“We were all brave together” — Meeghan Heenop tells me about being scared out of her wits at the Surf Emporium SA Longboard Championships, but paddling out with her teammates anyway in giant waves at Jeffreys Bay Lower Point.
This is both the beauty and the beast of a surfing competition.
Sometimes you are “forced” to go out in waves that you think are far beyond you, and in the end you generally find out that you are tougher than you think.
At a competition like the SA Championships, where the Border longboard team achieved third place, there are enough eyes on you to help quickly if anything starts to go wrong.
Readers might recall last week when monster surf came through Buffalo City.
Jeffreys Bay was not spared by this storm and the waves stood up to such epic proportions that the competition was put on hold for a time.
By the time Meeghan, Neve Bowen and Anne Steiner paddled out, the waves had dropped to a more manageable state, but still looked outside of their abilities.
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is that Meeghan, Neve and Anne are living their best lives, riding the challenge with the rest of the 37 members in the Border longboard team, and regardless of results in the event, exited the water victorious.
Some days your opponent is your competition and on other days, the sea is your competition. Exit the sea in one piece and you have won.
It is quite a surprise that in this event only two longboards were snapped in half. Waves of this size usually claim more equipment.
The Border team have reason to be proud of their result. Over the past few years, they have tended to field a team of 19 or 20 surfers, finishing sixth.
Between the likes of Wendy Miller, Jason Bowen and the local committee, the energy in our local longboard club has soared to 40 surfers and the team ramped home in third place behind Eastern Province and Western Province.
Recently converted to longboarding, U18 Ndalo Langa has a history in shortboard surfing and he picked up on the new team vibe quickly.
“Everyone is really kind and everyone supports each other,” he said. “It feels like one big family.
“The best experience was that the waves were good and people were mellow and calm. No-one was cocky.”
His mother, Vuyo Langa, also noticed the difference in the spirit of the event.
“I absolutely enjoyed the longboard experience,” she said. “As a first time parent in longboarding, I did not find myself wondering or having to ask.
“The leaders of the team were courteous and engaging. Big ups to Wendy and Jason for being very organised.
“I found the people to be very relaxed.
“Interesting observation of the surfers — you’d swear they were not in a competition.
“They seemed to be really competing for fun and probably competing with themselves more than others.
“There was no competitive tension and generally a high spirit.”
Ex-Gauteng-born-and-raised Meeghan has somehow always wanted to be a surfer.
In her high school years, she explained to her mother that she was going to waitress in J-Bay and become a surfer.
With a little bit of pressure from mom and dad, she ended up studying a BSc and qualifying as a dietician.
Dreams do come true and after marrying her man, Erhard, they moved to the coast to live in Gonubie, Buffalo City.
Coached into the waves by local surfer, Dr Welman Bartleman, Meeghan has found her tribe in the local longboard club.
Thanks to live heats broadcast on the internet, mom in Gauteng was able to watch her daughter surf the waves of J-Bay.
For some time, mom has perhaps been hoping that daughter and son-in-law might return to Egoli, the city of gold, but all of a sudden it is apparent there is more gold down at the sea than inland.
That which glitters is at the end of a good ride on a nine-foot longboard.
Ask Meeghan Heenop — she will confirm it.
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