Digital marketer by day, underground wave assassin by night when the swell is up; this KZN local knows how to slay a wave. Whether that means slicing through the guts of a gaping tube in North Sumatra, or just tearing it up on another cooking day back home.
Meet this week’s Surf Ninja, Mark Shepperson…
NAME: Mark ‘Sheppy’ Shepperson
AGE: 27
LOCAL SPOT: Durban
BEST THING ABOUT SURFING?
Everything! I love the sea, the waves, the freedom, the adrenaline, the exercise and time spent with friends. Surfing is an art of self-expression and identity as well as a lifestyle that keeps me fit and stoked.
WORST THING ABOUT SURFING?
Great rewards come hand-in-hand with great risks, including fin cuts, plenty of stitches in painful and inconvenient places, broken bones (yip, that happened) and boards.
TO MAKE A LIVING I..?
I work a lot in the digital space. My work involves a lot of digital marketing, branding, corporate stationery and profiles for various entities.
BEST SURFER IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW?
Gabriel Medina. The kid is on fire, he is really talented.
THREE TRACKS THAT HELP YOU SHRED?
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
Rob Bailey and The Hustle Standard – Hungry
A Tribe Called Red – Electric Pow Wow Drum
DAWNIE OR ARVO SESH?
You can’t beat a good dawnie session, with some groundswell barrels to kick-off the day. I also wouldn’t complain with a good arvo session to top things off.
WHICH SPOT DO YOU HAVE TO SURF BEFORE YOU DIE?
Mentawai Islands.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT SURFING, YOU CAN BE FOUND WHERE?
Well, apart from being in front of my laptop, I’ll be training in the gym or doing Jiu Jitsu, on the beach, chilling with family and friends, and always keen for an adventure.
GREATEST FEAR?
To be paralysed from an injury – a scary thought.
BEST SURFING MEMORY?
In a way, I wish I could say my first wave, barrel or air, but there is no single distinctive memory. Rather a blend of ‘Endless Summers.’ Waking up early and surfing with friends during school and varsity holidays. Some good surf trips also come to mind, including a recent trip to North Sumatra where I scored a crazy triple barrel.
Watch Mark take to the skies and get pitted from his GoPro POV, in Free Falling.
