A Bit Of Mikey February On A Friday
In conversation with the South African freestyling freesurfer on background, community and a new emerging African surf scene.
Mikey February has been in the news. He had some standout performances in the Maldives in the Four Seasons Trophy, surfing’s most successful tourism marketing campaign
That followed a big profile in The New York Times. That was part of their Op-Docs series, which was released with Sandra Winther’s film, titled A New Wave. It is described as a “poignant portrait of family legacy.”
It had me reflecting on a conversation I had with Mikey last year. Less arty and poignant, it does however cover Mikey’s background and the emerging African surf culture. I figured it was worth an airing on The Bugle.
So where did you sort of learn to surf and how did you come about, you know, to stand up on a surfboard? Do you remember those early days?
MF: I grew up in town, in Cape Town centre. I didn't surf until I was about maybe 8 years old. My dad always surfed, so I would go down to the beach and I'd watch him and eventually I was ready to try. And he took me out maybe once or twice. But just because it's your dad, maybe I didn't listen to him as much as you would like an instructor. I didn't get into it straight away and the first few times I don’t think I stood up or anything. But then I eventually went with a good friend of mine to Muizenberg and I had an instructor and I just listened to him more. He got me on my first wave, which I loved. And I guess that was the very beginning. And then slowly but surely, spent I weekends at the beach, which turned into Wednesdays and weekends, and then it just turned into pretty much every other day at the beach. I loved the feeling of surfing and I started making more friends at the beach and stuff. And it was kind of just the only place I wanted to be.
Where you went to school, which I assume was still in Cape Town, were there any other sort of surfers your age? Or it was only at the beach that you found that?
Where I went to school and where I lived, there were no surfers around. There were a couple of surf/skate shops in the city centre that my dad would take me to. And you'd watch all the skate videos and surf videos and like look at all the magazines and stuff. But yeah, when I went to the beach, that's kind of where I met kids my age who surfed and where I met some of my oldest friends.
And how did your Dad get into surfing?
I think a lot of people of colour back then in South Africa didn't have access to many beaches and stuff. And it was more of a luxury and not many people did it. I remember he said he used to try and play rugby like the rest of the community, or soccer, but it just wasn't his thing. And he always loved to do different things and decided that surfing was unique and different and what he wanted to pursue. And he linked up with the very tiny community of surfers of colour in Cape Town. And yeah, I think he found his thing and he's loved it ever since.
What a brave and interesting move. When you were starting, was there more in that community of colour? Were there others? Must be more than your Dad's era, but was it still a rarity or were there a few people to sort of follow on from?
Yeah, there was definitely a lot more. Like I remember when I went to that surf school, it's in Muizenberg Beach where there's quite a diverse community there. I live there now and it’s the same as before. It's one of the more diverse parts of Cape Town where it's just people of all colours, shapes and sizes. So, I was fortunate that that's where I started surfing because it was definitely a big crew of, I guess, people who look like me. It was pretty comforting and easy, it wasn't like “Oh. I’m the only person that looks like me doing this." For Dad, it was very different. At some beaches, it was illegal for him to surf.
And were you still based in Cape Town in your teens or did you move out?
My parents really saw that I took to surfing and with the results, they were like “Oh, this is something that he’s really serious about at such a young age”. And I mean, I guess they could see further ahead than I could. We eventually moved to Kommetjie, which was like the main surf spot when I was around 11-12. I’d been going there every weekend after a certain stage, staying with friends, surfing all weekend. And eventually they were like “Hey, you know, it's a nice lifestyle, you can live there. There's really good waves.” Maybe was a bit of a stretch for them in the beginning, but I think they just wanted me to have more opportunities in the world. And we ended up moving to Kommetjie where pretty much all the surfers in Cape Town live, which was exciting for me.
And who were the kind of OGs or surfers you looked up to when you moved to that little stretch because it's such a crazy little surfing coast, isn't it?
I had a few guys who were older than me, like Damien Fahrenfort, who is now my manager funnily enough. I had my older brother Josh, who's kind of like similar age to Damien. And then there it was like Brendon Gibbens and Matthew Bromley, a few years above who were big influences. It's a small town, but there are a lot of great surfers that come from here.
How has it sort of changed in that time? You know, when you go back now to Kommetjie and surf those waves, is it much different to when you were that age or what's the kind of scene like now?
Yeah. Muizenberg’s still rad. There were maybe one or two surf schools when I first started there, maybe one or two surf shops. But now it's like I think a lot of people come there to learn how to surf. And then there's also a lot of amazing outreach programs and stuff that work with kids from some of the harsher communities in South Africa. There were a lot of kids of colour when I was younger, but nowadays, I mean, it's probably the majority, you know, which is awesome. And it's awesome to see that growth and to see people using surfing as a tool, not just as a sport, but for mental health.
And you have been involved in these programs for a while now, right?
I think when I started doing the QS and World tour I got involved in Waves For Change. They were just really supportive. And we did a bit of work together and supported each other. And I do a lot of cool projects with them. And then eventually my wife and I started Juju Surf Club, which was our own organization. I think surfing is such a powerful activity that brings people together. And I think that's a big part of surf culture and the surf community. And I know for a lot of these organisations, the kids, the areas they grow up in are in really harsh living conditions and a lot of violence. There's just a lot going on. But being in the ocean is a tool for like mental health, or surf therapy. A lot of these organisations do a cool thing where they kind of relate certain parts of approaching the ocean with life skills. In these communities, a lot of people end up going down. There's a lot of poverty so kids get involved in gangs. There are drugs and alcohol and all that kind of stuff. And I think surfing is such a healthy and powerful lifestyle and activity. And it's changing these communities, where the kids have something that kind of takes them away from those other negative influences, which is pretty ang.
Africa uch an untapped source for waves. And in so many parts, surfing is relatively new.
I really enjoy travelling around Africa. There are so many amazing waves, but there are all these fresh surf communities. It's really exciting to go to these places and experience that at a very early stage. The rest of the world hasn’t seen much of Africa. There's been very surface-level exposure, but think there's so much more going on. But with social media and everything, there are a lot more eyes now on Africa. I’m stoked that I’ve met some of these people and I've experienced some of these places and it's exciting to see how excited the rest of the world is about to see some of these locations. And there’s so much more to come, it’s rad.
With the established surf spots around the world, people get a little bit jaded about surfing in the crowds. But to go to places where surfing is just catching on or there's just a whole new energy to it, it's a rare thing. It's very refreshing to see Africa's take on surfing because it's completely different. And, you know, they’re not exactly getting inspiration from the normal surf sources. Mags or movies like we did. Their whole perspective and their take on surfing are so refreshing and different.
How is it different, Mikey?
Just the way that they interpret what surfing is. Africa is so rich in culture, music, lifestyle, and art. You know, naturally, everyone's built different. They have different places that they draw inspiration from. I think when you watch them surf, just like music in Africa, it is so different. It's natural the way someone surfs would be different too. As an example, I was in Ivory Coast a few years ago and I was surfing a point break with a lot of rocks. So my idea of what surfing was to do the best turns and things like that. But these kids were just obsessed with trying to get as close to the rocks as possible. That was their idea of a really good ride and most surfers don’t really think like that. And when you see it coming from them you realise that surfing is not just one way. It's what you make of it. So, it's cool. And I think it's so refreshing to experience and see that.
I think surfing needs it. Not much has changed, it needs vibrancy and a fresh approach.
It's exciting for sure. By injecting their spirit into the surfing world and community, it can change or rejuvenate. It's been cool to just be a part of it, however small the role is.
Back to you now, you said the surfing world is pretty small. And that competitive world, it’s even smaller, isn't it? Has stepping away from that sort of competitive side of it allowed you to open your mind and see more than if you had stuck to that world title dream?
Well, I had maybe 10-12 years of competing and it was a dream to qualify for the world tour. But I was kind of just doing the same thing every year and competing and surfing's way bigger than just that. And so it's been really fun to ride different boards, explore different communities, connect with people in and out of surfing. I think it allowed me to enjoy surfing as a whole as opposed to just one small part. Mainly it's been really fun, which is always the goal.
You know, you're in a pretty good spot in terms of you still surfing, travelling the world and experiencing surf culture. But what's the next step in your sort of surfing career? Have you mapped that out or is it just take it as it comes?
Yeah, I kind of take it as it comes. I'm enjoying just working on creative projects and blending like surfing and music and just putting a lot of attention and effort into that. And just finding more good waves. And hopefully just getting inspired by more things that are outside of surfing and trying to step outside of that a little bit more. And with our charity Juju, just try and help more organisations in Africa, which has been really fun and inspiring. So to do more of that would be awesome.
Man, you can feel that bottom turn hooking up!
Love the interview, Mikey is my all-time favorite surfer. Thanks for the article!