As lovers of the ocean, our primary role as surfers is to protect what is dear to us. Our decision, actions and choices can help save our seas. It is our duty to spread that message, says 2017 Roving Reporters Soul Surfer nominee, Grant Gilmour.
Raised by waves, my initial instinct was to give my kids the taste of the ocean experience I had grown up with. Competing for most of my life, my desire was not make competitors of my kids but to show them the joy, pleasure and endless thrill the ocean can bring to one’s life.
Christy first road a longboard at an early age and so our journey of the waves began together – a unique bond between father, daughter and the deep blue.
Our journey through member competitions, frustations and wins has far been outweighed by the sheer joy of free surfing – expression of style on the waves – and long days spend paddling our beautiful local waters together.
Our joint love of the ocean and retrostyle surfing has resulted in what today has been a climax for both winning our respective categories in the SA 2016 Longboard Surfing Champs as father and daughter, followed up with jointly winning the Quicksilver Movember Retro Contest in November 2016, a contest judged purely on style.
I have always seen as a stylish surfer and I guess I am blessed, even more so with Christy appreciating my passion and following the same journey with the ocean.
We have a saying between us, “Less is more”, meaning that flowing on the wave, being in the right part of the wave at the right time and moving at one with the wave is everything that surfing stands for.
An integral part of our journey with the ocean is carry the message to people of the desperate need to protect our marine life and the ocean environment as a whole. The ocean are not only the largest playgrounds on earth but the largest ecosystem too.
As lovers of the ocean our primary role is to protect what is dear to us. Our decision, actions and choices can help save our seas as surfers with a love of the ocean, it is our duty to spread that message.
