This year has come and (almost) gone, and there’s been some radical moments along the way. Many of these we brought to you right here, tallying up nearly 2 million pageviews from January until December. In no particular order, these were the ten most-read articles on zigzag.co.za in 2014 according to Google Analytics:
1. WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON (Wipeout)
Kommetjie big wave charger, Mike Schlebach took a massive tumble at Dungeons in May. Shaken, stirred and back on dry land, Mike told us all about it.
Check out the sequence and read Mike’s words >>
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2. CHECK NA DIE DOLPHIN (Zag Spy)
While filming the annual Vintners Surf Classic, Adriaan Oelofse captured this funny moment featuring Bernard le Roux getting knocked off his SUP by a playful dolphin. The video went viral. Watch it here >>
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3. SHARK ATTACKS SURFER AT MUIZENBERG (News)
Moments after a 4 metre great white attacked Matthew Smithers at the Berg on 1 August, we reported the incident. A shark attack is the news we as surfers dread the most, which explains why the story spreads the world wide web so quickly.
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4. THE WALL (Gallery)
Durban was pummelled by big swells in October, and where there are massive waves there is Twiggy. He paddled into some serious waves at The Wall – a fresh big wave discovery in Town. Check out the video and photos here >>
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5. ALWAYS SURF WITH A BUDDY (Zag Spy)
Suffering the effects of concussion following a brutal wipeout at the Hoek in May, a bodyboarder was rescued by fellow surfers, Aden Kleve and Wilder Schultz, who had witnessed the incident. The rescue was captured on video by David McMaster and is a stark reminder why we should never surf alone. Watch here >>
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6. BENJI BRAND – NAMIBIA 05.29.14 (ZagTV)
Thanks to Benji Brand, we all now know exactly what it’s like to get barrelled off our skulls at Skeleton Bay. His GoPro clip filmed in May during what was one of the biggest swells to ever klap the Nam sandspit had jaws dropping all over the world. Watch it here >>
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7. RICKY BASNETT AND LLEWELLYN WHITTAKER GET CHOWED BY 15 SHARKS (APPARENTLY) (Zag Spy)
While scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed, Zag Spy came across this sensational video:
Zag Spy thought it was funny because he recognised Ricky Basnett and Llewellyn Whittaker featured in the thumbnail, and they are not even related. Not to mention that those are dolphins, not sharks. Check out the original post here >>
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8. KNOW YOUR FINS (Feature)
Nope, not the ones on your board, the ones that you suddenly see out the corner of your eye, and go “Oh shit! What’s that!?” Millerslocal.co.za wrote this quick guide to some of the pointy things you could encounter while surfing.
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9. CHAD LE CLOS LAUNCHES SURFWEAR COLLECTION (Zag Spy)
Durban local and Olympic gold medallist, Chad le Clos launched his new surfwear collection in November. Featuring skin-tight fits and bold prints, the new range had people talking. Check it out here >>
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10. A SHAMEFUL DAY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SURFING (News)
An all-girls contest at Long Beach in November was interrupted by drop-in artists and bad vibes. Read the full story here >>