Tabla de contenidos para Winter 2025 en Zigzag

I’ll be honest – I hated J-Bay, growing up. As a grom, and even through late high school, I just couldn’t click with Supers on my backhand. It felt like I was always half a beat off, chasing sections instead of reading them. You know the feeling. Gave up trying eventually. But even when I wasn’t vibing with the wave, I loved the place during events. It was always a ‘happening’. The energy, the crowd, the buzz when the pros were in town. Over the years, things shifted even more. In 2024, during Ari Kraak’s WSL Specialty event. I woke up early one morning before the first horn and strolled onto the boardwalk, on a classic J-Bay winter’s dawn. That kind of soft purple-gold glow, when the sky doesn’t so…

As far as wave riders go, Dre sits comfortably in my top five. There’s something about the way he handles heavy situations – stuff 99% of us can’t even comprehend. Whether it’s Teahupo’o slabs, Waimea shorebreak, or pulling lifeless bodies from Pipe, one thing never changes: total composure. You can see it in his eyes – that subtle mix of insanity and calm. Born for this. Dre’s inspired me since I was a kid. Not just for the way he surfs, but for the way he lives. We’ve both walked similar roads, highs and lows. “Ja man, I’ve gone through some internal battles, and had some external victories,” he told me once. “But the way to survive is to rise above… laugh… surf the madness!” These days, Dre’s a husband…

If you ever tried driving through the Transkei in the 1980s, you will understand that ‘exploration’ meant something quite literal back then. It meant potholes the size of bathtubs, maps that were more decorative than directive, and fuel stops that depended largely on bartering cigarettes for petrol. Now take that notion, a quiver of boards, a couple of fearless twenty-somethings with suspicious hairstyles, a camera full of slide film, and the unwavering optimism of youth; and what you get is not a rescue mission (though it came close on occasion), but – dare we say – the golden age of South African surf exploration. WHY WE EXPLORED (AND WHY WE STILL DO) To understand surf exploration is to understand a very specific kind of optimism – the kind that makes you…

WHAT CORE DO YOU WANT YOUR BOARD MADE FROM? THAT’S A GAME CHANGER. Back here in South Africa, Analogy Surfboards has embraced these agave blanks to craft high-performance boards with a natural twist. For Kei Weyer, the man behind Analogy, the journey towards sustainable shaping started with a wake-up call. “A long time ago, I read an article in Zag that John McCarthy wrote, highlighting the waste that surfboard manufacturing has. It was crazy to think that a sport that is so ‘clean’ and ocean-driven can have such a bad impact on the planet. The carbon footprint of this industry is insane – there’s little to no way to recycle surfboard waste, only upcycle.” When Weyer was introduced to Dan at Grow Blanks, everything clicked. He started experimenting with agave…

Of course, change takes time. Polyurethane and polystyrene blanks are still the industry standard, and for good reason: they work. They’ve been the foundation of performance surfing for decades, and the technology behind them continues to improve. But what’s exciting is that there are more choices than ever before. Surfers today can pick a board that fits their style, their performance needs, and now, even their environmental values. And it’s not just about the boards themselves. Recycling and upcycling efforts are gaining traction. Safari Surfboards, for example, has implemented waste reduction strategies that upcycle EPS waste into new blanks. Companies like Firewire and Channel Islands are incorporating bio-resins and alternative cores under The ECOBOARD Project, a certification programme that ensures boards are made with environmentally responsible materials. Even the small…

NICKNAME OJ. HOMEBREAK Gonubie Point/Bay/Reef. PROFESSION Self-employed. YEARS SURFING ±30 years. LAST PADDLE WAS AT Gonubie Point. IDEAL CONDITIONS? Early mornings, with a light offshore wind making it smooth and glassy. WHAT MAKES YOUR SPOT SPECIAL? Gonubie Point is a short powerful right-hander with a lot of barrels. Never overcrowded. And we have other options to surf in Gonubie, like the Bay, the Reef, and Black Rock. BEST ADVICE FOR A NON-LOCAL PADDLING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME Howzit! Watch out for the Johnsons. TELL US ABOUT THE LOCAL CREW Gonubie has produced top surfers like Wayne Monk, Tyrell Johnson, Tristan Johnson, Jethro Johnson, Devyn Mattheys, Jonno Bruton, etc… We're one big happy family here. Jonno Bruton and Tyrell Johnson started up 'Salty Hour', where they give free surfing lessons…

EVERY SURFER HAS STORIES. BUT NOT EVERY SURFER CAPTURES THEM LIKE LUKE PATTERSON DOES. IN 2024, LUKE LOGGED ONE OF HIS MOST DYNAMIC YEAYS YET. HE CHASED NOT JUST SURF… BUT STORIES. What follows is curated reel of those 12 months. Each frame paired with Patto’s own words, raw and unfiltered. Just Luke donig what he does best.. keeping it real, one frame at a time INDO Air Terjun Matayangu, Sumba. ‘Air Terjun’ means ‘waterfall’. This place is pure utopia, tucked deep in the heart of Sumba. I could talk for days about how insanely beautiful it is. The spot itself? Gold – but at the end of a steep, slippery, leech-infested jungle trail. Halfway down, I realised I’d packed way too much gear. Made it all the way to…

Durban has been firing the past few months, with the locals scoring and the transplants and out-of-towners jumping red-eyes for strike missions. One man always in the mix is Ntokozo ‘Surprise’ Maphumulo. “The boys and I woke up super-early and checked Ocean Eye,” he says of this epic day. “There was a lot of white water moving around – it was still a bit dark, and we couldn’t really spot any clean waves; but we knew there was swell, so we just decided to head to the beach.” Surprise and his mates got down to the beachfront just as dawn was beginning to break. “As soon as first light hit, it was clear – it was going to be on! We had a perfect south swell with offshore winds.” The…

As a fellow Kom local, I’ve watched Matt evolve, from the quiet kid lining up at Muizenberg to the calculated risk-taker now charging the world’s biggest waves. It all started with his dad, John, and a borrowed board in the soft rollers of Muizies. Then came Long Beach. Then the reef breaks. And then, the horizon. While most of us were fine-tuning our contest strategy and chasing local podiums, Matt was already looking further out – past the inside peaks, towards the deep-water monsters that few dared to face. As a teenager, he was paddling into Sunset Reef. Watching Dungeons when it roared. At 17, he paddled out to Dungeons on a day that would've sent veterans to shore. A clean-up set buried him. Long. Deep. And instead of calling…

SOME SURFERS CHASE PODIUMS. OTHERS CHASE SWELLS It’s a language spoken in glide and grin. And if you’ve ever seen him surf, you know: he speaks it fluently. I first saw him on a breezy Muizenberg morning. Locals nodding over coffee, boards waxed under the sun. Mbuso stood out – fluid, joyful, magnetic. Not just stylish, but happy. While others cut lines, Mbuso danced. That’s what people remember: the dance. In Muizenberg, surfing isn’t a subculture – it’s a way of life. Salt and sun are part of the curriculum. The beach is your playground, classroom and community hall. For Mbuso, it was all of that and more. He grew up in this rhythm. Learned that surfing starts long before the takeoff. That the best longboarders bring personality, not just…

He’s not loud. Not flashy. But if you trace his journey, you’ll find a blueprint for what it means to stay rooted, while reaching a long way. To rise, and give back. I first heard of him from a friend, who said, “There’s this surfer from São Tomé – you have to see what he’s doing.” So I looked him up: graceful lines, depth behind the eyes, a kind of stillness, even in motion. But it wasn’t the clips or campaigns that stayed with me. It was how he spoke about home. São Tomé and Príncipe – an island nation most people couldn’t point to on a map – is beautiful. Overlooked. And for young dreamers, it’s full of limitations. But Jéjé had surfing, and mentors: Paulo Pichel. Miguel Ribeiro.…

For as long as surfers have been shaping boards, they’ve been shaping the future of the sport. Today, as the world leans ever harder into the language of sustainability, surfboard manufacturing is feeling the shift too. The word ‘eco-friendly’ is thrown around more than a wax comb at a crowded point break, and ‘sustainable’ has become the poster child for a new wave of marketing-speak – but one that’s often more style than substance. That’s not to say progress isn’t happening. It is. A growing number of shapers around the world – some quietly, in their garages, others in full-scale factories – are genuinely rethinking the materials, methods and mindsets behind modern surfboards. Among them, a notable group of African shapers is helping to lead the charge. Their work doesn’t…

For WAWA Surfboards in Cape Town, sustainability is more than a mission – it’s a necessity. Founder Cobus Joubert has taken a different approach, using reclaimed wood, cork and recycled EPS cores to build boards that are as much works of art as they are high-performance wave-riding machines. “People think wooden boards are heavy and old-school, but they couldn’t be more wrong,” says Joubert. “Timber flexes, it springs back – it has life. You feel it under your feet in a way that’s completely different from polyurethane.” Joubert’s philosophy is refreshingly simple: “If you can’t eat it, don’t take it into the sea. Work with materials that won’t harm the ocean, or the fish in it.” His approach has an old-school charm, but it’s far from outdated. Every year, an…

The best part about all of this? As Master Yoda once said, “This is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end.” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to sustainability in surfboard manufacturing. Some shapers are exploring bio-resins, and others are refining traditional foam techniques to be cleaner and more efficient. Some are going back to natural materials, others are upcycling waste. Therein lies the beauty of it – there’s room for all of it. Every step forward, big or small, makes a difference. At the end of the day, surfing has always been about connection – connection to the ocean, to the waves, to the board under your feet. Whether your board is made from PU foam, EPS, agave or reclaimed wood, that connection remains the same. The…

WENDY SLIP BILLABONG This Wendy is serving a lived-in vintage look like no other. Effortlessly laidback, with an easy slip-on backless design and water-reactive upper to take you from the beach to the boardwalk and beyond. WENDY BILLABONG Now serving Y2K surfercore. Just slip on flexible lightweight cushioning with a limited-edition sunbleached print, grab an iced coffee and hit the flea market. This Wendy is giving vintage surf like no other. DUDE, IT’S VINTAGE HEYDUDE TEAMS UP WITH BILLABONG FOR THE ULTIMATE THROWBACK COLLAB Reintroducing the stoke & sole of surf fashion – one epic style wave at a time. What happens when two coastal legends collide? You get a collab that’s as sun-drenched and stoked as the beaches of J-Bay in 1997. Footwear favourite HEYDUDE has officially joined forces…

Cape Town, How do I love thee? Let me count the waves. A city surrounded by two oceans, cradled by the sweeping curves of mountains, and one that comes to life with different moods brought on by mercurial weather. We call her Mother because she cares. Embracing all who visit her. Cape Point curls around False Bay like a finger beckoning to come hither. Travellers, seekers, surfers, dreamers. Like the sirens who lured sailors to shore with their song, Cape Town beguiles, then drags you in deeper. Check out anytime you like, but you can never leave… At least, I haven’t. An Eastern Cape refugee, I arrived here 20 years ago in a battered hatchback held together by stickers and stuffed with surf gear, piles of paperbacks, and a terminally…

He’s not famous for gold medals or start-up exits. What he’s built is more powerful: a life that almost ended, and a vow to spend every remaining day helping others. In 2001, Greg was fit, healthy, captain of a lifesaving team, and full of ocean spirit. Then came Madagascar. Then the infection. Rare, undiagnosed, and vicious. It attacked his heart. Two open-heart surgeries followed. Three infections. Over 200 days in hospital. But what reshaped him wasn’t just the pain – it was what happened beside him. In the bed next to Greg’s lay Baby Adam, six months old, recovering from heart surgery. Every night, doctors thought Adam wouldn’t make it. Every morning, he proved them wrong. Listening to Adam breathe, Greg found something deeper. A vow formed quietly between two…

In the often chaotic and charged world of local competitive surfing, it’s easy to miss the quiet heroes working selflessly behind the scenes. Slie Ngema is one of them. A professional social worker and passionate surf volunteer, Slie has become an integral figure in the Durban surf community – part of a dedicated crew assembled by the city’s surfing matriarch, Anne Wright. By day, Slie is the full-time social worker at Surfers Not Street Children – a Durban (and Tofo)-based non-profit that empowers at-risk youth through surfing and structured mentorship. In her free time, she volunteers with the eThekwini Surfriders Association (ESA), lending her energy and care to local surf contests. One of her main duties is managing contest vests — not the most glamorous of roles, but a vital…

For years, tucked away on the edge of Scarborough, Patrick Burnett has been crafting something similar, but very different. Under the label Burnett Wood Surfboards, Patrick has spent the better part of two decades refining a craft that blends woodworking artistry with authentic surfboard shapes. The result? Hollow wooden surfboards that are as much wall-mount pieces as they are unique boards to ride. Burnett’s boards aren’t built in a rush. Each one is handcrafted using sustainably sourced timber and featuring a striking beauty. There’s a tactile honesty to his process, a patience that stands as a slow-made romance with the very timber he chooses. These aren’t disposable tools, he cautions – they’re heirlooms. Apart from making one-of-a-kind custom surfboards, Burnett runs hands-on workshops where surfers can build their own boards,…

“I recently had the opportunity to meet some of the most inspiring surfers of my life,” says Ricky Basnett. “The Fish Hoek Bellyboarders.” Every morning at 5am sharp, this tight-knit crew of ocean-loving locals step out into the cold air with big smiles and wooden bellyboards in hand—often self-shaped in their garages or sourced from local shapers like WAWA Wooden Surfboards, just over the hill in Muizenberg. After a brisk walk to their home break, they line up on the sand in bathing suits and swimming caps, ready to throw themselves into the icy Atlantic. It’s old-school, unfiltered wave-riding. No wetsuits. No leashes. No frills. “What I thought would be a quick two-minute dip turned into a full-blown 45-minute session,” says Basnett. “The guys and gals were trading waves, sliding…

NICKNAME Squidlips! LOCAL SPOT Berg. PROFESSION Sometimes in front of the camera. And ceramics. YEARS SURFING A long time… LAST PADDLE Cape Point. WHAT MAKES YOUR SPOT UNIQUE? This wave is incredibly beginner-friendly, inviting the pure joy and playfulness that come with discovering surfing for the first time. I believe that energy ripples through everything here – fun is always at the forefront. Yes, we love to surf; and with that comes the desire to grow and push our limits – but fun leads the way! IDEAL CONDITIONS Wet! Glassy, offshore, peeling lefts and rights. BEST ADVICE FOR A NON-LOCAL PADDLING OUT? As with anywhere – if someone’s on the wave, don’t go. And remember: the person having the most fun is doing it right! TELL US ABOUT THE LOCAL…

Steamrolling into the business end of the WSL 2025 Championship season, Jordy Smith is donning the yellow WSL leader’s jersey, proudly atop the world rankings at age 37. With Kelly Slater’s 2024 retirement, Jordy now bears the mantle of being the oldest competitor on tour by a significant margin, yet somehow still emits the froth of an eternal grom. In a high note of his 17-year WCT career, he’s already banked two event wins in 2025 after an eight-year hiatus, with several favoured, previously-won events still ahead. At Punta Roca, El Salvador, he jousted to victory over fellow Saffa pointbreak aficionado Matty McGillivray. He’s winning on a board shaped by his longest and most loyal supporter – his father, Graham Smith. Respecting the past, and shaping their future success together.…