Sommaire pour Summer 25/26 de Zigzag

Introduced by a relative to open-water swimming, John became one of the first to body surf at nearby Clifton Beach. He took up fishing at Boat Bay, and by age 10 had built his own tin canoe. The Boat Bay fraternity – a hierarchy of grizzled sea dogs, adolescents and young ‘piks’ – stored their boats against the promenade wall. John and friends also made their own wooden bellyboards, from stolen six-inch ceiling boards. Placed in a wet hessian sack and held above hot coals, using rope for leverage, their boards could be bent on the balustrades to steam in the rocker. By the age of 16, John was on his way to becoming an accomplished waterman. He bodysurfed regularly with an older friend, Roy McGregor, at Clifton, at Glen…

The idea of freedom burns at every surfer’s core. Maybe that’s why we chose this path. But freedom is elusive. Some find it; some spend a lifetime searching. At times, freedom is a mirage – a phantom, dancing on the horizon, shimmering like a dream or a beautiful memory you can’t quite grab hold of. Riding a perfect wave is a true expression of freedom. Stroking into a swell that has travelled across the sea and exists for no reason but to gallop like a wild horse to its finality, as it breathes its last sigh of life and dies on the beach. A surge of energy. Like a life. As surfers, this connection with nature captivates our hearts. THE ORIGINAL FREE SURFER Frankie Oberholzer is the quintessential South African…

Zigzag’s longevity isn’t a fluke; it’s the legacy of those who first breathed life into its pages. Their vision, grit and pure love for surfing shaped a magazine that became a household name across South Africa, and a fixture in surf communities around the world. I had the rare chance to speak to each of the founders – to trace their journeys, their waves, their wild ideas – and look back on 50 years of Zigzag magazine. PAUL NAUDE When I jumped on a call with Paul Naude to talk about the 50-year journey of Zigzag, his story began, fittingly, with a bit of grit. In those early days, he and Doug Macdonald were grinding it out: long nights, no money… just passion. “We were doing everything ourselves,” Paul laughs.…

As the 1977 IPS World Champion, a Pipeline Masters winner, and a tuberiding trailblazer who pioneered riding inside the tube at Pipeline and Backdoor, he exemplified the values of his campaign: inspiring others to find meaning and choice in every moment. THE BEACHFRONT BLUEPRINT Five decades on, Tomson remains the benchmark, his legacy continuing to inspire. Durban shaped him. The beachbreaks of the Golden Mile – Bay of Plenty, Dairy, North Beach – were his proving grounds, and the Gunston 500 became his fiefdom. From 1973, he won it six straight times, making the Bay a national stage and helping South African surfing gain global recognition. The achievement is part of his museum record, and remains a streak that sounds almost exaggerated. By 19, Tomson was already challenging for trophies…

The photographer couldn’t have known he was capturing the quiet before a two-decade storm of competitive fire that would redefine what it means to be a South African surfer on the world stage. As Zigzag marks 50 years of chronicling our waves and people, no one looms larger in our pages than Jordan Michael Smith. Not only our most successful competitive surfer, he’s become the living embodiment of the journey of South African surfing, from coastal subculture to global force. THE DURBAN FACTORY The story begins, as many South African surf legends do, with a father and a shaping bay. Graham Smith wasn’t just Jordy’s dad; he was a craftsman, shaping the boards that defined a Durban generation. Where others had sandboxes, Jordy had a shaping room – foam dust…

PML CUSTOM 6’6” – 7’6” SHAPER Lamps FIN 5-Fin Performance mid-length. Easy paddle and wave entry, with performance attributes that will allow you to surf at your best in most conditions. Fun and performance personified in one board. Construction in eps-epoxycarbon. Blade-Tec; it’s light and durable. P2 CUSTOM 5’2” – 6’2” SHAPER Lamps FIN Twin with optional stabiliser fin box Performance twin-fin. Speed and manoeuvrability. Tried and tested design that’s been refined for maximum performance and fun in smaller, everyday conditions. Make sections on a wave and turn tight in the pocket. Construction in eps-epoxy-carbon. Blade-Tec; it’s light and durable. lampzshapes@gmail.com @lampeez_surfboards (+27) 82 799 8080 East London and St Francis MODEL NO. 6 6’2” x 19” x 2 5/8" - 32.6L SHAPER Gary van Wieringen FIN Twin The Model…

EARLY YEARS In the neon‑soaked mid‑80s, Twiggy was a scrawny, sunburnt Pumphouse grom, circulating around the Durban piers. This foundation led him to exploring all the uncrowded, hollow point‑break gems along the north and south KwaZulu‑Natal coasts. Over time, Twiggy developed uncanny ‘right place, right time’ instincts, able to sniff out quality surf spots and match variable swell directions to ever‑shifting local conditions. In parallel, he built a career as the Billabong sales rep for KZN – working closely with his aunt, Cheron Kraak, who ran Billabong South Africa from her J‑Bay headquarters. Twiggy visited regularly to strategise sales – and dissect countless Boneyards barrels. He settled into an enviable existence as a core surf‑industry bro during the abundant 90s surf boom; a hard‑charging sales rep, who balanced hawking next…

NICKNAME Oli PROFESSION Surfing LOCAL BREAK Yellow Sands WHAT MAKES YOUR SPOT SPECIAL When the beachy banks are on, it gets insanely good – with a maximum of 10 guys out. But what most people don’t see about Yellows is all the little slabs on the other end of the bay. I’m pretty much the only person who goes out to any of them, and I almost always score some crazy ones. IDEAL CONDITIONS It really depends on the beachy banks, but usually a full high tide, east swell, and west wind. I think I’ll keep quiet about what wakes up the slab though… BEST ADVICE FOR A NON-LOCAL PADDLING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME Our locals aren’t too gnarly, although there have been a couple of times when someone’s…

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY, ZIGZAG! Looking pretty good for your age. My mother gave me your very first issue when I was a teenage grom, happily unaware she was feeding a serious addiction that had already taken hold in my spongy little brain. I went on to shoplift or borrow every edition since then. Sometimes I even bought one. You’re the reason I almost failed matric. You’re the reason I was more obsessed with surfing than I was with girls, for an unnaturally long time. You’re the reason I wanted to become a surf photographer. Or a surf journalist. Or, best of all, never get a job, live in a shack on the beach and simply surf every day. Ah, the idealism of youth. I eventually noticed girls – probably in…

From the early days of Hawaiian influence to local groms and world champions, every cover has captured a moment in surf history. Behind the scenes, choosing each cover sparks passionate debate among our editorial team, sometimes taking months to decide – and for good reason: the front page is sacred real estate, a pinnacle achievement for photographer and surfer. Here are some fascinating facts about the faces, moments and photogs who have graced our front page. PIONEER COVER STAR Hawaiian BRIAN HAMILTON graced our debut 1976 cover, photographed by Bernie Baker. MOST COVERS BY A PHOTOGRAPHER CHRIS VAN LENNEP has shot 32 covers, more than any other photographer. MOST COVERS BY A SURFER JORDY SMITH leads with 10 covers, cementing his status as SA’s most celebrated surfer. YOUNGEST SURFER STARS…