The 2017 SA Longboard Champs will see the competition take place at Bay Of Plenty in Durban – a change from the previous years at perfect point breaks. The standard of longboarding has been set high as many of SA’s talented surfers dance between the log and the shortboard, shredding equally hard on either set up. With the KZN edition fast approaching, we called up local shredder, Sam Christianson to talk logging…
Sam at last year’s SA Longboard Champs in Mossel Bay.
Zigzag: When did you start longboarding?
SAM: I started longboarding about four years ago. My mates Jago and Damien got me into it.
How do you feel about the SA Longboard Champs taking place in Durban?
I’m really stoked that SA Champs is going to be in Durban this year, it will be the first time I’ve done an SA Champs in Durban and a lot of hard work has gone into the champs from the Kwa-Zulu Natal longboard committee.
An ever grinning Sam on the pier.
Best advice for longboarding town?
It’s pretty tricky longboarding town because the banks are always changing and the crowds can be quite hard to deal with. I prefer longboarding town on a higher tide, it tends to give the waves more sections for nose riding. A light south west and a small swell usually result in good waves to log. The peaks are very shifty in town and you need to hunt the waves. It depends on the conditions but I’ve found the smaller waves are usually the good ones.
Favourite spot to log?
Hulettes in St Francis.
Sam taking a unique walk back.
Biggest competitors?
I don’t really think about who I’m going up against, I just go and surf.
How does longbaord training differ to shortboard training – apart from a different board of course.
Longboarding is a lot more relaxed than shortboarding with regards to training. It’s easier to express yourself and surf they way that you want to surf on a longboard.
Klapping the lip in Mossel Bay.
What’s the longboarding criteria? What do you think the judges are looking for?
There are people who like lip bashing and modern Longboarding and there are people who like nose riding and traditional Longboarding. I think the judges this year will be looking more towards the traditional criteria as opposed to modern Longboarding.
Ever been barrelled on your log?
If the waves are barreling then I’m on my shortboard (laughs).
Sam is on a short board on days like this…
*Images Provided.
