Munga's Memories: Billabong J’Bay 22 years ago
With the upcoming World Surf League/ Billabong Pro surf event at Jefferies Bay in South Africa starting Jul 08 – 19 2015, got me thinking of all of those great times, awesome surfs and journeys I have encountered travelling around the world whilst on the world surfing tour.
I would have to say that Jefferies bay rates in the top 5 best surf breaks for me, very close to Burleigh Heads as being similar point breaking wave which allows you to get long tubes, fast carves, cutbacks, snaps and then after all of that get barrel again for the longest tube you will find around the place. Pretty amazing!
I was fortunate enough to travel to Jefferies Bay in my early years starting out as a rookie professional and had some great results winning the Country Feeling/Billabong Pro Classic in 1993 with Kelly in the final, coming a close second in the dying minutes against Seth Huley and then winning the 1995 and 1998 WCT Billabong Pro against Sunny Garcia.
1998 was my last WCT win, an event I knew in myself I was going to win, training hard, totally focused and positively on track weeks before I even got to Jefferies Bay. It was a feeling I had only two or three times in my surfing career when you know and believe without a doubt you are going to win.
That belief can come to anyone, anywhere and at anytime if they wish. It is something everybody should learn and understand how to do; to focus, be positive, and believe in themselves.
As I teach to the beginners in my surf school, trust yourself, close your eyes and see yourself riding a wave, flying like a bird and let your instinct take over because you have been standing up since your were young. 95% of the time, the very next wave they catch they will achieve what they came to do and ride a wave of their life.
Cheers,
Michael 'Munga' Barry
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