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The Glen Beach and Cape Town surf community were shocked and saddened at the sudden death of Jeff Hancock recently.
Jeff was a red-hot surfer that emerged from the ‘badlands’ of 80’s Glen Beach. He was one of the Cape’s few pro surfers and together with his brother Daniel, competed fiercely in all professional events that took place in the Cape.
Jeff had an electrifying style of surfing that was reminiscent of Potter, and he was either coming last in his first heat for trying some crazy air moves, or he was winning entire events by such a massive margin by pulling off those crazy moves.
I remember watching Jeff at The Hoek on a solid six-foot day, just ripping these massive wedges to pieces on a four-fin, taking to the sky, doing massive rail hacks and throwing buckets of spray all over the show. He was a legend and a hero to us young surfers of the 80’s.
Jeff was a good friend of mine, and would always take the time to have a beer and a chat with me, usually accompanied by best mate Andre Morey. The last time I saw him he took me by surprise by telling me with great passion what a great friend my late dad had been to him. Brought me to a quick and embarrassing rush of tears, stone cold sober, in the car park at Seals. Jeff had that sort of affect on people.
Jeff’s surfing and shaping mentor was Jonathan Paarman. “Jeff was a dynamic and flashy surfer, always good to watch,” said a saddened Johnny. “He was fast, had a low stance, and when he hit the lip he smashed it. His surfing was like his shaping – he got so involved with it. He was one of, if not the first guy to do big airs in Cape Town. He even had a footstrap on one of his board. He was always trying to take it to the extreme. A hot surfer.”
In his later years Jeff had a few personal troubles and dramas, but he had recently overcome them with a stoic outlook. He was positive and bubbling and it looked like there was going to be a second coming from the Glen Beach legend. A life cut short. RIP bro.
(Anyone wanting to share anecdotes, special times or memories of Jeff for a longer article on the surfer, plse feel free to mail me on craigjarvis@vodamail.co.za)
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