Surf’s Up at J-Bay
Pull out your wetsuit. Bring out the board. Check that best watch from your Nixon watches collection. The time has come for the 2010 Billabong Pro surfing championship. As one of the most exciting events on the surfing calendar, J-Bay is the 5th stop of 10 in the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour.
Jeffreys Bay fondly referred to by surfers as J-Bay is situated near Cape Town in South Africa. Surfing enthusiasts, residents of J-Bay and the sponsors, Billabong are waiting in anticipation for the 45 ranked professional surfers to arrive at its shores for the 24th Billabong Pro surfing championship running from 15 to 25 July 2010. That greatest of all Nixon watches you happen to be wearing needs chwecking – the time is rapidly approaching for serious sun, fun and surfing action.
Getting to South Africa is relatively easy. As a citizen of the UK, you don’t need a visa to visit the country. All that you do need is at least one blank visa page in your passport. Your passport should also not have less than six months to expiry.
With that sorted out, you now need to concentrate on important aspects such as transport and accommodation. If you’re not related to Stanley or Livingstone, the best way of getting to Cape Town is by plane. Your Nixon watch will remind you to be on time for this important flight.
Cape Town airport is an international airport, but most flights go via OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. There you will either transfer to a domestic flight to Cape Town or just have a stop-over before continuing on the Cape Town. It all depends on the airline and the flight package that you booked.
In Cape Town, it is best to hire a car and follow the map. Although there are public and metered taxis around, they will mostly turn out to be either very expensive or in poor repair or both. Either way, you need to have transport available as getting around in South Africa relies on cars. The public transport system is not geared towards the sightseeing needs of tourists.
Bear in mind that South Africa is hosting the Soccer World Cup and has had an influx of participants and their supporters. Finding accommodation at this time might prove to be a bit of a challenge. However, the organizers of the event have made provision for many tourists and you may still be lucky enough to find cheap accommodation there. At these places, be sure to secure your possessions – especially your treasured Nixon watch.
Finally: Slap on the sunscreen, don the fashion sunglasses and head for Supertubes beach where all the action will take place. Although it’s winter in Cape Town, the weather is mild enough for the tournament, although the Cape is renowned for its cold water.
Enjoy every minute of the spectacular tube surfing and come home satisfied with the knowledge that the next surfer to claim that s/he is “good at J-Bay” is worthy of that fame.