Surfing has been used as a medium to bring people together increasingly over the past few years. Whether it’s to entice homeless children off the streets of Durban, like the Umthombo Street Children Project; or to teach kids from the townships of the Cape Flats important life skills and about the dangers of HIV, like the Isiqalo Foundation’s ‘Waves for Change‘ program; or even just to share some surfing stoke with a few who’ve never had the chance before, like the recent Extreme Abilities Adapted Surfing Day at Big Bay; surfing is the common denominator in bringing these groups together.
Another group that uses surfing as a means to bring like-minded people from across the globe together is Christian Surfers. Their vision is to use their combined faith along with their love for surfing to help spread their message.
It’s through good deeds and leading by example that they spread their faith, and Christian Surfers South Africa recently visited Namibia to lend a hand in helping to further develop the surfing community of this wave-rich country. Co-hosting the Swakop Pro Surf Contest with local action-sport tour company Element Riders was one of the group’s ways of helping to build a stronger surf community in Namibia. There were also surfing lessons, and of course lessons in faith for those who wished to participate.
Shaun Loubser shredding to victory at the Swakop Pro.
Held in rippable 3-foot waves at Pebbles Beach, the Swakop Pro Surf Contest was an enthusiastically contested event with an impressive level of surfing being shown by the locals – especially from eventual Open winner Shaun Loubser, as well as fellow finalists Craig Moreland, Mark De Wet, and Wynand Labuschagne.
Winning both the U16 and U20 division was Phillip Seidler, who earned the nickname “Pronutro” after surfing multiple heats throughout the day in all divisions fueled by chocolate cereal. Tyrone Kotz ripped his way to the win in the Bodyboard division.
Phillip ‘Pronutro’ Seidler was tearing apart the waves left and right.
Christian Surfers have been hosting the event for the past couple of years, and are stoked to see the small seeds sown on their previous Namibian missions grow into something bigger and stronger.
Look out for an even bigger and better Swakop Pro in 2014.
Here’s some more highlights from the two-day event:
Schalk Louw puts it on the rail and throws down a big turn.
Open division finalists – Wynand Labuschagne, Shaun Loubser, Craig Moreland and Mark De Wet.
Identical twins Dylan and Damien Lackey made you look twice.
Boys U16 Finalists – Pumi Seidler, Dylan Lackey, Phillip Seidler, Damien Lackey
U12 shredders Ruben Bacher and Pumi Seidler were stoked to compete.
Surf lessons for the newbies.
Christian Surfers member Alex Reynolds cranks a big turn at Pebbles.
Mikhail Tomson, another member of Christian Surfers, tucks in to a sweet Namibian shack.
Frothing newbie surfers learning the valuable technique of the “pop-up”.
Read more about the Swakop Pro Surf Contest, as well as Christian Surfers’ other adventures in Namibia by checking out their website: www.christiansurfers.co.za
great stuff Swakopmunders, cool to see the Seidler boys doing well !
Where’s the like button??! This is awesome! So proud of my coastal NAM boys! 😉