Muizenberg Heritage, formerly the Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society, has launched a new initiative to preserve and promote the rich history of surfing in Muizenberg.
The Surfing Heritage Project aims to research, document, and share the history of surfing, which has been a key part of Muizenberg’s culture for more than a century, said Brett McDougall, director of the Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society.
In addition, he said, the initiative aimed to make Muizenberg’s surfing heritage more accessible and boost the town’s potential for surfing and cultural tourism as surfing at Muizenberg had shaped its lifestyle and culture and created an enclave of diversity, tolerance and creativity.
A meeting at Rhodes Cottage Museum on Wednesday January 8 introduced the project to the public, explaining how they could contribute.
The public participation process will conclude at the end of February.
“We will then go into a process to collate, verify, and enhance information received through a research process. At the end of the research process, we will publish information on Muizenberg’s surfing heritage. This could be in the form of a website, museum, or a walking heritage experience,” said Mr McDougall, adding that the society had seed funding from the Muizenberg Improvement District but needed more to complete this stage of the project.
He said surfing had started in Muizenberg in 1910 after a visiting Australian showed the locals how a plank of wood could be used to ride the waves.
Over the past 115 years, Muizenberg has attracted famous personalities to its beaches to surf, including writer Agatha Christie, philosopher George Bernard Shaw, and the then Prince of Wales who later briefly served as King Edward VIII.
Another notable figure in surfing is legendary surfer Margaret “Margie” Smith from Kalk Bay.
She started surfing at the age of 14 at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg and made waves at the age of 17 when she won the first official South African Women’s Surfing Championship title in July 1966 (“Surfing legend remembered,” Echo, September 16, 2021).
She went on to win three consecutive South African women’s titles from 1966 to 1968, cementing her place as one of South Africa’s pioneering surfing icons.
Her success also took her overseas, where in September 1966, she was selected as part of the Springbok team to compete at the third International Surfing Federation (ISF) World Championships in San Diego, California. She placed in the top 10 at the event, further solidifying her reputation as a trailblazer in the sport.
Her surfing achievements include:
• Springbok Colours – 1966 (placed in the top 10 at the third ISF World Contest in San Diego)
• Western Province Colours (1964-68)
• 1st, EPSA Championships, 1965
• 1st, Border Championships, East London, 1965 and 1966
• 1st, SA Championships, Durban, 1966
• 1st, SA Championships, East London, 1967
• 1st, SA Championships, Cape Town, 1968
She died in July 2021 at the age of 71.
Mr McDougall said the public could contribute to the project in a variety of ways, from submitting personal memories and photographs to suggesting interviews with key figures in Muizenberg’s surfing history. Suggestions can be made using the form at www.muizenbergheritage.com/our-projects
The project welcomes volunteers and donations. To volunteer, submit a brief CV to info@muizenbergheritage.com or email the society for more information.
