GARY van Wieringen has always felt a deep and profound connection to the ocean, and it has been a part of his life since he was a child. Now, at 51-years-old, he has a surfboard shop in Doonside and is the best over-50 surfer in the Ugu district and country after representing South Africa in the World Masters’ Championships last year.

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“I didn’t start surfing as young as most of my friends. I was around nine when I started. I grew up around the ocean because my dad was a ski boat fisherman and diver. I did nippers and eventually started surfing. I love it, being in the ocean, I can just sit in it for hours without needing to even catch a wave. Riding a wave, though, is amazing. Everyone who stands for the first time during surfing lessons gets hooked,” said Van Wieringen.

The Warner Beach surfer said whenever his surfboard got damaged, he would be without it for a week or two and decided to learn how to fix them. That gradually progressed and he eventually began glassing surfboards for friends in the 1990s. He moved on to the shaping side of surfboards, then the manufacturing side and can now make a board from scratch, save for blowing the blank, a chemical process to make the foam core of a surfboard.

He encouraged people interested in surfing to go for it, and emphasised that it is all about using the right equipment. A board that is long, wide and thick floats better and is easier to stand on. He said that as you improve, you can downscale your boards. He currently uses a performance board, designed for experienced surfers to push the limits.

Van Wieringen surfs provincially, and one of the bigger events on his calendar is the South African Championships.

“I’ve surfed some really good waves, recently taking on Barra Beach in Mozambique. Jeffreys Bay is a well-known wave and it’s really good. I’ve also surfed Kirra in Australia. It’s hard to say which would be the best because they’re all different in their own special way. I enjoy the solitude of the ocean but also enjoy sharing good experiences with friends. Surfing can get pretty dangerous. Rocks, barnacles, mussels and even your board’s fin can be sharp. I’ve had occasions where I asked myself how I was going to deal with this monster of a wave, but the key is remaining calm and getting control of your breathing,” said Van Wieringen.

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