Fred’s take on freedom, surfing and life
The coolest ballie you will meet north of the Tugela shares his passion.
IF there was ever a man who could take a stereotype and snap it in two, while at the same time conforming to it, that man would be Bay surfing legend, Fred le Roux.
The epitome of the cool surfer dude, he is always looking forward to the next wave and the next challenge while at the same time smashing the stigma that surfers are all ‘goofballs who spend their days on the beach getting high’.
Durban bred, some score and few years ago, Fred moved to Zululand in the 80s, where he fast became known for his prowess in the waves and his burning passion for the sport.
‘I first started surfing when I was in Standard 8,’ he said. ‘I quickly fell in love with it, and have always surfed since.’
Fred spent his army days at Mtubatuba’s 121 Battalion, a quick drive to the beach.
And way back in 1986 Fred, along with Gary Mersham, Wayne and Errol Berlin and the late Bert Deana, the Zululand Surfing Association was made.
‘We wanted local surfers to be eligible to compete in nationals,’ he said. ‘So we started up the association, which today is known as the uThungulu Surfriding Association.’
The rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years Oom Fred has coached national and provincial teams, and a number of athletes who went on to clinch national titles.
He himself is no stranger to trophies in the mantelpiece, having won three national titles, two for longboard and one for short board in the Masters division.
A gift
Many would say that Fred is the consummate sportsman.
Other than surfing, he also keeps himself busy with kayaking, kite boarding, stand up paddleboarding, fly fishing, cycling and of course, the odd round of ‘moer en soek’, which is golf to the layman.
To keep food on the table, he runs Freedom Surf Shop in Richards Bay, which is not only a shop, but a safe haven for the ‘laaities’ to chill, away from the ever lingering presence of drugs and alcohol.
‘That’s how the name of the shop came about. A youngster I was coaching said to me, ‘surfing makes me feel free’. We receive freely from God, and so too we must give freely.’
To top it all off, four years ago, Oom Fred started a surf school as a Christian outreach programme.
‘I feel it’s important to pass on all this knowledge I have gathered over the years. God gave me this gift, and I need to give back to the community.’
Every Sunday, at noon, kids gather at Freedom Surf Shop before heading down to Alkantstrand with Oom Fred to learn the art of cruising on the waves, for free.
‘I teach everything I do myself, surfing, stand up paddleboarding, kayak fishing, kite surfing, you name it,’ he said.
‘We have such a great gift here in Zululand with our natural resources. We have to make use of it, or it will be a waste.’
It is always hard to wrap words around a truly inspirational person. To really get the measure, head down to Fred’s shop and have a Coke and a chat.
Sometimes, you will have to continue your journey down to the beach, where Oom Fred will be ripping up another beautiful Bay wave.
