Junior series — a legacy continues
Local surfers who have been in the water long enough know what it’s like when four assorted Johnsons paddle out (Tristan, Jethro, Orin, Tyrell) if not with their sister Jasmine making it five or brother-in-law Warren making six.
The Johnson clan’s talent pool is formidable and your wave count might take a dive. The legacy is set to continue.
I visited the Ryd Junior Summer Series on Gonubie beach last weekend and the new crew of up-and-coming young Johnsons was at the beach, or at least a good couple of them. There are nine offspring. The tough brothers and their sister have made a handsome contribution to the gene pool.
We are talking about Jordy, Becca, Tyson, Skylar, Adam, Bella, Riley, Dyna, and Leyla. All nine have given surfing a go and at this stage six are interested in the contest scene.
I want to joke and say heaven help us and hope that none of them takes after their fathers but that would be untrue. If they do take after their dads, the Buffalo City (BC) future junior teams are in for some feisty input.
Jasmine is trying to set up a family photo. With grannies and close family it is a crew of 21 people. Granny Maralyn by the way says we should have more Junior Summer Series in Gonubie. Son-in-law Warren Seymour agrees: “At least that will get us away from the Turdy sewage.”
A Nahoon spill was the reason the surfing contest was moved to Gonubie.
The local Ryd JSS is superbly administrated. If there is one thing Border BC surfing is known for, it is good management and consistency. This makes for good surfing, from juniors across the board to Masters.
The parents, committees and work crews are known for a long history of delivering the goods. Take the Discovery Surfers Challenge for example. Forty-nine years old and an iconic East London/Buffalo City sports event run by Border BC surfing as a fundraiser to send competitors to national championships and to the grom games in Gqeberha.
The Ryd JSS is the selection series for the Border BC grom team. These are youngsters who have never represented Border before and this is the feeder system into Border BC. A first taste for competition at an easy entry level.
Once again as an OG, I was able to watch the groms and re-enjoy my youth. It is a great entertainment watching these beginners on their voyage of discovery. We all start in the same place and the adventure is colossal. The energy and enthusiasm levels were pumping over the weekend. Families were down at the beach helping chaperon kids in the water, judging, tallying, fetching and carrying. Some of the administrators do not even surf and their groms have long passed through the system but there they are, still working, ploughing back, giving of themselves and their time so that others can surf.
This spirit of contribution knocks me out and this is part of what makes surfing great in our province. (I extend my thanks to those divine souls who help keep me in the water).
The bottom line is Border BC surfing is going through the roof and we are set to get even better. We have no shortage of green and gold blazers in our teams and there will be more on the way. Owing to the grey in my muzzle and my affection for the aforementioned Johnsons (elders), Emslies, Malherbes, Monks, O’Briens to name but a few, I still dream of a Masters international invitation event at Nahoon Reef.
If we could just invite three other teams for a quadrangular? US, Australia and Japan
— all have strong currency and we could run a quad right here at home. The junior surfers could watch their dads go hammer and tongs against international opposition and I promise you a good number of medals will stay right here at home.
What a jolly good show we could have right here. If we do not get it right, I hope our juniors can grow up and get it right. We have talent for decades right here. Maybe our next Olympic gold medal for surfing will come from little old East London.
I look forward to the day.