“This isn’t just another surf flick. It’s the kind of story people feel.”
When 22-year-olds Jordy Liackman and Cooper Puttergill set off with a one way ticket to score waves in South Africa, they were simply set on surfing their brains out. However, the Newcastle duo learnt more than just how to read a J-Bay wall during their time in the rainbow nation.
Their trip was filled with pumping waves, rugged coastline, raw wildlife and an appreciation of the situation many poor people face in South Africa. During their adventure they spent time with charity ‘Surfers Not Street Children’ who help young people off the streets and into the water.
Jordy and Cooper documented the whole thing for their latest YouTube film ‘African Surfari’.
Here what the boys wrote about the film:
“We booked one way tickets to South Africa to chase swell. J-Bay was the dream. What we came back with was something way bigger.
“African Surfari is raw, real, and completely self-shot. Just two surfers, a few cameras, and a journey that took us through wild coastlines, inland chaos, mental swells, and moments that cracked us open. There were moments of pure magic, perfect waves, wild jumps and endless stoke. And there were others that hit differently. Empty coastlines. Long, quiet drives. A growing awareness of the stark contrast between the dream and the reality outside the surf lens.
“One of the biggest impacts came from Surfers Not Street Children a group helping kids in Durban find purpose through surfing. That stuck with us. It reminded us how powerful the ocean can be when it’s shared.”
“This is a story about freedom, friendship, and perspective. About being stripped back by a place that doesn’t let you just pass through. About realising the ocean doesn’t belong to anyone but it can belong to everyone. Especially when you see kids who’ve grown up with nothing find purpose through the same waves that brought you halfway across the world.
“At its core, African Surfari is honest and unfiltered filmed exactly how we lived it, with nothing faked. It’s not about showing off.”
Hit the link above to watch.
