Two Bits

For years people asked me if The Courier was my full-time job. I would just look at them in amazement and reply, “You have no idea what goes into producing a newspaper, do you!”
And why should they. There are those who read their local paper or magazine cover to cover, stretching it out over a full morning or even a couple of days. They read all the stories and adverts, check out all the specials and the inserts from the heavyweight national stores, getting full value. We love those people.
Then there are others who scan the headlines, look at a few pics and pass on the rest. We love them too, but in a different way. These are the ones who ask if I have a full-time job. Actually I have 24 people working full-time to sell, write, produce and distribute The Courier, Get It magazine and its offshoots, Fast Finder, Ballito Vibe and our social media platforms. And they all earn their pay.
For two years now we have been producing the contest programme for the Ballito Pro surf contest and I’d like to share a little of what goes into producing one publication.
First of all, what’s its purpose? It has to promote the contest and the interests of the sponsors who are investing a lot of money. It also has to promote the surfers, the street and cooking festivals running parallel and, of course, the beaches and attractions of the KwaDukuza region. It also has to be a good read, look fantastic and be a collector’s item. Easy stuff.
First we go into a huddle in April – my team of GM Pieter, writer Jacqui, designer Jenna, and myself – and Jessica Turner representing the client, KwaDukuza Municipality, Billabong and the World Surf League.
The sponsors loved last year’s mag, said it was the best they’d ever seen, which is a lovely compliment but how do we improve on it? Well, we decided to redesign it from scratch. New approach, new topics. Some stuff like the top contestants had to stay, of course, but this year we looked at surf spots on the Dolphin Coast, surfers’ favourite pizzas and coffee shops, a dummy’s guide to judging the finer points of surfing manoeuvres and a lot more.
The word ‘manoeuvres’ is worth a mention. It’s amazing how often it comes up in surfing material and how few people know how to spell it. Because I looked it up, I share this: it is from the French meaning tactical movement, originally from Latin manus (hand) and operare (to work). Of course the Americans spell it wrong, without the ‘o’, and the spell checkers want it their way.
Anyhow, on top of this, the mag had to pay for itself and had to be at the printer no later than June 3. Contest entries closed in June 1. So our advertising reps sprang into action and sold space, Jacqui started writing and Jess collected good quality photos and bios of top surfers as they entered. The WSL appears to consist of a few people who are mostly on a remote beach somewhere just when you need them most. Surfers are never readily available. Sponsors have their own priorities. The whole thing feels like an exercise in herding cats.
Slowly, slowly, Jenna had enough material to start designing. More than 250 high quality photos had to be collected, more than 26 stories written and fitted into the framework of 64 pages. Just when one page was complete, someone would say ‘No, that has to be another way.’ So it had to be done again. And again.
All along I’m proofreading, with the assistance of Piet and Rose. Corrections and polishing the copy had to be done three, four times. Then start from the beginning and proof again, and again, and all the time the printer’s deadline is looming. The printer needs 10 clear days to run the job in order for it to be delivered to the contest organisers a few days before the show opens.
Well, there were a few ruffled feathers, a few temper tantrums and a few tears – and that was just me! No, as usual, the team came through and we made it. What is so interesting about a team project like that, is how the ideas come from all sides. The writer has ideas on design, the designer has ideas on photography, the photographer has ideas on writing, and from this maelstrom emerges something beautiful.
In a few weeks time, thousands of people will pour into Ballito to watch surfers at the top of their game take on our surf, enjoy the beach vibe and spend their money with local businesses. They will pick up the programmes and some will glance at it, others will devour it cover to cover, and some will take it home and enjoy it beyond the contest itself. Few will recognise how much effort went into producing it, and in that way it is the microcosm of the contest itself – dozens of teams working together, like an orchestra under the baton of event organiser in chief, Collette Bundy, to produce what we all hope will be piece of memor­ably beautiful music.
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I’ve decided to run a marathon for charity. I didn’t want to do it at first, but apparently it’s for blind and disabled kids so I think I’ve got a good chance of winning.