Watch: Jeffreys Bay Leg-Burners Will Never Go Out of Style

They may not be household names (yet), but South Africa has been quietly producing a young but rock-solid crop of surfers who more than hold their own when the waves get serious. Eli Beukes, Luke Thompson, and brothers Luke and Connor Slijpen. 

If you haven’t already, it’s past due to add Shane Sykes to the docket. Sturdy, surefooted and sporting a jawline that could keep Chris Hemsworth honest, Shane is the product of Ballito, about 40 kilometres north of Durban on the country’s Indian Ocean side. This coastline has a bit of everything going on, from points to slabs and slab-you-silly beachbreaks. That upbringing shows in Shane’s surfing. In the third episode of his “Nimrod” series with Chapter 11 TV, Shane offers a glimpse into the well-balanced portfolio. 

The 28-year-old has a little bit of everything. Turns? He club ‘em. Airs, he’s got the tool kit. As for tubes? He’ll offer thick, punchy ones or those long, fast-running sections that only Jeffreys Bay can offer.  Shane's roll-in on a howling offshore day at 3:07 is a thing of subtle beauty, complete with a Jordy Smith-esque downcare at the end. They say attention spans are dwindling in the TikTok era, but what surfer can look away from a wall churning down the line like that?

After more than half a decade on the WSL Qualifying Series, Shane called it quits for a while, both for the sake of his bank account and his dopamine levels. Though he still surfs in the occasional African regional QS events (including the one in his hometown), his strengths in powerful waves indicate a different professional lane. Plus, when you hang with the Chapter 11 crew, freesurfing just sounds like a way better time.

Related: Watch: Eli Beukes Makes Case As South Africa’s Next Great Surf Talent