Cape Bodyboarders Light Up - Movie Teaser 2013

Markus Phitides charging the hole at his Cape home Break. (Photo: Seth Phitides)

The local Bodyboard crew have been having one of the best summers in living memory in Cape Town.   Even with the sub zero water and large predators at hand, it is hard not to love our cold water wonderland when huge tubes are on offer weekly. The waves have been so good from Llandudno to the Tand, that the boys have put together a new 2013 video, so check out the teaser...

IBA GoPro Pipeline Challenge 2013 Teaser

After the huge disappointment of hearing that the current economic downturn had caused the Pipeline Challenge to be cancelled due to no sponsorship, it was a great relief to find out that thanks to the social media campaign by the Bodyboarders, GoPro have signed on to save the event. So lock and load your internet and get ready for the most iconic event on the IBA Calendar, its gonna be huge! (Well done GoPro!) Frothing to see Jared and Spex cane the competition.

The North Shore Saffas - Spex, Frog and Vani G, Episode 1

Frank "Frog" Solomon and Josh "Vanilla Guerrilla" Redman discuss life and stare in each other's eyes on the bike path. (Photo: Spex)

The "Late" Season starts and already the Pacific Ocean has obliged with one great North Shore swell pumping through over the weekend. There to greet it are a pack of Saffas (South African Surfers) living on the North Shore for the next 2 months chasing waves, photos, results and respect. What really makes me super stoked about it, is that they are some of my best buds! Enter the crew of Sacha "Spex" Specker, Frank "Frog" Solomon, Josh "Vani G" Redman, Andrew "Roosta" Lange, Grant "Twig" Baker and Ant Fox. These guys are there to ride and document the North Shore, surf some competition and ride the dream.

Over the next few weeks they and other other South Africans will join Spex on my radio show to fill us in on what has been going down. All the stories, the drama and the results! So keep an eye on this here blog and the Monday Radio show on 2 Oceans Vibe. In the meantime here are 2 videos of week 1 on the Shore!

Frog & Josh 808 week 1 from Sacha 'SPEX' Specker on Vimeo.

Waimea Bay from Damien robertson on Vimeo.

30th Edition of the Pipeline Challenge is go for 2013

There have been some crazy moments over the years at the Pipeline Challenge. Some of the biggest days ever surfed out there, South Africans charging and winning and of course some gruesome wipeouts. Next year sees the 30th edition of this iconic Bodyboard event and of course SA kingpin, Sacha Specker defending his DK title.

Spex takes Pipeline DK Title for the Saffers

Sacha "Spex" Specker pretty stoked with his first win on the IBA tour. (Photo: IBA/Trouville)

If anyone was ever bothered to ask me about Spex, I would have told you he is one of the greatest waterman I know. Whether dominating on his bodyboard, surfing equally well, diving or swimming for shots, the guy is dam good! (He also dates one of the world's best female surfers.) He is a patriotic Saffer and the nicest guy you will ever meet. So I am very stoked that he took the DK podium at the Pipeline Challenge. The contest had insane waves with huge performances by the world's best. Check the other day's highlights as well!

As the only non-Hawaiian in today’s dropknee final, South African, Sacha Specker, was a clear underdog. He had been in a final twice before but never tasted victory, until today. He sat slightly wide of the Hawaiians and went about picking off waves that were running along the inside reef at Pipe. “It’s an incredible feeling winning this event. It’s a bit of a dream still. I think it’ll kick in tomorrow, when we play the Aussies in cricket”, said Specker. The Hawaiians, Miles Kauhaahaa, Bud Miyamoto and Kainoa Mcgee, put on great performances in the rounds leading up to the final, weaving their ways through the tricky barrels at Backdoor and Pipe. Kauhaahaa rode the highest scoring wave of the event- a long barrel at Backdoor. Miyamoto had the highest scoring wave of the final-a long deep barrel at Pipe- punctuated with a cutback that threw buckets of spray over the back of the wave. He was unable to find a back up wave and came second to Specker by 3.91 points.