Surfing in South Africa

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Surfing in South Africa
CountrySouth Africa
Governing body Surfing South Africa
National team(s) South Africa Olympics team
International competitions

Surfing in South Africa began in Durban in the 1940s. [1] [2]

Contents

History

By 1965 the South African Surfing Association was formed. In recent years surfing associations have tried to encourage more black South Africans to take up surfing. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

South Africa was banned from most international surfing competitions due to apartheid. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Famous surf spots

Muizenberg

This beach is the home of surfing in South Africa and may be the oldest surfing venue in Africa. Heather Price, a Zimbabwean-born woman, is considered to be the first ever person recorded stand-up surfing in South Africa, with her photo appearing in a local newspaper in 1919. [13] [14]

Jeffreys Bay

Jeffreys Bay is one of the five most famous surfing destinations (no.2 on one "best in the world" surfing list) in the world. It hosted the annual Billabong Pro ASP World Tour surfing event at Super Tubes, though its 2024 edition was cancelled and the event's future remains unclear. [15]

Surfing JBay JBay-Surfing at supertubes-001.jpg
Surfing JBay

St Francis Bay

A right hand point wave at St. Francis Bay was first idolised and promoted in the cult classic surf movie The Endless Summer in the 1960s.

Related Research Articles

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Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. That initial culture directly influenced modern surfing, which began to flourish and evolve in the early 20th century, with its popularity peaking during the 1950s and 1960s. It has affected music, fashion, literature, film, art, and youth jargon in popular culture. The number of surfers throughout the world continues to increase as the culture spreads.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of surfing</span>

The riding of waves has likely existed since humans began swimming in the ocean. In this sense, bodysurfing is the oldest type of wave-catching. Undoubtedly ancient sailors learned how to ride wave energy on many styles of early boats. Archaeological evidence even suggests that ancient cultures of Peru surfed on reed watercraft for fishing and recreation up to five thousand years ago. However, standing up on what is now called a surfboard is a relatively recent innovation developed by the Polynesians. The influences for modern surfing can be directly traced to the surfers of pre-contact Hawaii.

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Matt Warshaw is a former professional surfer, former writer and editor at Surfer magazine (1984-1990), and the author of dozens of feature articles and large-format books on surfing culture and history.

Aaron Chang is an American photographer specialized in surfing and ocean photography. He spent 25 years as a senior photographer at Surfing Magazine; he was an early photographer to practice the act of shooting waves with a wide angle lens from the water.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfing South Africa</span> Governing body for the sport of surfing in South Africa

Surfing South Africa (SSA) is the governing body for the sport of surfing in South Africa, and a recognised member of the world governing body, the International Surfing Association (ISA). SSA is also an affiliate of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), which, alongside Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) supervises all organised sport in South Africa.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Doyle (surfer)</span> American surfer

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References

  1. Nauright, John (6 April 2012). Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice [4 volumes]: History ... p. 161. ISBN   9781598843019 . Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  2. Cornelissen, Scarlett; Grundlingh, Albert (13 September 2013). Sport Past and Present in South Africa: (Trans)forming the Nation. Routledge. ISBN   9781317988595 . Retrieved 6 December 2016 via Google Books.
  3. "Waves for Change: How surf therapy is helping South Africa's most deprived children" . Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. "Dr Dude rides waves of SA's surfing history". Times . Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  5. "Surfing in South Africa Celebrates 50th Anniversary". ISA . Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  6. "Reclaiming the waves: South Africa's new surfing heroes". CNN. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  7. Matt Warshaw (29 April 2011). The History of Surfing. p. 398. ISBN   9781452100944 . Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  8. "South Africa - Freedom Riders - Foreign Correspondent - ABC". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  9. Warshaw, Matt (29 April 2011). The History of Surfing. Chronicle Books. ISBN   9781452100944 via Google Books.
  10. Nauright, John (6 April 2012). Sports around the World: History, Culture, and Practice [4 volumes]: History, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9781598843019 via Google Books.
  11. Thompson, Glen (2015). "Surfing, gender and politics:Identity and society in the history of South African surfing culture in the twentieth-century" (PDF). historiadoesporte.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  12. "South Africa: The History of Black Surfers and Africa's Big Surf Destinations". allAfrica.com. 13 April 2020.
  13. Bloggs, Fred (1 January 2001). "Chapter 39: Surfing". In Zavalza Hough-Snee, Dexter (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Global Sport. Routledge. ISBN   9781315714264.
  14. Davis, Andy (4 March 2014). "The Berg - Same As It Ever Was (Muizenberg To Get Historic National Landmark)". Zigzag Magazine. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  15. Spike. "J-Bay Cancelled". www.wavescape.co.za. Wavescape. Retrieved 2 June 2024.