What will it take for a South African surfer to win another World Title? Honestly?! ‘Coz here at Trident, we really do want to know! Read Part One here first, if you haven’t already. You rascal you.
Being a surfer can be exasperating. Watching surfing can be even more exasperating. And then there is watching one of the all-time greats of South African surfing. Next level exasperating. Jordy consistently does well enough to make the top five. Yet no World Title? Imagine if the Boks made the last two consecutive World Cup finals as they did, then well – simply lost. Twice in a row.
Surfing however, is as exasperating as South African politics. Politics in general. Being South African in general.
Shaun Thompson officially won a World Title. Wendy Botha and Martin Potter did so as well, albeit under another country’s flag. We’ll claim it though, but all of these accolades were achieved pre 1990’s, give or take.
So what has happened to another South African World Title?
Well, for one thing, Brazilian surfers seem to have plugged in some of the gaps in competitive surfing, as touched upon in Part One. Their athleticism and air game have dominated surfing in the same way the Empire once dominated a galaxy far, far away a long, long time ago.
But avoid belabouring the point. Instead, let’s remain focussed on how to cultivate another Saffa surfer bagging the World Title.
We have the waves. We have the talent. Money? Well, debatable. In fact, it could be argued sponsorship money drying up faster than a poorly maintained Eastern Cape dam is exactly part of the problem. In the 90’s and early 00’s, sponsors were giving out more money than connected comrades at a “closed tender”. The financial crisis of about 2008 or so put paid to that. Well, to surfing sponsors’ money, the feeding trough for the connected got ever fuller.
We digress. Less politics, more surfing.
Money, specifically the lack of it – has to be one of the big factors in the consequent lack of World Title. South Africa retains plenty of surf talent, with almost zero incentive to make them fully commit to pro surfing. Instead, potential career surfers are/were studying to be pilots and doctors and useless stuff like that.
Money, like it or not – is king. Would our afore-mentioned beloved Springboks have achieved the incredible things they have if they had been sponsored by the neighbourhood vape shop instead of the likes of Pick and Pay and MTN? Unlikely. Although, rugby teams being sponsored by the neighbourhood corner cafe would be pretty radical.
Anyhow, money. And Trust fund kids are no better off becoming World Champs. Sure, their pockets are deeper than an average Trident article. But, incentive to travel the world and compete in sloppy QS waves as appealing as anchovy-infused India Pale Ale? We doubt it.
Feed the nation with surfing soul. So to speak.
What about poor kids in disadvantaged communities? Well, without the aforementioned sponsors – forget it. They may be hungry to do well in competitive surfing. Without money though, they’re just plain hungry. Which is sad beyond belief. Perhaps the government could invest a lot more in surfing. However, as this article has clearly already suggested, Trident has as much faith and trust in the government as we would a loan shark with a gambling problem.
Another problem is related to numbers. The simple fact is, surfing isn’t as popular as our big three sports, namely; football, rugby and cricket. Tennis, boxing, motor sports, you would need to list several dozen sports before you even get to surfing in terms of viewership. However, we need to consider its cool factor. Pre rave scene in the 1990’s, surfing was the coolest subculture with a bullet. Nowadays, meh. Hipsters past their sell by date. Students with bad mullets and moustaches so horrid they’d make both Stalin and Sir Elgar cringe. Absent surfers in their 20’s and 30’s. Middle aged core lords complaining about everyone else.
Hardly cool.
But… surfing is cool. We just gotta figure out how to get the mainstream to watch surfing. It’s not like most tennis fans actually play tennis. Yet Wimbledon must draw several SA million viewers. Would live Pipeline do the same? Or even live J Bay? Doubtful. Yet, surfing must increase its reach beyond interest by actual surfers. Somehow. Here’s one way though – get a South African surfer to win the World Title. That’ll launch it into the mainstream and ensure some young grom with stars in their eyes dreams of a World Title? Not convinced this will increase public interest in surfing? Well, again consider how most MMA viewers enjoying the sight of two okes casually moering one another probably don’t randomly klap passersby daily. Okay, scratch – we could be wrong on that.
Anyhow folks, to crown another World Champion South African surfer, we need to brainstorm. We need interest in surfing, money in surfing, events, sponsors, government incentives. Or just constantly poison their competitors.
