Sun City springs a Surprise unveiling revamped Valley of the Waves

Sun City unveiled its revamped Valley of the Waves in spectacular fashion, playing host to rising star, Surprise Maphumulo. Photo: Pierre de Villiers

Sun City unveiled its revamped Valley of the Waves in spectacular fashion, playing host to rising star, Surprise Maphumulo. Photo: Pierre de Villiers

Published Oct 19, 2020

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JOHANNESBURG - Sun City unveiled its revamped Valley of the Waves in spectacular fashion, playing host to pro surfer, Chad Du Toit and rising star, Surprise Maphumulo.

In preparing for the festive season, General manager Brett Hoppé explained, “Bringing the guys out here to the Valley of the Waves is a great opportunity for spectators to get up-close and to hear the sound of the waves against the boards. These waves are repetitive, so it’s also a great place for the guys to work on muscle memory and practice some of the more difficult moves, such as aerial manoeuvres.”

Fourteen-year-old Maphumulo and his coach, Du Toit, took up the challenge in a controlled environment, with bender waves rising two meters every 90 seconds. Du Toit explained his newfound passion within the realm of the sport he loves.

“Right now, my focus is on developing the youth and hopefully creating future world champions. Surprise is a fast learner. There are talented kids out there, but Surprise was able to grasp things so quickly. He also works very hard and that caught my attention.”

Sharing some wisdom with aspiring surfers, Du Toit said that surfing taught him a lot of patience. “As a competitive person I’ve learned to lose. You are going to lose a lot more than you win. There are a lot of factors that are going to work against you and a lot that will work in your favour. You’ve got to put in the hard work and enjoy the opportunities as they come.”

Maphumulo, from Durban, has set his sights on a professional surfing career and hopes to emulate the success of his coach among other local greats.

“I never really thought of surfing before. I started as a skater and was introduced to surfing by a friend. After hopping on a board and trying to ride a wave, I just thought I’ve got to have more of this, I was hooked from the start,” he explained.

“I started going out more and more, training with Chad and began entering competitions.”

Sun City unveiled its revamped Valley of the Waves in spectacular fashion, playing host to pro surfer, Chad Du Toit. Photo: Pierre de Villiers

The teenager who started surfing at the age of eleven has been competing for three years and looks forward to winning more championships. He also plans to pay it forward, encouraging his peers to take to the water.

“As a youngster, I like seeing other people younger than myself surfing. Helping them is something that interests me.”

It is clear this is the start of a bright future for the talented young surfer.

When asked where he sees himself in the near future, “I see myself surfing the pipeline. Riding the most technical barrel waves and competing with the world’s best.”

Staff Reporter

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