Cape Point, through the small coastal towns of Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town. The panoramic views over the ocean from the mountain pass really make it a worthwhile detour. Once we’d rounded the mountains, we made our way south through the Cape Point National Park. This park encompasses the southern tip of the Cape Peninsular and is home to hundreds of different kinds of bird and animal species. The peninsular itself forms a large part of South African history as an important point on the early trade route between the east and the west. The scores of shipwrecks in the area tell of the sailors who weren’t so lucky when trying to round the point, and ran aground or sank in high seas at the “Cape of Storms”. We hiked the trail up to the old lighthouse and enjoyed the view of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, which are bisected by the peninsular.

Yesterday, we made our way back down to Muizenberg for another session in somewhat more challenging conditions. The waves were small enough for all the guys to paddle out to the back, which proved to be a lot harder than it looks. Paddling is a very important skill to have when surfing. If you can’t paddle, you can’t catch waves; if you can’t catch waves, you can’t surf. While the other guys worked on their paddling skills, Pierce and I spent some time on the beach going over a few of the more advanced techniques of trimming and turning. It was a tiring day for all and some weary surfers beached themselves on the shore after the morning lesson. As a reward for all their effort, I took the guys down to the fishing harbor in Kalk Bay to enjoy fresh fish and chips for lunch before we headed back over to Kommetjie for a cruise on Shaun’s boat. Cape Town is well known for its many Big Wave spots so Shaun took everyone to check a few of them out.

In the evening we met up with the kids from the local township, Massiphumlele for a few games of football on the beach. The girls played first, together with some of the younger kids. You could say that things didn’t really go their way. In the second half, most of their team decided to go for a swim rather than finish the match, leaving the girls to try and keep out the opposition who ended up putting away 10 goals. Ouch girls! In the second game things got a little more intense as Pierce, myself and a couple of the older guys took on Ollie’s team who were joined by Tim and his brother Bernie (also from the UK). It was a well-played game, with a lot of good maneuvering and passing. In the end though, it was team South Africa (and Pierce) who made it a convincing 5-2 victory.

With such a busy day already, it seemed almost impossible for there to be more to come, but there was. Shaun lit up a fire and cooked us up a huge, traditional braai after which we headed down onto the beach for some stargazing. The clear skies in Kommetjie made it really easy for us to pick out all the constellations, as well as get a good view of the Milky Way, which was out in all is glory.

Today we’re planning on taking the hike up Table Mountain, one of the icons of the city of Cape Town. The weather is looking perfect and I can hear the guys getting up now so I’d better be on my way.

Till next time…

Bevan

Hi all

Our crew has had quite a busy few days on this Cape Town league of the African Road Trip.

On Saturday we headed back over to Muizenberg, although this time we weren’t there to surf – we were on our way to visit Titch Paul from Lifestyle Surf Shop to get kitted out with some brand-new surfboards. Buying a new board is always an exciting experience, particularly when buying your first new board. All week I’d taken the guys through all the different boards, their various shapes and sizes, and helping to narrow down which board would suit who; so by the time it came to selecting one, it was just a matter of which spray job looked the best. Olli and Lizzy got themselves a 7”10 mini-mal each while Tash went for the shorter 7”6 and Emma, the even smaller 7”2 shape. Nobody has really had a chance to surf their new boards just yet as they are still in the shop getting new sprays put on, but its nice to know that there’s a new board with your name on it!

In the afternoon we headed back round to Cape Town via the scenic route. We were on out way to climb a mountain, Table Mountain to be precise. The main peak stands at around 1000 metres about sea-level so to climb to the summit is a challenging task to say the least. From the bottom it doesn’t seem to be too bad, but after a half an hour or so into the climb and you soon start to realize just how high those peaks really are. The going was definitely tough, but everyone was up to the challenge and we all clambered our way to the top just before sundown.

In the evening I took the guys out to one of the local restaurants in the city for a good, Cape Town style dinner before heading back to Kommetjie.

On Sunday it was back to the water for everyone. The wind was offshore and the conditions were looking good at Muizenberg. The guys spent the morning with Sheldon working on their paddling through the surf. Muizneberg can be unforgiving at times as there are no channels through which to paddle out so you’ve just got to take it head on!

In the afternoon we went to check out a new spot on the Atlantic side of the peninsula called Noordhoek beach. The water was crystal clear and the waves were looking really fun. Pierce and I paddled out into the line-up while the girls sat in the channel watching as some of the local guys shredded their way past. Olli decided to give my bodyboard a go and found out that it was slightly harder than it looked. We managed to get in a few good waves before the onshore winds kicked up and the conditions deteriorated, but it was really good while it lasted.

We hung around on the beach playing some frisbee before watching the sun go down. It had been just another classic day in Africa!


Yesterday we spent the whole day in Muizenberg. As usual we met Sheldon for our lesson in the morning, and in the afternoon we had a video session with some feedback for the guys to see and gauge their progress. It was a long day of surfing, and the wind and waves held up for the entire session which was just perfect.

Later in the afternoon Tim arrived with some of the kids from the township and we all gave him a hand teaching them how to surf. Most of these kids hardly get the opportunity to get to the beach, let alone learn to surf so it was a wonderful opportunity for the guys to get involved and give back a little to the Cape Town community.

After all that hard work in to sea, I thought it only fitting that we spoil ourselves with a nice cup of hot chocolate before heading home. It was a good end to another perfect day.

On Thursday we make our way east to Plettenberg Bay, so we’re going to be making the most of these last few days in Cape Town.

So till next time…

Take Care
Bevan

Hi all and welcome to Plettenberg Bay, the beautiful little costal village on the border between the provinces of the Eastern and Western Cape

Our last few days in Cape Town were a real blast. On Tuesday evening the guys met up with the kids from Masipumilele Township for another game of football, but this time on their home turf. We met with Thomas, who helps co-ordinate football development in the township and got a few games underway. We played all the way till sunset when it was time to say goodbye to all the kids and get ourselves home.

Later that night Paul and Dene Botha from Kahuna Surf Academy invited us over for a real, South African style braai. Both Paul and Dene had just recently returned from J-Bay where they had been working at the Billabong Pro. This contest is one of the stops on the WCT “Dream” Tour. The top 44 surfers in the world all compete on this round-the-world tour for the crown of ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Champion. This year the waves were cited as some of the best surf of the entire tour, with five10 point rides (perfect score) being awarded, a figure previously unheard of. In the end though, it was Joel Parkinson from Australia who walked away with the top honours at J-Bay. Dene and Paul put on massive feast and got chatting with the guys well into the night.

On Wednesday we took a drive in search of waves. The wind was coming up quite strong and the sea was looking quite big, so we needed to find somewhere a little more sheltered from all the elements. We decided to make a short spot at Boulder Beach to see the penguins that live there. At this time of the year many of the females have stared to lay their eggs while the juveniles are getting ready so make their first swims. It was an interesting stop, but one that we kept short and sweet, after all, there were waves to find!
After a long and unsuccessful search we decided to head back to Kommetjie. To my surprise, the wind had swung around to the south, which is a perfect offshore breeze for our local spot at Long Beach. So off we went to spend some time in the sea. Olli and the girls got some practice in on their new boards by riding some of the foamies on the beach while Pierce and I headed out to take on a few of the back ones. Despite the cold weather, it was a wonderful way for us to end off our time in Cape own. That evening Tim took everyone out for pizzas at the Fisherman’s before it was off to bed for an early night before the big drive!

Early Thursday morning we said our goodbyes to our gracious hosts Shaun and Lucinda (and Zoe the dog) and headed out on the road to Plett. The drive from Cape Town to Plett can be quite a long one, but with the amazing views and landscapes, the time seems to pass quite quickly. Most of the road is surrounded my various mountain ranges including the Swatberg mountains and the Tsitsikamma Berge, which make for some breathtaking scenery. Along the way I decided to make a short detour to Victoria Bay, a spot well known in surfing circles as one of the best waves in South Africa. Unfortunately the swell was still a little rough so we didn’t get a chance to see any of the locals ripping into it, but its still a great little place to stop by in, even just for a little while. The rest of the trip from Vic Bay to Plett is relatively quick and takes you through the wilderness area of the Western Cape, another scenic gem along the Gardden Route.

Arriving in Plett, the guys got settled into their new homes while I went out to meet with Jon and Donna Henry from the International Surf School to discuss the lesson plans for the next few days.

Yesterday morning I took the guys out for their first taste of Plett waves. We did an orientation drive around the town stopping at all the various spots to check out what the surf was doing and then headed off to Hobbie Beach for a few waves. The tide was quite low and the waves really short, but it was still really good to be in the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean. Later that morning, upon Jon’s recommendation, the group and I headed out to the lagoon for an intense fitness session. The idea behind the sessions is to get our riders into top shape, improving on basic techniques such as paddling, and increasing endurance levels so that the guys can spend more time in the water. Each day a different member of the group takes the fitness session, which runs for approximately one hour. They have to come up with all the exercises and activities and run the session. I got things started off by getting the guys to do a few run-swim-runs, pop-ups on the beach and a session of sprint paddling on the lagoon

After lunch I took the guys out for another surf at Central Beach for a few fun shore-breaks on the high tide. It was a classic way to end the day before heading back home for another classic South African style potjie dinner with Jon and Donna.

This morning the group and I are about to head out for the much-anticipated bungy jump. At 216m it’s the world’s highest, but more on that in my next entry.
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Till next time…

Take Care
Bevan