Surf- Ski-ing in South Africa. Author Unknown.

(First published in Souvenier Programme of SA Surf Life Saving Championships hosted by Pirates SLC at Country Club Beach, Durban. 21 April 1957.)

The Empire Games, Sydney Australia in 1938 can be said to mark the beginning of ski-ing in the surf of South Africa. A rough sketch brought back by the well-known swimming coach, Mr. Alec Bulley, was modified by Mr. Fred Crocker the Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club. He built surf Ski and Peter Forster of the Durban Surf Club constructed two a little later. The Pirate's prototype was twelve foot long and two feet six inches wide, which tapered back and front. Boarded over deck flat bottom made the craft very heavy, and two men needed courage and energy to handle it.

The advent of the Second World War suspended development, but the semi-lethal craft inspired a tremendous enthusiasm in the schoolboy juniors who were left behind to perpetuate the lifesaving motto.

In 1945 Fred Crocker constructed a smaller ski of his own design. It was 10 long, later reduced to 9 feet and two feet 6 inches wide. With a pointed nose and squared stern, was 6 inches in depth and had a framework of light timber. A revolutionary method of covering was introduced, being 18oz canvas, painted. The next improvement was the use of dope in place of paint, and made the ""Crocker " ski almost leak-proof, with the added advantage of strengthening the canvas, besides enabling the use of 10oz canvas which lightened the ski considerably. The ‘Crocker" ski was hailed as the ideal craft to ride any size or type of wave. One still saw various sizes and shapes, including one known as the "banana", but all were evolved from the "Crocker " design.

In 1954 Australian lifesavers brought with them a ski unlike any that had been seen in South Africa. Covered with marine plywood, sixteen feet long, two feet wide and pointed back and nose, it was extremely fast and could pick up waves far easier than the slow canvas craft. Due to its apparent instability in rough surf, it was condemned by the advanced school of thought as being unsuitable for SA conditions.

Les Ginsberg, in 1956 won the SA surf ski championship at Orient Beach East London, in choppy surf on this original Australian Ski. Ski riders now realised that these long, narrow, apparently unstable craft did in fact have some potential even in our boisterous sea.

The Pirates Club built two modifications for the 1956 championships at East London. With too much turn up in font they were not fast enough to hold the real Australian Ski. On the 19 th May, 1956, Trevor Liesversley and Snowey Harvey, of Pirates, launched their twenty-two feet double Australian ski and clocked 18 minutes from the Country Club Beach to South Beach Durban, under ideal conditions. The canvas flat bottom, one-man propulsion drifts along in 45 minutes.

The 22-footer is only 26" inches wide, also plywood covered, and requires a good sense of balance with two men astride. Trevor Lievesley and Snowey Harvey have ridden the big waves as well as the small ones, but at the time of writing, they remain sole pioneers. This is difficult to appreciate, as it does open another field for competitive life-saving-so badly needed.

Pirates have since constructed four 18 feet Australian single skis. A feature of these is the convex domed front extending back seven feet, an idea obtained by Trevor Lievesly on the recent Australian Tour. The craft have a 24-inch beam at the widest point, a slightly convex bottom of glossed plywood and are probably the fastest single, manually propelled craft in South Africa.

A new covering medium, still in the experimental stage is fibre-glass, which has been found ideal for patching plywood skis.

The hope is expressed that this form of enjoyment will be encouraged by clubs and so foster the thrilling sport of surf ski-ing. 

May 1958 First long-distance ski race organised by Pirates, starting new sport in surfing calender. Eight mile race from Umlanga Rocks to country Club Beach in heavy seas. July - Longest Surf ski race in the world. scottburgh - Durban. Won by double-ski, entants Harvey/ Lievesly in 5hours. 47mins. barry Jackson, ex Toti now living in Cape Town paddled magnificently on single ski against gale force North Easterley wind to win single section, only Gouldie of Pirates other single to finish.