Teen aims to spark love for surfing among youngsters

WELL on his way to making waves in the world of surfing, teen surfer, Leonard du Plessis encourages more youth to try the water sport.

Leonard began surfing when he was just 13-years-old.

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Aspiring to surf all around the world and become a professional surfer, he said, “I want to be able to travel to the best surf brakes in the world and test myself in different waters. I am proud to have been able to compete in quite a few regional competitions, but none were outside of my region. My most memorable moment as a surfer was when I stood up on my first wave. A great achievement for me was when I landed my first turn and came out of my first barrel,” said Leonard.

The 17-year-old home schooled lad surfed at the eThekwini Surfriders Association (ESA) trials, where he made it to the semi-finals, as well as at the Ilembe trials. He also competed in the Ballots Pro surfing tournament.

“The most dangerous situation I’ve been in was on a winter day when my leash had snapped and my board washed to shore. The rip current was going out to sea, but I was stuck in the impact zone with the waves crashing on me. The rip current kept sucking me in and I wasn’t going anywhere. I managed to swim to the bottom and grab onto the reef and almost crawl along the floor even though I was exhausted at that point, I managed to get to shore. A large amount of water kept coming out my nose and mouth, and my arms and legs were sore, but I am thankful that I survived.

“My love for surfing started when I first moved to The Bluff and saw all the surfers shredding. I admired them and I still do to this day and when I started surfing it, my passion grew. I look forward to getting up at the crack of dawn when the water is icy cold and diving in with my fellow surfers,” he said.

The Grade 11 learner enjoys training sessions at The Bluff beaches and encourages other teenagers who are interested in surfing to get in touch with other surfers for guidance and inspiration in order to grow surfing as a sport in the community.

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