Brendon Gibbens

Surfing is difficult at the southern tip of the African continent. The ocean is wind swept. It is cold. There are, like, so many great white sharks. Which is probably why most of the surfers that emerge from the Cape Town, South Africa, area are all bearded big-wave types. It’s just too hard to rip. But recently the surf world has been lucky enough to meet Brendon Gibbens. Tall and baby faced, the kid spins and carves like he was raised at Lowers or the Gold Coast or something, yet at the same time carries with him a piece of his home. The kid surfs raw. Always in fifth gear, always attacking. Surfers, filmmakers and magazine editors have all taken notice and see a likeness to the godfather of raw and powerful surfing. They’re all thinking the same thing. “You know what?” They say, and lower their voices. “He almost surfs like…Dane.” And there is, in fact, no bigger compliment a surfer can receive. And so we’ll stop there, and let the surfers, filmmakers, magazine editors and of course, Brendon’s surfing, do the talking.