Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 24/25 i Zigzag

“IF WE HAD WAVEPOOLS HERE, OUR AIR GAME WOULD IMPROVE AND WE’D BE ABLE TO TRAIN YEAR-ROUND IN CONSISTENT CONDITIONS.”—RORY DACE When young South African surf phenom Rory Dace shared this thought with us, it sparked a heated debate at Zag HQ. To some, the idea of wavepools in South Africa feels like an exciting leap forward – a chance to elevate performance, refine skills, and widen surfing’s accessibility across the country. To others, it stirred up visions of the raw, salt-splashed ocean that’s always defined our sport. “If you want to improve your air game, just surf in the onshore,” quipped our intern Mikey Venter, who was also on the verge of a pro career not too many moons ago. Agree? Agree to disagree? On the fence? We’re a…

Enjoy! Dan Emslie previous spread I’ve been going to Haga Haga since I was 14, and this was by far the best I’ve had it. We rocked up there in the morning and it was just me, Solly and Joel Fowles, with Pierre de Villiers shooting. Pierre called me into this one (he later said it was the biggest wave he'd ever seen hold open there); and I wasn't too amped, because it was quite a scary one. I ended up paddling super-hard, and got into it early. I managed to backdoor the section and just came flying out. Definitely one of the best barrels of my life so far. phil Nel This coral-coloured 6’2” Bonzer almost didn’t make it on this particular trip to Indo. Cobus Joubert up-cycled agave,…

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“If you see one acting aggressively or moving frenetically, that’s a sign to get out of the water.” Cape Town’s surfers and beachgoers have been adjusting to a new kind of threat this year: rabies among Cape fur seals. This unprecedented outbreak (the first ever recorded globally), which surfaced in 2024, has deeply impacted local wildlife and the tourism businesses around them. Animal Ocean, a popular seal snorkelling operation owned by marine expert Steve Benjamin, was forced to adapt. For over a decade, Animal Ocean in Hout Bay offered close-up, playful interactions with seals at Duiker Island, but the virus made these excursions too dangerous. With a mix of practicality and sadness, Benjamin closed his renowned seal snorkelling business almost overnight, shifting to a safer, broader marine experience. For Steve,…

The year is 2036. A 64-year-old Kelly Slater is poolside at the Surfing final of the Riyadh Summer Olympic Games. Excitement is palpable as a sold-out crowd gathers around what might be the least likely epicentre of high-performance surfing in human history: an artificial wavepool. Saudi Arabia has worked hard in its drive to become a tourism hub; and while it’s sunny and hot, this is the desert, and not your typical, sun-soaked tropical beach. The Persian Gulf is 400 kilometres away. There are no rolling sets, no cooling sea breezes and chance of a bluebottle sting. Instead, nestled in a sprawling, solar-powered sports complex in the Najd Desert – a barren landscape, dominated by rolling sand dunes, rocky plateaus and dry, flat plains – a massive body of clear,…

Writing about summer with a chilly rain lashing my bedroom window as damp seagulls wheel and scream above the dripping pine trees is not easy. The first swell for days is being mauled by a brutal onshore tearing in off the unruly Atlantic. You might think I'm in Cape Town, where the seasons have their own baffling schedule, but you'd be wrong. I'm in Hossegor on the south-western flank of France, and winter is closing in fast. The reason I'm here is too complicated to get into right now, but the plan is to be back in South Africa in time for summer, even if it does mean missing the spitting barrels of la plage de la Gravière. I've done many summers in Durban and many in Cape Town, and…

A CELEBRATION OF TIMELESS STYLE, SELF-EXPRESSION, AND - PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY - PURE ARTISTRY ON THE WAVES. The 2024 SA Longboarding Champs unfolded at Seal Point in Cape St. Francis in August, offering a unique celebration of logging culture. Unlike most competitive events, this was more than just a contest – it was an intergenerational gathering. Surfers of all ages, from ambitious U14 riders to Super Legends in their 70s, well beyond retirement age, came together for the occasion. While judges in the tower scored the performances, the true focus lay on the camaraderie and spirit of the community. Everyone hung out on the beach come rain or sunshine, soaking in the community spirit. Old friends, once stationed together who-knows-where under army conscription, reunited. New grommie mates hunting klipfish and…

It’s early morning in Muizies, and the sun is beginning to lift over the horizon, casting a soft glow over False Bay and making the first lines of swell visible. The familiar salty air mixes with the buzz of wetsuits zipping up, boards being waxed up, and nervously excited chatter. In the background, a coach is calmly directing her clients as to what the dawnie will entail. Today it’s a corporate group on a team-building mission, hence the early start. For the coach, it’s just another day at the office. She’s a professional surfer. Across the mountain, in Hout Bay, Frank Solomon is readying gear in his garage. He’s about to head up the West Coast for a strike mission in the hopes of banking some photos and video clips…