Zigzag

Traveling is never easy. For starters, unless you’re a trustafarian or professional surfer, riding on your sponsor’s dime, money is hard to come by. So, if it means delivering pizzas into the heartland of the Cape Flats ganglands in a beat up VW Beet

DROP THE ZAG A LINE ON LETTERS@ZIGZAG.C0.ZA AND BE HEARD I’m a long time British surfer, who has spent many years surfing the cold waters of Britain and more recently the warmer seas of Asia. I love the iconic films of Bruce Brown, the beautiful cine

On the 16th of December 2017, the Two Oceans Aquarium released a loggerhead turtle named Yoshi, back into the big ol’ blue abyss. Given her age, excellent health and display of certain behaviours, it was decided that it was time for her to return hom

Remember that old chestnut about the journey being the destination? Well when it comes to the road from Cape Town to J-Bay, that pretty much sums it up. Until, of course you arrive at the destination and discover the perfect alchemy of the Supertubes

My most memorable Elands Bay session was constructed around a lie. Celebrated big wave surfer and former competitor, Doctor Phillip Chapman’s orders were clear: Pull a sickie at school and be ready to make a move at 10am, allowing us enough time to g

If any journey has changed over the years it’s the run from Durban to the point breaks that lie between Maputo and Beira. But as the journey has become easier, so has the realisation that the perfect waves that beckon are in fact some of the most elu

Hanging pawpaws, tequila stained shirt, mouth so dry my tongue feels like a piece of wood and still seeing double… I’ve missed the surf bus to Port Alfred, fok! Being a surfer first and a student second in Grahamstown doesn’t come easy but when East

“Winter is coming” has been a common mantra amongst KZN surfers way before Ned Stark lost his head. Normally muttered under their breath as they shuffle their flip flops around the baking North Beach parking lot, surveying the miff onshore bowls and

The R44 between Gordon’s Bay and Struisbaai is a trove of popular beaches and secret spots. I open my eyes to see a baboon sitting in the open boot of my Mazda Sting. He has managed to open a packet of Smash instant potato powder and is busy scooping

“This wave was discovered by a good friend of mine, he found it and surfed it for years before inviting me on a swell and I will always be grateful for his trust in me. In this day and age of instant social media gratification, it’s good to know ther

Mozambique’s surf season runs from February to August. February to May is normally clean and consistent, plus you’ll still be surfing in boardshorts! June/July is a bit colder, however, winter always delivers the goods. There are waves all year round

A Meridian is an ‘energy highway’ in the human body; they flow within the body and not on the surface. Meridians exist in corresponding pairs. We pass by in air-conditioned cars. Faces selling curios are lost in the dust. Sharply dipping, sandy roads

New Zealand dangles into the depths of the Pacific Ocean like two pieces of an ancient jigsaw puzzle, created 100 million years ago when it broke away from the Gondwana supercontinent. In Maori mythology, however, it’s the demigod Māui who brought th

We open the Splab account with Beyrick de Vries, who earned the Corona Open J-Bay wildcard, surfed hard and went down swinging, narrowly losing to Aussie Ryan Callinan by less than a point in the elimination round. Rumour has it that Beyrick went on

Qantas Airways has flights from Joburg to Auckland via Syndey which are surprisingly seamless (two-and-a-half hour layover) and don’t feel any longer than a trip to Bali. Public transport is good and it’s easy enough to hire a normal car and stay at