In The Mix One kilometre barrel

In: In The Mix by doclach 0 Comments Tue 11th Sep '12

Tags: Samuel Sampi Kamffer , Skeleton Coast , Namibia , Donkeys , Sixty40 Magazine

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"Heavy crazy barrels. Insane barrels, indescribable barrels. Everyone is getting severely beaten but they are also getting ridiculous pits. Golla narrowly escapes being decapitated by a guy who gets sucked over the falls in front of him while he is sitting in a monster drainpipe, Gigs gets so shacked it is silly and Josh is starting to look as at home in these tubes grabbing his rail as he does with that massive beard wandering around in the desert.  But it is a booger who steals the show. Sampi Kamffer from Plett gets a 1km barrel.... WHAT!!! Ja, it's true. After that wave he paddles in and sits in his car trying to process what just happened to him. All he can say is "I'm a little emotional right now"."
(This and all following excerpts are courtesy http://www.thebombsurf.com/blog/7/386/crazier-than-mad-max)

One of the great things about being a bodyboarder is that we're known as being a bit bloody crazy, so we get to hang with other crazies. It's somewhat ironic that the iconic Aussie Movie series "Mad Max" is being filmed on location near where all this takes place. (My neighbour flew over there to do the special effects months ago and I said to him what a shame it was he doesn't surf, when it's a dream destination for taking riding to the next level. The cruelty of life). Testament to how bodyboarders are viewed by those who really know how to surf stick, not just kooks writing a different form of waveriding to theirs off, is the following:

"Some heavy hitters in the lineup including internationals Ian Walsh, Mark Healy, Dean Morison and Mark Matthews. Saffas representing included Josh Redman, Paul Daniels, Wok, Etienne, Jake Kolnick, Gigs, Golla, Donovan Zoetmulder, Max Armstrong, ‘Avo' Avuile from Port St John's/East London and some psychotic boogers."

"Psychotic" Yep, that's us. It has always been agreed that amongst the maddest are the Saffas (our friendly nick for the South Africans). Two of these Saffas are Samuel Sampi Kamffer and Kelly Footit. You have hopefully heard of a great Booger mag called Sixty40 (if you haven't, check out http://www.sixty40.co.za/magazine). Originally in paper and now online, Kelly is the founder & web developer, Sampi is the art director. Kelly sent me an email late one night telling me of Sampi's achievement - I didn't doubt it for a moment. The guys are super legit. Things is, we're not talking some standing wave or cruisy beach break that goes on and on with tropical clear waters and soft lip. No. THIS is what we're talking about:

"Imagine packing the speed, power and strength of a 15-foot open ocean wave into a 6-foot bolt of lightning and your mind will begin to grasp the forces you are dealing with. Then consider that the average wave there runs at around 50km/h. To catch it you need to be able to go from 0-50km/h in a few frantic strokes. How many people do you know who can do that?"

And...

"Like rock climbers talk about exposure, the exposure of surfing at Skeleton Bay is intense. Words like long, fast and unbelievably powerful seem so innocuous while walking two kilometers back up the point. Why would anyone even write them down when the hypnotic squint into the afternoon sun burns your eyes right through to your brain as you absorb vortex after vortex of spitting hissing energy and the wind cuts and lashes you like only a desert wind can? It's not a warm wind. It is not friendly. It tears the flesh off dead seals lying washed up on the beach leaving only white bones for the sun to admire as a macabre form of sculpture. The bones remind the walking surfers of their own mortality. Time is measured by the sun and the wind and how many circuits of the point are made before the body collapses into a stupor of exhaustion."

These details are what underline the magnitude of Sampi's achievement. Some have trouble being proud to be a bodyboarder. In over three decades of riding, I have never failed to be proud of our sport in its freesurfing format, and riders like Sampi are the reason why. Somewhere, someone is always pushing the limits, it's just all the better when it's a mate. Someone always sees, someone always knows... and you hear. Most stays off the radar due to secret locations and keyboard heroes just wanting to hate and write it off. So usually we don't bother broadcasting it, it just stays in a tight knit community. Every now and then we put something like this out to let people know what is being achieved. These achievements are beyond olympic in my books as the group is so small and ability so exceptional, not just a few hundredths of a second faster then a heap of others.

You may have seen the pics and videos and think "Yeah, I can do that"... but can you? Have a read of this first and just double check your airfare and time is going to be well spent:

"All of these elements combine for a few days a year to create the illusion through the internet videos and surf magazine ramblings that Skeleton Bay is in fact a real wave and a legitimate surf spot. Ha ha. World-class surfers consistently crumble when faced with the scale and magnitude of the playing field and the elements on it. Yet there are a few surfers, you could count them on one hand, who for some reason are able to expand their game and improvise their acts, who can absorb the intensity of the experience and not be cowed and humbled by it."

So we take out hats off to you Sampi, the wedge rider from Plett, and we thank you for expanding our minds, hopes, dreams and wishes. Every time bodyboarding is taken to another level, we all grow richer.

I'll leave you with a final passage from the Bomb Surf crew. If you can take the time to visit the page directly you can read the full article, plus vid and photos http://www.thebombsurf.com/blog/7/386/crazier-than-mad-max If you're not beyond amped after reading it... you're dead or something.... a great account of a truly epic trip:

"To watch those guys ride this place is an otherworldly experience and true to the human condition it keeps the rest of us hoping and dreaming impossible dreams."

Words by Doc

Photos// Skeleton on the day and Sampi boosting at his home wedge.

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