Artistic surfboards will be auctioned for ocean charities. Pictured are last year’s surfboards.
The 2023 Wavescape Surf and Ocean Festival takes place from Thursday March 2 to Saturday March 25 with 14 events across the city.
Organisers have confirmed the official South African premiere of Birth of the Endless Summer, which will be screened at The Galileo Open Air Cinema in Kirstenbosch Gardens. Other surfing and ocean films, such as the premieres of documentaries Facing Monsters and skateboarding film Humanity Stoked, will be screened at the Bertha Movie House in Khayelitsha and at the Labia Theatre, including a collaboration with the alternative Sunburnt Surf Club.
The underwater clean-up with Beach Co-op off Jager’s Walk in Fish Hoek on Thursday March 16 will this year be followed by a chat while sitting in the ocean. “What better medium to immerse yourself in while talking about ocean respect and conservation,” says Wavescape director Shani Judes.
An unusual collection of 10 artistic surfboards will be auctioned at the Wavescape Artboard Project for ocean charities at Jack Black’s Taproom on Wednesday March 22. The final line-up of artists is perennial supporter Brett Murray, with Amy Ayanda, Fhatuwani Mukheli, Marie-Louise Koen, Amy- Lee Tak, Dbongz, Justin Southey, Liberty Battson, Lee-Ann Heath, and Marti Lund.
Eight speakers have signed up to entertain and inform the audience with snappy 10-minute talks Wednesday March 15 at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town at Slide Night, the flagship ocean evening, brought to you by Save our Seas Foundation.
Parasurfing athlete Michele Macfarlane will speak on why differently abled surfers are not “inspiration porn”. Save Our Seas Foundation educator Justine Swartz will talk about their kelp puppet project in False Bay. Sea Search founder Simon Elwen will look at why seals attack Capetonians. Nandipha Masango from Green Connection will talk about fossil fuels.
PangeaSeed founder Tre Packard will speak about “Artivism'' and the Sea Walls project, which will be hosted in November. Kneeboard world champion Gigs Cilliers will tell the hairy tale of near-death surfing a 100-foot wave off the Wild Coast. Marine Scientist Dr Koebraa Peters uncovers an alien invasion in South African waters and environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan will focus on how the law can save the ocean.
Wavescape will work with Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, the global PangeaSeed Foundation programme, to bring the message of ocean conservation into Cape Town streets via murals and events that raise public awareness of critical environmental issues.
The theme of the Blue Ocean Masterclass Monday March 20 will be aerial footage, with practical advice and networking about how and where to shoot aerial footage, touching on the rules, techniques and gear one needs. Well known marine photographer Jean Tresfon will chat about his Autogyro MTO Sport Gyrocopter, while other experts will chat about City of Cape Town regulations, the art and ever improving technology of drones, and more.
This year, the Board Meeting day event again takes place at Jack Black’s Taproom Saturday March 18, where surfers will be able to swap or buy each other’s surfboards. There will also be other fun activities for adults and kids, from demonstrations by sustainable surf products and eco-conscious brands to children’s activities, set to the musical vibes of DJ Roastin’ Records.
In collaboration with social media influencer and podcaster Steve Shooter, Wavescape will park a branded Podcast Bus at events with a mobile podcast studio.
Visit www.wavescapefestival.com for the full line-up and to book.