Share
Cape Town could be the most beautiful city in the world. I haven’t been to every city in the world, so I can’t be sure, but there aren’t many cities that blanket the foothills of a flattop mountain and wind along the edges of two different oceans to create some kind of oasis in the lefthand corner of Africa.
It’s also months away from an apocalyptic depletion of its water. July 15 is scheduled as the day the reservoir will run out completely, the local government cutting the supply to the city and forcing people to pick up their weekly household quota from dispensaries outside shopping centres. For four million people it sounds like a seriously chaotic plan.
In the foreground however, is Mikey February – a stylish and talented natural footer who has just become the first person of colour from South Africa to qualify for the Championship Tour. He’s also the beneficiary of a spot in the Quik Pro courtesy of Kelly Slater’s bung hoof, followed by a full-time position waiting on Mick Fanning’s retirement at Bells. This is some much-needed good news.
Mikey’s from a place called Kommetjie – a town on Cape Town’s fringes and pretty much where most surfers from Cape Town come from. It’s quiet and there’s kelp forests grabbing your leggie in the line-up.
The way Mikey surf’s looks like someone put Craig Anderson in a contest rashie, except that his wingspan resembles an albatross launching off the edge of Table Mountain to pick up a deep swimming bream from the bottom of the Atlantic.
Not only does he shred, but Mikey is involved with an organisation called Waves for Change. It’s a therapy program for kids who have been exposed to violence and instability in the townships that layer Cape Town, using surfing as an agent of change. Last year, with the Gudauskas brothers’ organisation Positive Vibe Warriors, they brought in container loads of boards from the US and delivered them to a whole lot of kids who really need them.
Cape Town needs a prominent voice in surfing, and they’ve got one on the Championship Tour now in Mikey February. – Lucy Small