The legacy of Wynberg Surf club
No one can remember exactly when, and at whose house, but Wynberg Surf Club – the first of its kind – was established in the turbulent, unrest driven 1980s that rocked the Cape.
The club was called Wynberg because most of its founding members (such as Mogamat Davids, the late Tahir Davids, Adil du Bruyn and others) originally came from Wynberg. Another key figure was Ehsan “Schani” Nagia, who hailed from Walmer Estate on the fringe of District Six.
A larger-than-life figure, with a colourful vocabulary that could peel paint off walls, Schani was elected its first chairperson. Part of my brief was to pen a piece about Wynberg and the unheralded, but central role, that Schani had played in South African surfing.
On the day we were scheduled to sit down and record an interview, Schani was urgently taken to hospital. 10 days later, on 4 April, he passed away. It was a shock to us all. We had known him for more than 30 years. It is hard to think that he is no longer with us.
Davey Stolk and myself, who would join forces with the club just after its formation, have great memories of our time at Wynberg. Who can ever forget the gees, the camaraderie of the J-Bay trips, the contests and the excitement of first seeing raw talent? It seems just like only yesterday we went to the Crayfish Factory with a 16-year-old
