A night in front of the television by two former SA body boarding champions has paid off handsomely for Port Alfred’s enthusiastic body boarding ensemble – the Kowie Granny Grommets.
“We were watching Carte Blanche and saw an insert on the Nahoon Granny Grommets and we were so moved by it,” said coach, Debbie Patterson who has been body boarding for 40 years.
So inspired were Cape Town’s Patterson and Pamela Bowren, who run body boarding coaching clinics and ocean safety awareness programmes in the city, that enquiries followed and a date scheduled to conduct a boogie board training session with the Nahoon and Kowie GGs.
Patterson who owns a lifestyle clothing brand, and Bowren, thanks to the TV insert, undertook a road trip conducting clinics in Cape St Francis, Gqeberha, Port Alfred and Nahoon, East London.
Fast forward to Wednesday this week, and 25 “ocean-crazy” Kowie Granny Grommets pitched up with their boogie boards on a picture perfect day at Port Alfred’s Middle Beach, eager to get some much-needed tips from the two body boarding experts.
Bowren who is originally from Gqeberha, won the SA title as an 18-year-old in 2003 and again in 2007 and 2018. She has also participated in events on the international circuit and competed in SA colours in ISA World body boarding events on three occasions, achieving the highest position of fourth in 2012.
Middle Beach’s shoreline quickly transformed into a splash of colour when the elderly grommets in bright orange T-shirts arrived on the shoreline. Excitement was palpable as they mulled around chatting excitedly around among each other with colourful boogie boards by their side.
Upon registering, all participants received a GG cap, a drawstring bag, a body boarding manual and some stickers with the Kowie Granny Grommets logo.
Then it was time for the now familiar group photo and off to kick-start the coaching session.
Bowren kitted out in wetsuit, took up her position as the demo expert on dry land, showing the bodyboarders how to position themselves on the board “with arms tucked in” as Patterson gave the instructions.
“Do you ladies sometimes have a problem with staying on your boards?” asked Patterson. “That’s because I don’t see any wax on your boards. Waxing your body board is very, very important – that is what keeps you on your board. But don’t wax in the sun because it will go very soft.”
Bowren demonstrates how they should position themselves on the board and instructions on wrist leashes followed.
“Distinguish between a bicep leash and a wrist leash … if it’s too big for your wrist then you have a biceps leash. If ever you use a biceps leash you put it between your shoulder and your muscle – but a wrist leash for beginners is what we prefer,” said Patterson.
“The body board is there for you also should you get into difficulty out at sea. Remember it’s going to keep you afloat … never let the board go. It could be your lifesaver.”
About three months ago a bodyboarder from the KGG group and a man who had gone out to help her in pounding East Beach surf were hauled to safety by Port Alfred NSRI’s station 11 after being caught in the notorious rip current. There have been other incidents at East Beach (not involving the Kowie Granny Grommets) that have led to drownings.
In light of that, the coaches spent a lot of time on the shore explaining the do’s and don’t when getting caught in a riptide and how to avoid one.
“You have a very open coastline here. Where you see the waves are not really breaking and are pulling to the side … that is a rip current. It always goes out diagonally,” said Patterson.
“When you get hold of a rip current, never let go of your board. You have to stay calm and don’t paddle into the rip current. Go with it a little bit … paddle to the sides where waves are breaking and come back in. Don’t be afraid to wave your hands in the air and call for help.”
With that done, the KGGs under the watchful eye of the NSRI’s Chris Pike and his team, made a dash for it into the ocean. Faces lit up as the group caught wave after wave from close by and rode the crashing surf with a huge smile as they were brought back in to shore. Then after about 45 minutes of boogie boarding, they were back on the shore lining up to receive prizes.
Talk of the Town caught up with a few of them.
“ … it’s fabulous because I know now how I should be doing this, and the two coaches were absolutely superb,” said Suzette Lampier-Grist who got into boogie boarding at the insistence of her doctor. “It’s exhilarating; you get to my stage in life and you actually need a bit of adrenaline.”
Sheena Ferguson who got a prize for best boogie boarder said the day had been “fantastic”.
“I am feeling great, what a fantastic day … it’s fun to enjoy the beach. The fresh air helps and it’s a kind of a de-stressing mechanism even if you get knocked about by the waves.”
Vanessa van Aarde said she had learnt a lot about boogie boarding.
“I must say this workshop was really needed especially with the weather conditions and taking note of rip currents. Safety is very important.” And how was the experience itself? “It’s a fully body workout when you are in the water … every single muscle works and it can only benefit us,” said Van Aarde.
Patterson emphasised the need for swimmers and ocean sport lovers to spend at last 15 minutes studying the ocean before diving in.
“For example, Pam likes big surf but if I came down here and the waves were eight-foot I’d say, ‘not for me, today’.
“So know your limitations. Respect the ocean. Watch those currents closely.”
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, July 17, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
