An attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the “Most
surfers standing on one wave” will be staged at Muizenberg Corner in
conjunction with an open debate on the shark situation around the Cape
Peninsula and fund raising efforts for appropriate action to be taken.
Organised and run by the Kahuna Surfing Academy, South
Africa’s premier advanced surf coaching company, the record attempt is
expected to attract more than 200 local surfers to catch the same wave and
ride it for at least five seconds in order to be counted.
The current world record is held officially by the Lahinch
Surf School in Ireland who on 14 May managed to get 44 surfers on a single
wave and marginally beat the 42 of the previous record set in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. Subsequently evidence has been submitted of 46 surfers on
a wave in Australia and 53 in Bali, which are pending ratification by the
Guinness World Record organization in London.
“Muizenberg is the ideal venue for an attempt on this world
record,” says veteran surfing administrator Paul Botha, “With its gentle
rolling waves and ultra long beach there is no reason why we cannot double
the current record,” explained Botha, adding “And as it’s been the site of
two shark attacks and hundreds of shark sightings, Muizenberg is also a
relevant venue to conduct an open debate on the causes of and solutions to
a situation that is becoming progressively more dangerous for ocean users
here.”
“Just as it took the efforts of Greg Bertish and other
concerned members of the public to get the privately funded Muizenberg
Shark Spotters up and running, so we intend to use the world record
attempt to highlight the shark situation and raise funds to implement the
proposed solutions arising from the debate,” he continued.
The debate will be held in a marquee tent at Muizenberg
Corner on the Sunday morning before the world record attempt. Members of
the city’s Shark Working Group and spokespersons from affected ocean user
groups will be invited to debate the topic “Is there a shark problem
around the Peninsula and, if so, what can be done about it now?”.
“By using this project to create a substantial Shark Action
Fund we hope to be able provide seed finance for a number of activities
including suitable medical kits for treating shark victims, improving the
rudimentary shark spotting bodies and creating a rapid response unit that
members of the public can call every time a shark is sighted inshore.”
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