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Articles by Nick Pike
AT THE BEACH | Navigating grief, memories of Nahoon Reef, and saltwater therapy
This writer is starting to feel a little emotionally fragile at present. Two friends’ funerals in five days and two other friends in sheer pitched battles for their lives against cancer. I am emotionally shaken. Reading up on “survivors guilt” I see it is a form of PTSD and I am starting to feel a little that way. Ever since the time of the passing of surfers Dean Gierke and Byron Gray there has been a gentle background dark shadow in the back of my psyche, how come them and not me?
AT THE BEACH | Brothers craft DIY longboard to compete in SA championships
Brothers Tiaan and Robert Nel with the 9'4" green Pineapple homemade longboard in Jeffreys Bay. Picture: LARA JOUBERT Short on cash but high on stoke, Tiaan and Robert Nel built the 'Pineapple' from refrigeration foam SummaryOpen the quick read Brothers Tiaan and Robert Nel aimed to return to the SA Longboard Championships in 2026 but lacked the funds to buy an essential second longboard.
At the Beach | A borrowed surfboard took me on an epic adventure
At the Beach | A borrowed surfboard took me on an epic adventure Catching a wave at Buffalo Bay was starting to look like a slender prospect 30 SEP 2026, 23:03 5 min read
AT THE BEACH | Peace, natural beauty and bird calls abound at Cintsa resort
A southern boubou was hopping at my feet. I wanted to reach for my phone and take a shot but I knew any movement would spook him away. The bird was, I believe, a young male because his colouring was crisp and dramatic. The time was about 7.30am and perhaps the little fella had spent all of first light grooming himself because he was immaculate, perfect in every way, and 50cm away from my foot as I read my book. “They can become quite tame around human habitation,” internet research tells me.
At the Beach | Surfboard shapers are the Michaelangelos and Da Vincis of our game
I still have the original invoice for my first ever custom surfboard from Jeffreys Bay Surf and Sail. Custom-made windsurfers were quite the rage at that time too. They have kind of come and gone since then. Twin Fin Surfboards under the name Seaflight were the main staple when I placed my order in Jeffreys Bay at the time.
Spring tide reveals sheer beauty of garden in the sea
“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Leisure, a poem by WH Davies. Well, I did have the time. I had just eaten breakfast with my friends Trevor and Howard at The Musclecracker Cafe, and I was driving round the back of Gonubie Point towards Black Rock and I noticed that the tide was fantastically low. Ah, the joy of spring tide. I parked the car and took a walk to a rock far out that is normally submerged.
AT THE BEACH | Helping others to reach their dreams is in surfing’s DNA
An African proverb suggests: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Border Buffalo City Surfing has got the go-together thing working. This past weekend our local surfing fraternity ran a spectacular winter festival surfing competition and burger evening to raise funds to support our junior surfers headed to the World Championships in September. Local surfing has come together in a big way to support our five juniors who have made the SA team of 12 surfers.
AT THE BEACH | Last wave for selfless surfing pastor Andy Pitt
In the southeast corner of my home there is a hollow brick behind the plaster finish. It is the cornerstone of my house, the first brick that was laid at the start of the build. Inside that brick are prayers, hopes, dreams, aspirations, promises, a small Bible, and a scripture from my longtime friend and pastor.
AT THE BEACH | Surfing paradise: the privilege of chasing the perfect wave with your best mates
The Banyak Islands are a group of 99 islands between Similue and Nias off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia’s Aceh Province. They are home to some of the finest waves in the world and if you are living on a boat for 10 days with 11 of your best mates and a top-end guide who knows every “local” whim of wind, tide and swell and who is not afraid to motor one, two or three hours to the next break, it is fair to say you are surfing in paradise.
AT THE BEACH | Daniel Emslie escapes disaster, then rides to victory at iconic surf contest
Daniel Emslie does not wipe out often. His make rate is very high. He is just that good. The East London local started his tough semifinal at the recent Vic Bay Quad surf contest at Victoria Bay, near George, with a 9.33 ride against top surfer Max Elkington and last year’s winner, Logan Tilsley. This quadrangular is one of SA’s most iconic and longest-running surfing events, held each year in memory of respected surfing legend John Pfaff.
AT THE BEACH | Be well prepared for rogue solstice and equinox waves
I remember as a primary school kid being up at the top of the Chalumna River with my dad. We were having a braai next to the river. All of a sudden, the river rose up in a rage. It was a massive surge and swamped our braai fire. It was the equinox and ever since then I have known that the equinox is a special time in the sea. Twice a year, equal day and equal night. Somewhere along the line, I discovered that the summer and winter solstices have similar effects on the ocean and tides.
At the Beach | Border junior surfers ride wave of success with national selection
I am proud of our Border/KuGompo junior surfers. Of our 12-member junior national team set to participate in the September El Salvador 2026 ISA Junior World Surfing Championships, five surfers are from Border. That is one short of 50% of the whole surfing team comes from our little town and the rest is shared out by the rest of SA. Once again, it is a pretty large feather in our cap that excellence can and does come from KuGompo.
AT THE BEACH | Checking out Bruce’s Beauties and Grannies Pool with a cappuccino
There is a dreamy little longboard wave rolling through Huletts and Left Overs just off Grannies Pool here in St Francis Bay as I write this. It is Friday morning and I have the particular privilege of the front table at Bruce’s Coffee Shop, facing the sea, drinking cappuccino and watching a few waves get ridden. I am looking straight down the old St Francis Bay NSRI slipway onto the wave.
AT THE BEACH |A feather in the cap of Border/KuGompo surfing
Cape St Francis, Seal Point. First blood came a little late for the winning Border/KuGompo Masters surfing team last weekend. By that I am being a little cheeky with the emphasis on first — Gareth Sepp was first in his over-55 age division, with Border teammate Wayne Monk finishing second. That was two big strikes for Border and a solid addition to the team points tally. In truth, we had been scoring points before the Sepp/Monk juggernaut, but they were second positions in our finals tally.
AT THE BEACH | ‘Super Six’ women redefine limits in global surf adventure
I am ever so slightly in a state of shock and awe at the moment. I just can’t get over the latest Red Bull sports film/documentary, Now Days. This is a full surf film of the current cutting-edge of women’s surfing and it is a long way beyond radical. We are talking about eye-popping and jaw-dropping red-hot surfing here. Even when put side to side with men’s surfing, these young women are completely ripping.
AT THE BEACH | Storm surf spectacle puts Buffalo City’s harbour break on the map
Story audio is generated using AI Big wave surfers Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker and Stuart Fowles made local history when they surfed the Buffalo City harbour western breakwall in 15- to 18-foot waves (30- to 35-foot faces) in last Friday’s storm while the port was closed to shipping.
AT THE BEACH | The beauty and the beast cover it all in SA longboard champ
“We were all brave together” — Meeghan Heenop tells me about being scared out of her wits at the Surf Emporium SA Longboard Championships, but paddling out with her teammates anyway in giant waves at Jeffreys Bay Lower Point. This is both the beauty and the beast of a surfing competition. Sometimes you are “forced” to go out in waves that you think are far beyond you, and in the end you generally find out that you are tougher than you think.
AT THE BEACH | Keaton wings his way to Discovery triumph
Keaton Stansfeld, 22, has wings on his heels. When this young man hits the tarmac, he flies. Mind you, over rocks, rivers, sand, track, trail, mountains and streams, he does the same. Keaton was this year’s winner at The Discovery Surfers Challenge. As is usually the case, I was working at the Gonubie River mouth with the marathon hosts, Buffalo City Surfing, to welcome and direct the challenge athletes to the ropes and river crossing.
AT THE BEACH | Buffalo City has reason to feel proud of this all-in girl
Some people just run on a higher octane than others. Janey-Heather Wood is that girl. She runs on 440 volts while the rest of us lesser mortals are on 220. She has the personality of a small village and the energy level of three large ones. Her dad, Haydon, tells me that already at the age of six or seven she told him that she wanted to be a Springbok one day. Mom Anita tells me that Janey has a will like concrete.
AT THE BEACH | EL surf lifesaving club goes beyond the call of duty to help others
It is hard for me to describe just how fabulous the East London Surf Lifesaving Club is. I run out of superlatives. The club was there on Nahoon Beach before I started surfing and I started a long time ago. What a fantastic institution it is and who can even vaguely guess how many lives have been saved due to this club? How many guards have been trained here that now look after our beaches from Port Alfred to Port St Johns and beyond?
AT THE BEACH | How art can lift the spirit in trying times
“Art is the conscious use of skill, imagination and creativity to produce works that evoke emotion, ideas or beauty, spanning visual (painting, sculpture), auditory and performing arts. “It is a diverse range of human activities reflecting technical proficiency and cultural expression.” — AI Google It has been a tough week. Five back-to-back days of onshore east wind messes with any surfer’s mind. Petrol prices are on a sky rocket to Mars.
AT THE BEACH | Maybe it’s time for an adventure in your own backyard
Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson is a favourite for me. It is difficult to categorise him but Wikipedia comments that he is a “blend of cabaret pop and classical music influences with indie rock and experimental musicianship”. With Easter weekend about to sneak up on us (Easter Sunday is April 5), Watson is particularly appealing to me right now. His track Adventures in your own backyard strikes a chord.
AT THE BEACH | Jordan van Eek is a class act, in the surf and at school
“I feel like when I surf, my mind goes quiet,” 16-year-old Jordan van Eek tells me. This, I suspect, is good for the young Stirling High School scholar because she must have a very busy mind. If she is not number one in her grade, then she is in the top 10. And she likes to be there, so she is inclined to keep her head down when it is time to work. In grade 10 now, Jordan has chosen meaningful subjects: English, Afrikaans, Pure Maths, Physics, Biology and Geography.
AT THE BEACH| When a break-up leads you to savour a break on SA’s idyllic shoreline
It was a long time ago that I read Swahili for the Broken-hearted by Peter Moore. The book is a travel memoir about the author’s overland adventure from Cape Town to Cairo after his break-up with the GND (girl next door). What do you do after a break-up? You go travel Africa. The book is filled with humour, wisdom, culture, chaos, crisis, restoration and epic tales.
AT THE BEACH | John Rance discovers abundant blessing of the big blue
I am old enough to enjoy some of my surfing vicariously now. I do not need to catch every wave anymore. If you catch the wave of your life in front of me, I can share some of your joy. When I see local surfers like Vaughn Driesel, Bonny Hanafey or Taralyn Mclean break through to new levels, I am nearly just as thrilled as they are. Thus it is that I am greatly entertained by new grommet John Rance discovering surfing for the first time at the tender age of 47.
AT THE BEACH | Lindhorst tells tale of surfing famed Hawaii wave
The Challenger Series at Pipeline, in Oahu, Hawaii, did not go as well for Tom Lindhorst as he might have dreamed, but still, he was not being carried off the beach on a stretcher spewing blood. Conditions were in all honesty quite death defying. Lindhorst did not make it through his heat to advance to the next round but the crowd was clapping as he walked up the beach after his heat.
Buzzing sharks keep surfers on red alert
I can’t say that I know every surfer, every shark and every incident in our area, but from what I do know, last week (February 9 to 14) was straight up crazy with surfer-shark sightings. On Tuesday Daniel Emslie and Saxon Wood were buzzed by a shark at Glen Eden. On Thursday Saxon and quite a big crew of surfers were buzzed by a shark at Nahoon Reef. On Friday Saxon paddled out at Nahoon Reef and got buzzed again.
AT THE BEACH | Saluting a tower in the art world
Passion. Noun. “Strong and barely controllable emotion” — Oxford Languages. Andre “Bulla” Wood is one of the most passionate people I have ever met. He is an all-in kind of a guy. If he is paddling his ski, fishing for a grunter, enjoying an artwork on his wall, running the family security business, riding his surfboard or listening to some music with friends, he is all in. It is a little like that old story of eggs and bacon for breakfast. The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed.
AT THE BEACH | Surfers Challenge: celebration of positivity, good health and good humour
It is hard to remember how many times I have run the Discovery Surfers Challenge but looking through my old photographs, there are more pictures than my memory can account for. Those days of fitness are gone but they sure were fun while they lasted. An L5S1 disc malady in the sciatic area has put paid to my running days but I am sure I could still walk it.
Surfing the toughest waves with the delicate touch of a surgeon, the Aussie way
I am a little jealous of my friend Dr Phil Chapman — and then also not jealous. At age 60, Phil is in ripping good shape and on a good day he can still put in six or eight hours of water time. He has a ready smile and laughs a lot and I am tempted to think that he has got life made. However, in amongst the mist in his eyes, I can also see pain, soft marks of trauma, quiet fatigue of crisis and adrenaline and the kind of stuff that genius would have to live with.
At the Beach Teen surfers finding their mojo in the waves
Surfer Kholo Langa, who is an U14 surfer, has a quick wit and a sharp sense of humour. I asked him, as I so often do in interviews, what his biggest fear might be? I am just testing the water to see if sharks come up so to speak and for good surfers, they never do. “Let my brother answer first,” he suggested, adding that he wanted to think about it a bit more.
Watch your dad closely, boys and you’ll be champions
“Watching Jeff surf is one of my favourite things to do,” says his wife, Kim Enslin. In all truth, one of this writer’s favourite things too. Jeff Enslin is an electrical engineer by trade and his surfing has a calculated, measured, controlled vibe about it. One of the things I like most about his surfing is his flow. His turns are smooth but radical at the same time. He is almost always in control and has a deep awareness of the fulcrum. This translates into trim, and good trim at that.
At the Beach: Finishing the year riding a wave was my best close
It is called the paddle of shame and it is horrible when a surfing session turns so bleak that you just give up, turn around and paddle in. The more desired exit is that you catch a cracker wave, tear it to shreds and go flying in on one of your best rides of the day.
Surfing is a better sport because of David Malherbe
David Malherbe has a head like concrete. His commitment and focus are unbreakable. When he sets his mind to something you are not going to dislodge it with a crowbar. Small in stature but giant in spirit, Malherbe (and his wife Belinda) own and operate Coffee Shack Backpackers in Coffee Bay. Their website is worth a read just to look in on their vision, credo, ethics, history and their attitude to responsible tourism and commitment to the local community.
AT THE BEACH | A walkabout on the wild side
“The Aboriginal walkabout is a traditional rite of passage for young people, especially males, to transition from childhood to adulthood by undertaking a solitary journey through the wilderness and learn survival, connect with ancestral lands (Songlines), and demonstrate spiritual maturity and responsibility, involving skills like hunting, (finding) shelter and plant knowledge, though modern adaptations exist due to contemporary life pressures.” AI overview.
AT THE BEACH | ‘Elegance meets the glide’ in mommy and baby bump surf session
“It’s a rare occurrence when you see a woman riding a proper single-fin longboard. “But when you do, and it is done right, it’s one of the most beautiful forms of surfing there is. “This is where elegance meets the glide in the lady slide.” —Sprout, surf documentary (2004) by Thomas Campbell. I have to say I am in agreement with the above narrative.
AT THE BEACH | Tristan Johnson lives by his motto to beat best of the best
“Life responds to effort” — this is the credo on 0ver-45 SA Surfing Champion Tristan Johnson’s cellphone profile. It is most fitting. Work hard and play hard is clearly a Johnson family ethic. The suggestion is that nothing good in life comes easy and significant victory takes significant effort. Tristan (and his brothers and sister) are those guys who put in the effort and their results are top shelf in many spheres. Eldest of the Gonubie Johnson clan, Tristan has been a hot surfer for decades.
AT THE BEACH | From injury to triumph - Gareth Sepp’s inspiring comeback
Every surfer who wins gold at the SA Masters Surfing Championships deserves their medal, but it seems to me that local surfer and over-55 SA champion Gareth Sepp is just a little more deserving than most. Just more than three years ago, Gareth suffered a nasty double hernia injury. The repair surgery was a tad rough. He was opened up like a gutted fish and patched up with gauze. The op was not a success and he spent a longer than usual unhappy time on morphine.
AT THE BEACH |A fishy tale of loyalty in the deep
It was at the recent memorial of superb young ichthyologist Joshua Fratchet, who passed away before his time, that I met Dr Amber Childs, associate professor at the Rhodes University ichthyology department in Makhanda. Childs has studied spotted grunters in-depth, so I was understandably excited to meet her and fascinated to find that some studies in the field are now looking into fish personality. Specifically shy and bold fish.
AT THE BEACH | Border on crest of a wave at surfing championship
AT THE BEACH | Border on crest of a wave at surfing championship Team sail through SA masters in Cape Town with six out of eight division titles Premium By NICK PIKE - 23 October 2025 To say that Border Buffalo City surfing shot the lights out at the 2025 SA Masters Surfing Championships at Long Beach, Kommetjie, Cape Town, at the weekend is to understate the case. ..
AT THE BEACH | Well done to the Border Buffalo City surfing team
AT THE BEACH | Well done to the Border Buffalo City surfing team Premium By NICK PIKE - 16 October 2025 In all honesty, I was a little grumpy...
AT THE BEACH | Spare a thought for Antoni and others like him
AT THE BEACH | Spare a thought for Antoni and others like him Premium By NICK PIKE - 09 October 2025 How does life look when you lose your direction, fall through the cracks and can’t find your way?..
AT THE BEACH | Surfing jaunt for dad and son turns into terrifying stare-down with great white
AT THE BEACH | Surfing jaunt for dad and son turns into terrifying stare-down with great white With the shark swimming between them, Buffalo City’s Graeme Field knew remaining calm was key Premium By NICK PIKE - 02 October 2025 Border Buffalo City Masters team surfer Graeme Field is also a genius fly fisherman...
AT THE BEACH | Amandla bhuti, go claim your gold
AT THE BEACH | Amandla bhuti, go claim your gold Premium By NICK PIKE - 26 September 2025 Thirty-one-year-old Avuyile Ndamase’s rise to green and gold to represent SA Surfing at the most recent ISA World Surfing Championships in El Salvador is nothing short of heroic. ..
AT THE BEACH | ‘Just relax’, good advice as Taylor Emslie manages her vast pool of talent
AT THE BEACH | ‘Just relax’, good advice as Taylor Emslie manages her vast pool of talent Premium By NICK PIKE - 18 September 2025 “I can still hear my father’s words, ‘just relax’,” champion free diver Kimi Werner said from Hawaii. ..
Epic Wild Coast trail run not for the faint-heartedTough journey from the Haven to Cintsa a true test of endurance, resilience and spirit
Some people are just born with more energy than the rest of us. They run on 440 volts while the rest of us lesser mortals run on 220 volts. The Wild Coast FKT (fastest known time) showcases Liam Victor and Shale Biggs in particular. Paul Carter documents the story: â On Saturday, August 23 2025, two groups of trail runners left the Haven Hotel with a single audacious goal: to traverse the Southern Wild Coast, 125km of untamed shoreline in one continuous push.
AT THE BEACH | Epic Wild Coast trail run not for the faint-hearted
AT THE BEACH | Epic Wild Coast trail run not for the faint-hearted Tough journey from the Haven to Cintsa a true test of endurance, resilience and spirit Premium By NICK PIKE - 11 September 2025 Some people are just born with more energy than the rest of us. They run on 440 volts while the rest of us lesser mortals run on 220 volts...
AT THE BEACH | Start your weekend with a park run - healthy, positive and jovial
AT THE BEACH | Start your weekend with a park run — healthy, positive and jovial Taking to the road for a time of festivity and making new friends Premium By NICK PIKE - 04 September 2025 Part of the joy of park runs is who you get to meet while out getting good exercise. The Kei Mouth Park Run is no exception — very few people get up grumpy to go to stretch their legs for 5km at 8am. ..
AT THE BEACH | Cycling through life, and the world, with a positive attitude
AT THE BEACH | Cycling through life, and the world, with a positive attitude Premium By NICK PIKE - 28 August 2025 “We have never met a person we feel unsafe with,” Stephanie Rudolph tells me. ..
AT THE BEACH | Brad Dalbock stays true to dream with plans to sail the high seas
AT THE BEACH | Brad Dalbock stays true to dream with plans to sail the high seas Premium By NICK PIKE - 21 August 2025 They say that big dreamers never sleep — because, wide-awake, they are out on the wild frontiers realising their dreams. ..
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