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The History of Dungeons and Big Wave Africa
Staring into the Pit: The History of Dungeons and Red Bull Big Wave Africa
By Miles Masterson
Everyone knows that Dungeons’ virtue was claimed and named by the duo of pioneering Capetonian chargers Pierre De Villiers and Peter Button, who legend has it, bravely paddled out from the shore and conquered the beast sometime in the early 1980s. But back then, due to the spot’s fickle nature and relative inaccessibility (remember this was more than decade before jetskis began to buzz around the world’s line-ups, and pre-surf forecasting) Dungeons was only surfed by a handful of guys and rarely at that.
Yet the rumours of world-class big waves here persisted and it was merely a matter time before Dungeons (also known then as “The Sentinel” after the imposing granite peak it breaks beneath) would be exposed to the world. One of the break’s most vocal early adherents was Cass Collier. Cass, who alongside good mate Ian Armstrong, had begun to surf Dungeons regularly in the 1990s by hitching rides from Hout Bay fishing trawlers, would froth with wild eyes about barrels the size of busses out here to anyone who would care listen. With coach Mickey Duffus, their experiences out at Dungeons no doubt also contributed toward Cass and Ian winning the first world big wave team champs at Todos Santos in Mexico in 1999.
The same year Red Bull, ever on the vanguard, announced the inception of Big Wave Africa, the Southern Hemisphere’s first contest of this nature. Ironically though, looking back in this day and age of Internet information overload, it’s hard to believe the location was actually kept a “secret” from all but those truly in the know, until the initial waiting period began in September of that year. The all-South African inaugural invite list included Armstrong, Collier, Duffus and De Villiers, long time Dungeons adherents Davey Stolk and Johnny Paarman, as well as ‘92 world Pro-Am champ and Cape Town big wave noise maker Justin Strong. The list was rounded out by SA shortboard champ Sean Holmes of George and Durban chargers Richie Sills, Jason Ribbink and old school Bluff legend Rudy Palmboom snr.
Though highly anticipated, the debut 1999 BWA was a non-event surf-wise, as the Southern Atlantic didn’t quite deliver the clean 15-foot plus swells required. Some local detractors felt that at the time perhaps Dungeons itself was not really a legitimate big wave spot, although, through some stormy sessions in heaving surf, the visiting contingent still got the opportunity to surf the break for the first time. To a man, they came to realise how heavy it could be and acknowledged its true potential as a world-class big wave arena. Red Bull thus held the faith and in 2000 the first Big Wave Africa contest, complete with much-improved infrastructure and water safety under the supervision of the USA’s Shawn Alladio, then took place on a sunny day in firing 15-18 foot waves. Sean Holmes took the glory with perfect 10-point ride before announcing in classic humility, “Well, I’m actually not a big wave surfer.” This statement from Sean, who actually had to be convinced by original contest director Mickey Duffus to accept his spot on the invite list, defined for many the chilled spirit and camaraderie of this infant event and the burgeoning South African big wave surfing community in general. Unsurprisingly, Sean still rates that wave and that day as his ultimate Dungeons experience.
Predictably, for some it still wasn’t enough though and despite the impressive photos and footage that emerged from the day, some naysayers muttered that Dungeons would never produce the kind of waves to equal the those of Waimea Bay in Hawaii, location of the Eddie event, or Maverick’s, home of a big wave contest of the same name in Northern California. Still, the wave had impressed a couple of Maverick’s locals, Grant Washburn and Matt Ambrose, enough for them to become the first internationals invited, along with US shaper and big wave legend Gary Linden, who had taken over that year from Mickey Duffus as contest director.
In 2001 more fledgling big wave careerists such as Hawaiian Jamie Sterling, as well as the likes of American former world tour pros, turned big wave junkies Brad Gerlach and Mike Parsons, also made the trek out here to surf the wave and be part of the event. Inspired by riding alongside surfers of such calibre at their home breaks, the tight South African big wave crew - and Cape Town’s heavier waves, all but forgotten by the global surfing community since the Kom fired for the Spur Surfabout in the 1980s - began to match world standards and re-emerge as a potent international force. Along with upcoming local standouts such as Paris Basson and Chris and Conn Bertish, and a handful of others, the surfers and safety crews also all slowly began to learn the myriad intricacies of paddling and tow surfing at Dungeons.
During 2002, although the practice days produced many good photos, the event was again surrounded by a bit of controversy and much debate as the waves were big enough on one day, but conditions were deemed too rough. All the time spent surfing out at Dungeons that year eventually paid dividends for the dedicated though, when Big Wave Africa again got the Green Light in 2003. Joined by Australian legend Cheyne Horan, fellow Aussie charger Paul “Antman” Paterson and Brazilian big wave champ Carlos Burle, Californian Greg Long headed up the international contingent and became the first foreigner to win at Dungeons. Although the waves ebbed in the final (and the six finalists eventually chose to split the prize money), the massive peaks that dominated that day clearly showed what the break was capable of, and all but quietened any remaining dissension regarding the validity of Dungeons as a big wave spot.
Through 2004’s waiting period, the game of patience continued, with everyone - including new faces in the form of Nor-Cal hellmen Darryl “Flea” Virotkso, Aussie Doug Young and the first Mexican to surf Dungeons, Coco Nogales - loitering in vain for waves. But by then everyone involved had become used to it; without truly big waves, the event and break would not be done any justice. And as there had been years when the Eddie and Mavericks had not run for this reason, why should Big Wave Africa be any different? Still, during 2005 - the most disappointing year surf-wise so far, everyone’s tenacity was further tested... until 2006.
Due to the wave’s previous capricious nature, this year the event format changed from the traditional three-week waiting period to four-month window, placing all the local invitees and overseas surfers on stand by, the latter waiting to fly in if a swell deemed big enough was approaching. These included the debuts of big wave luminaries such as Aussie Ross Clarke-Jones (who had come for a gander the year before) and American Surfing magazine editor Evan Slater. The new format provided additional pressure for contest directors Johnny Paarman and Gary Linden and surf forecaster Spike, who were all obviously nervous when they called it on a sunny day in July and watched the hastily assembled competitors - some still visibly jetlagged - suit up and paddle out for their heats. Though the swell that day was more inconsistent and smaller than predicted, and conditions deteriorated in the afternoon, when the sets came there were still some crackers, enough to impress, among others, multiple world champ Kelly Slater, who had come down from J-Bay to check Dungeons out. In the final, two of the finest waves were caught by Durban’s John Whittle, who became only the third BWA title-holder (and the second South African) to claim victory at Dungeons - and the R100k swag. For the first time locals also dominated the podium, in the form of runner-up Andrew Marr and third-placed Chris Bertish.
Plus, that year, if there was any lingering doubt left as to the legitimacy of Dungeons, this was soon obliterated, as the next day an unpredicted phantom 20 foot clean groundswell ploughed in - and two days later Greg Long, Twiggy Baker and others towed into 60 foot plus, award winning bombs on a stormy Sunday afternoon - totally fulfilling the wave’s potential as one of the world’s premier big wave spots. Unfortunately, 2007’s three month waiting period didn’t produce anything close to these kinds of swells, and despite a few teasing pulses that had Johnny and Gary and Spike once again biting their nails, the event didn’t go down.
Onto 2008, the 10th consecutive year of Big Wave Africa. This year the waiting period has been reduced to five weeks, with all the invited surfers, safety crew, media and event officials going back to the original format and being on stand by for the duration in Hout Bay. Of course, such is the unpredictable nature of this elusive and incredible wave, only a fool would make a call that Big Wave Africa will (or won’t) down this year, but you can be sure if it does, the performance levels will exceed anything we’ve ever seen before.
The surfers are assembled and ready. Dungeons, bring it on.
