New Guinness World Record for SURFERS!
Cape Town surfers took up the challenge and entered the Guinness World Record’s books with their ‘Most Surfers on a Single Wave’ attempt.
And 73 surfers did the city proud as they surfed into the record books last Sunday afternoon (17 September) at Surfer’s Corner, Muizenberg.
The local community beat the previous record of 44 surfers set by Lahinch Surf Club, Ireland, in May of this year.
They also thrashed the unconfirmed claim of 53 surfers to a wave submitted by Bali.
Dene Botha of the organizing body, Kahuna Surfing Academy, was over the moon at the result. She says 349 surfers had registered for the event. Botha adds, “We made six attempts in an hour and also registered 69, 68 and 64 on the three other waves.”
The event was organized with another goal in mind. The local surfing and swimming community in the False Bay region has been plagued by shark attacks in recent years, and the problem seems to be escalating. The record attempt was initiated as a fun event to bring this problem to the fore while raising funds to support the non-profit Shark Spotters – a group of volunteers who keep a close eye on the waters from the surrounding mountains and alert the authorities on the beach when sharks are spotted in the water.
This organization is working with the City to try protect the natural eco-systems and the rights of the sharks while ensuring the safety of bathers and surfers alike.
As far as the record attempt goes, video evidence has been submitted to the Guinness World Record organization in London for official registration.
