Surfing the Cape of Storms

On the Cape Peninsula, massive weather fronts collide with the coast, turning the ocean wild. The waves thicken in the angry winds, rear up and smash against the tip of Africa. We pull on our wetsuits with gritted teeth, sometimes a desperate chuckle. We hike across bush and a barrier of sharp rocks. We fling ourselves into the forest of kelp. The icy water floods our wetsuits, telling us that we are not welcome. Our hands turn into burning claws. The wind whips our eyes, the rain bites our faces. The kelp drags at our leashes, but we kick and pull. We push under the first wave, stunned at the pain of a frozen brain. At the back, we watch the stormy sea rise up off the reef into a towering wedge. We turn and paddle against the wind. We force ourselves down the face of the wave. The fight is over. We are up on the driving, choppy face. We brace against the wave, yet submit to its force. We ride the powerful surge, joined at last with the storm’s creation.

In this book, Dirk captures beautiful moments of this sudden, wild peace, this merging between surfer and storm.