what’s inside...custom bikes. it was then that i started taking my photography seriously.”...
TRANSCRIPT
What’s Inside
Chris Scott Photography Portfolio 7Before There Were Surfers 27St Francis Sport Summer Series 37Dynamic Duo 43Rip Curl E-Bomb Pro Review 51St Francis College - Getting To Know Our Teachers 53Souls Of St Francis - Harry Bateman 56One33 Craft Distillery and Cheesery 58
Editor’s Comment The lockdown treated us all in many different ways. The saying is that you either became a chunk, a hunk or a drunk, and that pretty much sums it up.
Some of us dealt with the unknown place we were in by sitting in front of the TV, eating piles of comforting yet fatty snacks, watching CNN and wondering what just happened.
Others decided to become self-help gurus, started doing laps around the garden and Joe Wick online workouts, growing little pointed beards and reading Tim Ferris books.
Others quietly worked through their stash of alcohol and bought more on the black market to continue quietly working through it, thinking that getting a bit wasted would speed things up a bit.
Each to their own. No judgements.
That’s in the past now, and it’s now time to soldier on. We are not going to have another Level Five lockdown. Still, we are going to experience various restrictions and checks, and it is up to each of us to deal with them as effectively as we can as individuals.
If there are too many people at the beach without masks, then don’t go. If you’re scared of shopping, then shop online, use a shopping service, or reach out and ask a friend.
If you’re worried that a restaurant might not be strict enough with the protocols, then eat at home. Try and chill. Try not to be obtuse about masks, sanitizing and distancing. Do the right thing, whatever that means to you.
And remember the words of some famous old dude that might be Plato or Socrates, who said, ‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.’ Words that are more fitting now than ever.
Have a good summer and festive season whether you are on holiday or working. Best of luck for it all, and see you again in 2021.
Colin and Craig
Chris Scott Photography PortfolioBy Craig Jarvis
I first met Chris when he worked at Custom Bikes. He helped me fix up my FatBoy and my boy’s mountain bike after a rough season on the beach. Chris and his family have lived in the area for about 5 years. His wife, Patricia, worked at The Links in the admin department, and he has two kids, William is 15 and Gemma is 9.
“I started out at Custom Bikes, as I had been involved in cycling in Cape Town for about 12 years. When both my parents passed about three years ago in 2017, I left Custom Bikes. It was then that I started taking my photography seriously.” “Before arriving from Cape Town, I dabbled in photography but never seriously. It was more of a hobby. Before I had left Custom Bikes, I had been taking photos of the St Francis Bay area and sharing them on social media. It was there that I was noticed and got my first opportunity with Mr Cooper from Harcourts. He gave me a home to photograph, and from there, my interest in real estate photography began. Various agents have since used me regularly.
I have shot some resorts, Airbnb’s etc. Each home I have shot has always been a challenge. Each has its own character.
My sports photography and landscape then took off, as I explored the area more and more and practised with my camera. Being self-taught has allowed me to discover my strengths. However, I have probably broken every rule in photography, but that’s okay. Photography is like an art, you got to shoot from the heart, with emotion that’s when rules go out the window.
The best thing about being a photographer is always looking for the next shot, wanting to get out and discover something new to shoot. A side effect is everything I look at I am calculating how much light I need, what speed to shoot, what composition to choose and decide on, and of course, what will it look like.
To be honest, I never expected the responses from people. I have never considered myself at that level in photography. Still, I suppose we are our own worst critics always looking to do better.
I am often asked what makes my photography different. To be honest, I don’t know. Every photographer has their own niche, and what works for them. For me, I am always looking for something different, something that is always in front of you that you don’t see.
Maybe it’s a different angle or an unusual perspective. Sometimes they have got me close to getting into spots of bother. In the water predawn waiting for the sun to rise to capture the first light on the water, I have twice had a visitor. Luckily I was not on the menu.
Other times I have photographed riots/protests, and before you know it, you are in the middle of it.
The closest was probably the fire. That blew across from the wild side towards Cape St Francis and Sea Vista location. I was in Eskom Park, taking photos, and the flames got too close too quickly. So, I have had my share of “moments.” It’s funny when looking through the lens, you almost get separated from what’s happening.
I have photographed many music shows in the area always been great fun and privileged to have shot some world-renown artists.
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Other times I have photographed riots/protests, and before you know it, you are in the middle of it.
The closest was probably the fire. That blew across from the wild side towards Cape St Francis and Sea Vista location. I was in Eskom Park, taking photos, and the flames got too close too quickly. So, I have had my share of “moments.”
It’s funny when looking through the lens, you almost get separated from what’s happening.
I have photographed many music shows in the area always been great fun and privileged to have shot some world-renown artists.
Probably the most significant achievement was being interviewed live on eNCA. The interview was about the second fires I covered that had jumped and burnt many homes in and around Granny’s pool area.
The one moment that has always stuck in my mind was when my son was born. I took a photo of him as he was held up. That moment that life enters the world, and it’s your firstborn. That photo will always remain as my all-time special moment.”
Sadly Chris and family are however, off to Ireland, for a fresh start. There is no doubt that he will make a success of his talent as a photographer, and will be an asset to whoever he works for in Eire.
“As we embark on a new adventure, I want to say thank you to everybody that I did business with. Whether it was sharing special moments with family shoots, showcasing your homes so you could follow your dreams, marketing your products, or those of you who purchased my photos to hang in your homes, capturing those sporting events. You have a wonderful town, look after it, look after each other. 2020 has been tough for all.
Thank you, farewell, and God bless.”
WOMEN ON WATERArticle and Photos by Sandy Smith Coffey
Funny how some conversations are just that, and some turn into action and become wonderful big things.
That’s how Women on Water started. I bumped into Etienne Venter (from Jeffreys Bay Surf School) on a walk near Bruce’s. He had had a surfing school forever and had coached my now-adult sons when they were tiny groms. I, on a whim, asked him if he could coach me. Of course, he said yes. Yes - to a clumsy mom, 2-foot wave max, nearly 60-year-old longboarder. I needed some confidence, and a push to get back into the water after a recent shoulder op.
And then I thought. What if there are other (older) women who could join? Surely that would mean we could all learn together, have fun in the water and let the ocean carry away our day-to-day worries. I couldn’t wait to go home and put an invite out on Facebook. I was sure I could get 4 amazing adventurous women.
Within 2 hours of the posting, there were 20 interested women. How is that? That means I totally underestimated the number of women more interested in being in the water, than watching their sons, boyfriends, husbands, uncles etc. take to the waves. We started a little WhatsApp group, and the excitement began.
Besides, in St Francis, we have arguably one of the best longboarding waves in the world at Huletts. So why not surf them?
But Etienne started us all off, 5 in a group, at Georges
Cath Hempel had wanted to surf forever – “Taking up surfing in my 40’s seemed like madness, but it has been huge fun. Yes, there are signals that we are not 16 any longer (achy back, sore shoulders) but the thrill of being able to stand up on a wave brings back the joys of youth.
Surfing has given me a taste of freedom!”
The lessons have progressed fast. New friendships have been formed. New muscles have been discovered, and new courage has been found. Some have found it easier than others, and others are finding their pace. But we all show up with great tenacity and gusto. Some have progressed from St Georges to Huletts and are catching waves alone – an inspiration to those riding the smaller waves. And some are just happy to be in the water with some amazing women.
Lyn Odendaal, a mother of a provincial woman surfer, says “Exhillirating, friendship, fun in the sun, lots of belly laughs and shouts of support from a great bunch of ladies and great coaches, Ettienne and Jerry.”
Etienne and Jerry Van Wyk are a formidable team. Endlessly patient with us. Not the usual target market I imagine.
They are safety first, bundled in with so much fun, no pressure and lots of encour-agement.
We are a microcosm of what is happening in the world with the upsurge of women surfing. Only recently, and thank goodness about time, the WSL adjusted their prize money, so that champion women earn the same as their male counterparts. World champion surfers like Stephanie Gilmore, Carissa Moore and Lakey Peterson are paving the way (or waving the way) and are an inspiration to a whole genera-tion of young talented and hungry women. They are a pleasure and an inspiration to watch.
And so here, in little old St Francis, we too will carry the torch. Yes, we are older and a bit more battle-weary, but when the waves are good, we grab our longboards and face the ocean with vigour and enthusiasm.
The tide is indeed turning.
Coach Comments from Etienne Venter
“Women On Water (WOW) is probably one of the most fun and enjoyable coaching experiences that I’ve had over the past 20 years.
To see the surprise, with a bit of shock, followed by the total elation when one of the ladies is up and riding for the first time is priceless.
To learn a new skill, especially a skill where you have to overcome a fear or inhibitions, is one of the most empowering things that a person can do for them-selves. The WOW group ladies had to deal with fear, and the thought that I’m “too old” to get this right. Still, once in the water, they gave it their all and to see how proud they were of themselves afterwards is the ultimate reward for any coach.
To hear them talk amongst each other about look-ing at the wind direction first thing in the morning, driving past the beach and looking at the ocean in a completely different way. “What are the waves doing?” Watching other surfers and commenting on what they are doing right or pointing out mistakes, the way they embraced the surfing lifestyle that they have only heard of before.
Some might stop along the way, others will keep going and become very competent surfers. Either way, two things they will always share are the stoke of having ridden a wave and being part of the surfing culture.
I started a surf school in St Francis Bay (The Bay Surf School), and Sandy contacted me saying that she has a group of ladies who really want to get to learn to surf. At our first meeting, it was clear straight away that this was an excellent idea. Our pas-sions for sharing experiences and love for surfing made sure that we got it up and going.
Jerry van Wyk, my head coach of my surf school in J-Bay (Jeffreys Bay Surf School), assisted me in getting the WOW ladies going. They have all taken to his gentle but stoked nature really well.”
Before There Were SurfersBy Miles Masterson
John ‘The Oom’ Whitmore and the discovery of surf in St Francis Bay
All surfers would love to discover a new spot and christen it – preferably after ourselves. But, in the age of Google Earth, few will ever get the chance. But it was not always so.
Enter John ‘The Oom’ Whitmore, the first person to surf on the West Coast of South Africa – at Glen Beach, Camps Bay in 1954. John was also the first to manufacture modern fibreglass surfboards in the country and founded Springbok surfing.
A sales manager for Volkswagen before he moved to full-time board making and founded and became president of the South African Surfrider’s Association (SASA) in the 1960s, John had the perfect vehicle for surf discovery – a VW Kombi, reputed to be the first off the production line from the new Volkswagen assembly factory in Port Elizabeth in the early 1950s.
Possessing an insatiable wanderlust, throughout the mid-1950s, in his Kombi, John found dozens of waves in the Western Cape, including Kommetjie and Elands Bay. As a car sales manager, part of John’s work responsibilities also included travelling regularly to the VW headquarters in PE, which enabled him to look for new surf spots in the Eastern Cape on his trips.
“I wanted to explore,” he said. “I could see that every point on the east coast is a right as a result of the swell direction and the way it travelled up the coast.”
John eventually broke in scores of new surf spots in the Southern Cape, including Jongensfontien, Mossel Bay and Buffalo Bay. While at the time lifeguards were riding wooden surfboards in East London, there is no doubt that John was the first to surf in the region, at least as far as the Sundays River.
This was most likely at Plett, where he used to stay with an aunt and later camped over long weekends with his faithful disciples from Bakoven. “We explored the whole coast,” said John. “You never had to worry about anybody else, because there was nobody.”
But John was still convinced he could find even better surf. Acting on a tip from a friend, Bert Niemeyer, whose father had a fishing shack at the mouth of the Kromme River, in 1958 John set out for Cape St. Francis. “Bert said that at St. Francis there were beautiful waves,” he recalled, “so I had to go and take a look.”
John Whitmore with the 1966 Springbok surfing team bound for San Diego. (L to R): Donald Paarman, Robert MacWade, John Whitmore (manager), Margaret Smith, Marlene Webb, George Thomopoulos (captain), Errol Hickman, Cornel
Barnett. Image: Whitmore Family Collection.
Inching his Kombi along the dirt road from Humansdorp, sand drifts eventually rendered the route impassable. John was forced to carry his board, emerging over the dunes onto the edge of a large bay, where he paddled out toward some waves he saw breaking in the corner of the beach. calibri
“It was about 6-8 foot that day, overcast, westerly,” he said. “I went to what I call ‘Whitmore’s’, you know that reef out there that comes off the left. That’s what I went and rode, all by myself. That was a fantastic feeling. And then old Leighton came down and said, ‘Oh good lord, what is all this about’?”
Leighton Hulett invited John to stay the night and told him that next time he would collect him in his tractor where the road ended, and the two men struck up a longstanding friendship. “I used to go back continuously and camp there,” said John. “On the PE side, there was a little dip and a stream. Dave Meneses and I used to paddle out there on our boards with a hand line and go and catch supper off that reef, which had fantastic fish in those days.”
Over the next few years – either travelling solo or filling his Kombi with Cape surfers for weekend tours to the East Coast – John would spend at least one night in St Francis and always surfed at the reef out front.
John Whitmore on the set of ‘The Endless Summer 2’ at Elands Bay on the South African West Coast in 1992. (L to R): Robert ‘Wingnut’ Weaver, John Whitmore, Pat O’Connell, Bruce Brown and Endless Summer 2 camera crew. Image Sharon
Marshall.
It would also be at this exact same spot that an American, Mike Hynson, first paddled out for a dawnie in December 1963. Sent by John to stay with Leighton, Mike and co had travelled up the coast in the infamous International Harvester van, with John’s good friend Terence Bullen, alongside filmmaker Bruce Brown and fellow California surfer Robert August.
Mike was joined in the water a little later by Robert, with Bruce filming on the beach for a surf movie he was making. But, as we all now know, they soon noticed a few waves peeling down the sandbar on the point and went across to investigate – and found what soon became known worldwide as “that perfect wave”. Bruce only just caught Mike on his epic first ride, one that would soon be seen by millions around the world in The Endless Summer. “BOOM! And that was it, baby,” said Mike. “We all knew what had happened – we’d just made the movie.”
Bruce Brown will of course forever remain synonymous with the wave they discovered and was subsequently named after him – Bruce’s Beauties. But to John Whitmore’s chagrin, while he visited St Francis often for the rest of his life, his own name never stuck at the wave he first surfed, now known as Hulett’s or The Reef.
Photograph of Bruces Beauties taken by Christopher Scott
Though he was ribbed many years later about this by Bruce – in the same location, on the set of The Endless Summer 2 in the early 1990s – Whitmore took it with good
grace. After all, he had been there first. “We surfed before there were surfers,” he said. “And the waves were beautiful.”The John Whitmore Book Project - https://johnwhitmorebook.wordpress.com/
John Whitmore meeting American filmmaker Bruce Brown of ‘The Endless Sum-mer’ fame at Cape Town airport in 1963, along with US surfers Robert August and Mike Hynson, under the stern gaze of South African airport police. Image:
Robert Price / Whitmore Family Collection
John ‘The Oom’ Whitmore and Hawaiian surfing and Olympic swimming legend Duke Kahanamoku at the ‘Mixing of the Waters’ ceremony at the 1966 Interna-tional Surfing Federation (ISF) World Championships in San Diego, California
in September 1966. Image: Whitmore Family Collection.
St Francis Sport Summer SeriesThe 14th annual St Francis Sport Summer Series will again take place between 16 and 31 December 2020, and swimmers, runners, paddlers and cyclists will have 11 events to choose from. The events will take place in the greater St Francis area, but also include Jeffreys Bay this year.
The series allows serious sportsmen to continue with their training without interfering with their holiday program, as distances are designed to include the entire family. As some of the events can be entered as teams, family and friends can also enjoy some friendly rivalry or add stiff competition!
To ensure safe events, online entries are already open on www.stfrancissport.co.za. Participants will secure a permanent race number for the entire, which can be collected from Custom Bikes in St Francis Bay from 10 December. Remember, no number, no participation.
For only R400 participants get individual access to 11 events, which is a significant saving on entry fees. Plus the first 300 series entries that are completed by 5 December each gets a 2020 Summer Series buff. Individual entry fees are R100 for adults and u/18’s, and R80 for u/14’s
Gabriël Jewellers and Watches in Fountains Mall have sponsored two Casio G-Shock watches. These are up for grabs by the top male and female with the best results in most events.
Entries will be capped, so on the day registration cannot be guaranteed. All participants must be individually registered on the
website, but teams can be formed on the day. Team names with team members can be handed in at the information table each morning.
Prize giving ceremonies will not be possible. Winners will be announced live on social media a few hours after the race, and full results will be posted. Digital certificates will be issued to the top 3 male and female winners in each age category (open, under 18 and under 14).
The series kicks off with the Cape St Francis Resort Road Run & Walk on Wednesday, 16 December at 08:00, race briefing is at 07h45. Distances are 5km or 10km, and the start and finish are at the Cape St Francis Resort, Da Gama Road, Cape St Francis. The route follows Da Gama Road and enters St Francis Field through the beach access gate.
The Endless Summer Open Water Swim will take place on Saturday 26 Decem-ber at 16:00. Still, if the weather is not favourable, it will be either on 28, 29, or 30 December. Race briefing is 15h30 at Port St Francis, and the finish is 2,3km away at the Granny’s Pool, St Francis Bay. Please also register with Haydn Holmes from Liquid Lines on 074 603 9311 to stay in contact about finer details about the swim.
An old popular event brought back is the beach run, also open to mountain bikers, between Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay. The Gabriël Jewellers and Watches Beach Run & MTB Ride is set for Tuesday 29 December and will start at 08:00 from the Walskipper parking area. Race briefing is at 07:45. There is one river crossing and barges will be supplied by the organisers. The distance is 15km to the
finish at Quaysyde, St Francis Bay.
The event not to be missed is the popular Pam Golding Properties Quadrathlon, set for Wednesday 30 Decem-ber 2020 at 08:00. Again, race briefing for teams and indi-viduals is 07h45. This is for teams who are going to race over 12km cycle into the St Francis Links, 500m canal swim, 3km
run and finish with a 3km paddle. The venue is Quaysyde, Sea Glades Drive, St Francis Bay.
The community event is the Chokka Trail Full Moon Run & Walk on the same day, at 19:30. This event starts and finishes at the Cape St Francis Main Beach entrance,
Seal Point Boulevard, Cape St Francis. Enjoy a lovely 5km walk or run on the beach. There will be a donation box in aid of beach clean-ups.
The grand finale is the Custom Construction MTB Challenge, planned for Thursday 31 December at 08:00 (race briefing 07h45) from the access gate to Dune Ridge Country House.
Cyclists will be able to enjoy jeep track, dirt road and some grass over 15km or 30km through the Eskom Conservation Site.
Please note, spectators will be limited to those who second. Programs are available in printed format from Custom Bikes in the Village Centre or St Francis Tourism inside the Kouga Municipal Building, Assissi Drive. Otherwise, contact Esti on WhatsApp 073 825 0835 for a digital program.The St Francis Sport Summer Series is organised by St Francis Sport and sponsored by TCS Wifi, Pam Golding Properties, Blue Abyss Breathe, Custom Construction, Village Square Superspar, Gabriël Jewellers and Watches and the Cape St Francis Resort.
The Blue Abyss Breathe Swim & Run Duathlon is set for Thursday 17 December 2020 at 08:00 (race briefing 07h45) from Quaysyde in Sea Glades Drive, St Francis Bay. Teams and individu-als can choose between “the short” (500m swim & 3km run) or “the long” (1km swim and 6km
run).
New on the program is the Bruce’s Ocean Triathlon, which includes a 500m ocean swim, 20km MTB and 5km trail run. It starts and finishes at the Granny’s Pool, Har-bour Rd, St Francis Drive at 08:00 on Friday 18 December 2020 (reserve dates 19 & 20 December) with race briefing 07h45.
This event is open to individuals as well as teams.
Not to be taken lightly is the Village Square Su-perspar Extreme Duathlon (Trail Run & MTB) on Monday 21 December. Teams and individu-
als again can choose between “the short” and “the long” – 5km trail run and 15km MTB, or 10km trail run and 30km MTB through the St Francis Field.
The trail includes coastal forest, coastal thicket, some grassy jeep track and a bit of tar road. Race briefing is at 07:45, and the race starts at 08:00. Please use the access road into St Francis Field at Port St Francis.
The Blue Abyss Breathe Canal Swim takes place on Tuesday 22 December 2020 from Quaysyde, Sea Glades Drive, St Francis Bay at 08:00 (race briefing 07h45). While the very young take part in the bank to bank, older swimmers can do 500m, 1km, 2km, or 3km (Open only).
One of the highlights of the series is the TCS Sand River Trail Run (walkers are welcome in the shorter distances, but no dogs are allowed). This trail run is planned for Wednesday 23 December at 08:00 from the access gate to Dune Ridge Country House. Race briefing is at 07h45. Distances are 5km, 14km, and 21km.
Dynamic DuoBu Collo
It seems appropriate with the St Francis Summer Sport Series about to kickoff that we introduce readers to two accomplished South African sport personalities who have recently made St Francis their home. Appropriate too for their new business, The Blue Abyss Breath, opened recently in the Liquid Lines swimming complex in Cape St Francis. Blue Abyss will be sponsoring two of the sporting events on the Summer Series calendar, the The Blue Abyss Breathe Swim & Run Duathlon on Thursday 17 December and The Blue Abyss Breathe Canal Swim on Tuesday 22 December.
Whether swimming, surfing, paddling, running or cycling St Francis has at one time or other had and still has, a fair share of top rated sports stars including some who have reached the pinnacle of sport, the Olympic Games. The latest addition to this growing group of top sportsmen and women are women’s lifesaving phenomena Carmel Billson and her fiancé Russell Sadler who too, boasts a list of national and international lifesaving achievements.
Both come from a pedigree of surf lifesavers with Russel, the son of local resident Mickey Sadler, a legend in his own right in Durban surf lifesaving circles back in the 70’s. Born and bred in Scottburgh on the KZN Sount Coast Russell excelled at water sport from a young age captaining hi high school surfing, water polo and swimming teams and representing Natal Schools in both water polo and swimming.
But it was the sand and the sea was where his heart lay and where he would excel. At the age of seven he joined Scottburgh Lifesaving Club as a nipper, almost immediately showing his potential by winning the Swim, Board and Iron Nipper. His career with Scottburgh lifesaving saw win national titles in Board, Ski, Ironman, Double Ski
and Board Rescue in both Junior and senior age groups.
Russell & Carmel - Blue Abyss Breath
Russell went on to represent South Africa for lifesaving at Tri Nations events against Australia and New Zealand on two occasions with the highlight of his international career being beating five times Olympic gold medallist Clint Robinson in the final ski leg of the taplin relay to put SA ahead of Australia in the 2nd test of the Tri-Nations tests in Perth. After this event he stayed on in Sydney for three months training with World Surf Swim Champion Daniel McLellan and world Surf Ski Champ Grant Wilkinson.
Still on the water but on a canoe rather than a surf ski he went on to represent the SA Sprint canoeing team to World Cup in Holland and then captained the team to World Champs in Japan the following year after winning a number of National Sprint canoe-ing titles for himself.
But it doesn’t end there for he has made a life out of ocean racing and was part of the hugely successful Ocean Warriors Iron Man Racing Series phenomenon that culmi-nated with a non-stop Iron Man relay from Cape Town to Durban.
And when he stopped doing it for himself he turned his knowledge of training and competing to helping others train and compete. From 2014 to 2018 he was appointed the South African lifesaving tems national coach also ….
• Marine Coach 2014-2019• KZN Team Coach 2015-2019• National Coach 2014-2018• LSA Coach of the Year 2016-2019Marine won the SA National championships 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and athletes under his coaching achieved and 72 national in that 5 year period.
Carmel BillsonBusiness partner and fiancé Carmel Billson’s list of achievements is no less impressive and her gold medal collection wouldn’t be out of place were it be displayed in Fort Knox
Daughter of Patrick and Terri Billson who have long had a house of the Kromme River, Carmel is no stranger to St Francis having spent many of her weekends on the Kromme whilst at school at Collegiate in Port Elizabeth. No doubt her father, a long-time member of Kings Beach Surf Lifesaving Club had an influence on her joining Summerstrand Lifesaving Club as a nipper. Kings Beach had no nipper squad at the time hence the defection.
From there the rest is history as Carmel went on excel in the pool and on the beach winning over 50 national event gold medals in addition to many more in provincial competition along with a few silver and bronze in her chosen sports. And her achievements were well recognised for she was nominated for the KZN Sports Awards for Sportswoman of the Year and Personality of the Year as well as being awarded LSA Female Athlete of the Year for the third time in 2018.
Way back in 2009 whilst in grade 11 at Collegiate she was selected for the South African Under 23 Lifesaving team for the Four Nations Competition held in Durban. That year she won the first of her many gold medals that would follow when she won gold in the ‘swim, run, swim’ event along with a silver and two bronzes in the tube rescue and Taplin as well as Under 19 Victrix Ludorum’.
She capped her school career as a prefect, house and swimming captain during her matric year and matriculated with three distinctions. Proving sport and education can mix she also qualified for the Eastern Province swimming team, broke a couple of swimming records in the pool along with 15 medals in SA lifesaving events before being selected for the South African Development Surf Lifesaving team.
Studying Human Sciences Movement at Nelson Mandela University she again excelled in her studies whilst continuing to add to her lifesaving and swimming achievements winning the Redhouse Mile in a star studded field and adding to her already growing collection of medals. Highlight of 2011 was being selected for the SA Stillwater Lifesaving team for the Commonwealth Games.
Transferring to Durban to further studies in the Chiropractic field and to further her sporting Carmel enrolled at Durban University of Technology (DUT) and joined Marine Surf Llifesaving where she was to meet Fiance and business partner Russell. She continued her winning ways accumulating more medals and being selected to compete in the World Rescue 2014 in France for surf lifesaving and stillwater lifesaving. Her achiements also won her the DUT Council Award for sporting achievement
Carmel continued picking up the pace, captaining the SA team at the 2016 World Lifesaving Championships in The Netherlands, captaining the team in Japan and receiving the DUT Vice Chancellor Award along with sports person of the year.
2017 and 2018 she competed internationally in Australia and New Zealand, and Japan as well as in the Commonwealth Games Festival of Lifesaving in Durban, where she won gold in the 100m tow, two silvers and a bronze, South Africa came second overall to Australia by only 4 points. Retired from competing, well for the moment anyway, Carmel is a qualified Chiropractor and is setting up her Chiropractic practice in St Francis. As a start she has installed a Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy facility in the Liquid Lines swimming complex in Cape St Francis. Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment has proven successful in the treatment of many conditions where from inside a pressurised chamber, oxygen is breathed in and transported into the blood allowing it to reach even damaged cells.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a non-invasive method that consists of supplying oxygen at high concentrations in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber at a minimum of 1.3 ATM atmospheres (higher than the normal ambient atmospheric pressure of 1 atmosphere).
Inside the chamber you breathe close to 100% oxygen which is transported to the blood and manages to reach even the damaged cells.
Oxygen therapy can be extremely beneficial for those who frequently experience low oxygen levels, regardless of the reason. If needed, regularly utilizing oxygen therapy can allow people to be more active and mobile by decreasing shortness of breath. It also can significantly improve quality of life, and in many cases extend life expectancy.
The Hyperbaric Chamber installed at Liquid Lines
Rip Curl E-Bomb Pro ReviewSummer’s here, and the water is nice and warm, but there seems to be quite a lot of easterly wind around. The easterly does several things in our area. It messes up the waves, being onshore and it brings in bluebot-tles. It also brings in little batches of cold surface water. Let’s not forget that this wind also brings in the sand that nourishes the beaches, and sometimes produces epic sandbanks.
The Rip Curl E-Bomb 2/2 Zip Free is an excellent option for these conditions and for this time of the year. De-spite being only 2mm it has sealed seams and loads of stretch, so it fits snugly and keeps the water out. It is really flexible and is ideal for keeping the wind off, and to surf when you need to be moving and loose in the onshore conditions.
The Zip Free option is also ideal for this flexible suit, as the lack of zip structure, keeps the panels looser and able to move easier. The wetsuit is so light it’s like surf-ing in boardshorts, and it is easy to paddle in.
When it comes to colder conditions and the east condi-tions during the winter months, then the 3/2 options and even the 4/3 steamer with a hoodie are both prob-ably better than a 2/2. Still, for the warmer days of sum-mer, there is definitely no need for that much rubber.
This suit is also perfectly suited to those east coast dawn patrols in summer when you’re cruising down to the beach before 5 am, and there is still a bit of chill in the air. It’ll keep you warm as toast, and you’ll be able to get your share of the summer waves before the dreaded crowds arrive.
For more information on this wetsuit, and all the others available from Rip Curl, check out their website on - https://www.ripcurl.co.za/
Do dive straight into their summer sale, right here
https://www.ripcurl.co.za/product-category/sale/
St Francis College - Getting To Know Our TeachersCraig chats with Eva Skelton
Tell us about your family - your husband and children.
My husband is my soulmate. We met in Gi-braltar in 2000 and knew we were meant for one another. We married in 2014 and our first daughter Sophia -Blue arrived in 2015, and then Ella-Mae was born in 2017. We are a very close family, my girls have brought such joy to our lives. Living in such a beautiful place makes life so exciting for the girls. We love to go on lots of adven-tures, plenty of expeditions and just love exploring our environment around us.
Where are you initially from?
I am originally from Gibraltar, which is a rock, with a whole lot of history, in the south of Spain.
How did you end up in St Francis?
Funny story really ... Sean was travelling around Europe and stopped in Gibraltar looking for work. My father was an
architect and ran his own architectural firm in Gibraltar. Sean ended up getting a job with my father. At the time, I was just finishing my degree in Cardiff, Wales, and when I returned home to Gibraltar, my father was very keen for Sean and me to meet. Sean and I spent another two years in Gibraltar together before Sean’s longing for home drew us to South Africa. Sean’s folks always had a holiday house in St Francis, so having holidayed in St Francis his whole life Sean could not think of a better place he wanted to be. I loved it from the moment we arrived.
How long have you been here and how long have you been working for the College?
So, this makes me feel pretty old, but we have been in St Francis now for about 18 years, and we love it. I have been working at the College on and off since the College first began. I was the first teacher at the College. We set up base in the original farmhouse, and it was myself and two students, Jeff Brooker and Crystal Hulett. I then took some time off between having my beautiful girls to just be mom, but have always returned.
What grades have you taught along the way?
So my passion is grade 0, I love this age group, and for me, it is an extremely instru-mental year for a child. I have taught grade 1 as well, and grade 2, and enjoyed some time at the nursery too.
What is the best thing about the College?
Wow! Where do I begin? The College is a great school. The farm, environment, the small classes, the quality of education. As a teacher, there are so many fine qualities about our school. We work in a place where there are so many learning opportuni-ties. When the weather is lovely, we can explore and learn outside. Investigating the world through our environment, the children feel secure and safe and can grow as individuals.
What are your thoughts on the year 2020, and what are your thoughts on post-covid and 2021?
Of course, 2020 has been a rather strange year for us all. But as a teacher, it has been a fantastic learning opportunity. Teaching online was new for many of us, and it really made all us teachers think out the box. As a teacher, I feel like it strengthened our skills and encouraged us to modify and improve our teaching.
I am looking forward to 2021, I think that 2020 has allowed some families the time to come together as a family unit and really spend quality time together. There are lots of families moving to St Francis for the quality of life we all love here, so I think our little school is going to grow tremendously. I can’t wait to share the wonders and uniqueness of our school with them.
Souls Of St Francis - Harry BatemanBySandy Coffey and Caroline Morris
We are all connected. Not just the two-legged ones that have fallen out of harmony with Earth but the whole of the universe is infinitely connected. We are allowed to experience life in a beautiful environment, in a form that can be reverent, loving, kind and make experiences sharing them collectively. The experiences we choose to make is somehow driven by many factors, mostly out of our control. We respond to it based on our level of development as human beings.
Many of us are just starting out this journey of consciousness that everything is related and that there are universal laws that supersede our delusions of what’s going on. Corona is a new flu. Our bodies learn to adapt and become immune to diseases through exposure and a strong immune system. Our dependence on pills to sort out our state of non-health pushes us further to extinction as our children also don’t inherit that resilience built up through exposure.
So the virus gives us a choice. Either you get healthy and on track, or you get taken. Or you get a vax shot into your system to further compromise your long term health and mental sanity.
I also believe the world is overburdened by the sick people who lean on the health care systems to keep them going. Mostly because we are afraid of dying or losing someone close to us. Our health care is not caring for health, it’s disease management that’s somehow someone else’s problem. We don’t take responsibility for our health, and so the doctors have to fix us. I believe covid 19 helps us become stronger...
How do I feel? How do I feel? Grateful for life surging through my body. Thankful for eyes to see the whole picture and the collective consciousness. Thankful for eyes to see the whole picture and the collective consciousness. Very exciting times to be alive.
The abundance of choice somewhat influenced by our governments desire to grapple with the fear-based processes created around the virus. How do we express that choice in a military state? Interesting. Very interesting.
Grateful for food growing and very proud of my community, where I CHOSE to live... I feel this is just the beginning of a very painful birthing... maybe we will get a C Section option. Still, I think humanity deserves a challenge to sort us out. Because we have been very bad and we need to look at our lives and what we leave for our children and their children. We are responsible.
Sad that the two legends have not yet woken up but excited that it’s happening. Going through my own process of loss of everything I’ve built up in my time here in this community but excited that change is driving an alignment with my true purpose and why I chose to come to Earth during this time.
Keep strong, keep open, forgive, love, grow and glow that wonderful light of being. Right now, as this is where the magic is. Don’t worry about other people. They will show us soon enough who they truly are as the masks come off under the pressures of no-control. Enjoy life. Inside of oneself, there is a fountain of life bubbling every day. It just gets clouded by the madness we’ve created. Love Harry.
One33 Craft Distillery and CheeseryOne33 Craft Distillery and Cheesery is the dream of Gerda and Rodney Milford, and their craft rum is inspired by the freshness and beauty of the Eastern Cape. The distillery honours the Eastern Cape’s early inhabitants, its treacherous coast and its rich fauna and flora.
The dream was to produce quality handcrafted products and to create a place where locals and tourists can meet and share stories over rum and cheese tastings.
Talking about cheese, the cheesery is the talk of the town right now, with their delicious array of cheeses attracting the attention of locals and visitors alike.
Talks of the distillery and cheesery are available, and the location, on the cobrner of the R330 (Humansdorp Rd) and the Oyster Bay Rd, is ideal for rum, gin and cheese tastings, parties and events. The bar and coffee shop are open Tuesday to Sunday.
One33 Cheesery also offers halloumi making classes where you will go through the whole cheese-making process and then take your products home with you when finished, which is apparently loads of fun.
For those like me that came for the cheese, but stayed for the rum, there is quite a range. The spirits that are being produced are all quite delectable, and the distillery serves as a good location to stock up for summer and to hoard a few bottles just in case we go into another lockdown situation.
White Rum: it’s a smooth, light-bodied rum, slightly sweet in flavour with subtle tones of molasses. Dark Rum: it has a rich textured finish that appeals to both rum and whiskey drinkers.
Black Rum - refreshing and, slightly sweet with a full balance of flavour and aromas. Sea Vista Gin: it has a mild flavour and aroma, which comes from handcrafted alcohol and infused with a selection of delicate botanicals together with One33’s signature Khoisan Sour Fig
Autumn Gin: it has vibrant citrus flavours and aromas.
Village Vodka: it has a fragrant nose, an aromatic palate with a warming, creamy finish.
All products and offers are available on their website:https://one33craftrum.co.za/or contact Rodney on email - [email protected]
