Making waves (for little surfers)

Hermann Viviers is not your usual wave-seeking pro. He’s a surfing oke from Melkbos with a heart as big as a J-bay bomb, and a will to do some good. He sits cross-legged on the blue couch across from me, dressed in jeans and an ‘Africa for Life’ T-shirt. Inside The Surfer Kids’ Diaz Beach office in Mossel Bay, we’re surrounded by surfboards and walls decoupaged with surf magazine pages. Alongside me, dog-eared photos of thirty grinning kids in wetsuits are proudly glued to a ‘wall of fame’, full of certificates.  The Surfer Kids non-profit organisation (NPO) utilises a slogan that speaks volumes: “Empowering marginalised youths through surfing”. This organisation teaches kids from the community of Joe Slovo Village in Mossel Bay how to surf, and also helps them learn about commitment and perseverance, “something every surfer knows all about,” says Hermann. Last year, The Surfer Kids was riding the big waves when it was one of the top three nominees for a South African Sport Award in the category, Recreation Body of the Year. Hermann doesn’t want to brag about it ‒ he’s too humble for that ‒ but he says the recognition from the surfing community feels good. […]

The post Making waves (for little surfers) appeared first on Zigzag Magazine.