Unless you live there, you could probably be forgiven for thinking that Jordy Smith is the be all and end all when it comes to South African surfing talent. The big brawny natural-footer casts a formidable shadow over the sport, and as the country’s only top 34 representative, it’s easy to forget that behind him lies a number of exciting young surfers also making their mark on the world stage. With all eyes turned towards South Africa in anticipation for the kick-off of the J-Bay Open, Tracks takes a look at some of the other talent coming out of the wild southern land.
Brendon Gibbens
After dabbling with competitive surfing in his teens, the stylish natural-footer from Cape Town made a name for himself by submitting an impressive entry into Taylor Steele’s Innersection—an entry that showed that Jordy wasn’t the only kid coming out of South Africa with a full bag of tricks. Tall and lean, his surfing combines smooth lines with a quick, cat-like grace in the air. Now a professional freesurfer, Brendon has starred in some of the more high-profile surf films of the last few years, including the Globe epic Strange Rumblings in Shangri La and Kai Neville’s Cluster. His fifteen-minute mini-movie, The Dill and Beeg Project, which co-stars friend and fellow freesurfer Dillon Perillo, is by far one of the best clips to come out in 2016.
Sebastian Williams
The son of a Mexican mother and a South African father, this well-travelled sixteen-year-old is definitely one of the brightest young talents representing South Africa in 2016. With a strong stance and a smooth style, he combines classic power surfing with all the fins-free flair and above-the-lip finesse you’d expect from the ultra-gifted modern grommet. Time will tell if Sebastian can fill the considerable shoes of Jordy Smith, but with a win in the 2015 Quiksilver King of the Groms and a spot on the South African ISA team, there’s no doubt he’s headed in the right direction.
Beyrick De Vries
Currently sitting at 12th on the World Qualifying Series ratings, Beyrick De Vries is the highest ranked South African surfer outside of the top 34 and the most likely to join Jordy Smith in the big leagues in the near-future. Hailing from Durban, the blond-headed natural-footer has been chipping away at the qualifying grind for the past five years and has been steadily improving each season, with a quarter-final finish in the recent QS10,000 Ballito Pro rocketing him up the ratings. The kid’s got game in the juice as well, which he showed off in 2013 when he packed a big, deep tube at Sunset for a perfect 10.
Beyrick “Thulani” De Vries – A Steven Michelsen Project from steven michelsen on Vimeo.
Michael February
Despite going down in Round 2, last year’s J-Bay Open wildcard Michael February still put up some memorable moments in his world tour debut, including a full-rotation air reverse against Filipe Toledo in the opening seconds of their sudden death clash. At 6’3, the Cape Town shredder is built more like a basketball player than your average surfer, but he uses his lanky frame to good effect in the air, boasting a full repertoire of new school maneuverers to complement his already handy rail game. Currently ranked 53rd on the QS, he has a bit of work to do before he gets himself into qualifying contention, but like De Vries, his rank has steadily been rising each year and if he continues on an upward trajectory he could soon find himself knocking on the door of the CT.
