Now this place was flat… the perfect place to learn all the new tricks I’ve had running through my head the last month, downloops, wrapped, and the blind judge. This was my opportunity to practice all my switch moves as well, since Cape Town had been friendlier to my right side.

Witsand is on the East Coast, at the mouth of Breede River. The wind blows in from the ocean and across a huge sandbar, where behind the water stays perfectly flat. Although, as I bodydragged for my board in these fertile waters, I couldn’t help but think “here sharky sharky”,” here sharky”. I would rather not be mistaken for a bathing seal in my black wetsuit.

Despite my concern, we rode from morning until late afternoon, and I landed more in this one day than I had the last month. I learned downloop- s bends and downloops- 2 blind and I landed all my moves switch. My wrapped was on and off, and I know I am closer to an air pass. It is amazing how much you can progress when the conditions are perfect.

The forecast was showing wind for the next four days, so we set up camp and settled in.

For the last year I have spent a lot of time travelling and living out of a tent, however staying in an apartment the last month, with a real bed and hot shower, have made me soft. Now it was time to get used to camping again, cooking out of the car, and sleeping in a windy tent.

The next four days we rode as much as we could before mental and physical failure. I wore two nice holes in my fingers on both hands and my shoulders were worked. As the wind died on our last afternoon it was a welcome calm as we needed a break from riding. The forecast wasn’t looking too good further up the East Coast, so we decided to head back to Cape Town.