DEDICATION. How many of us can apply this description when talking about our work? I know two guys who can -  Moesh and Sy.

They make up half of UCT Radio’s afternoon drive team. They asked us to take them surfing. Not so much because they had this overwhelming urge but because they’re doing a whole lot of extreme things for the show.

Can you imagine the things a group of UCT students consider extreme? I can tell you that even Laird Hamilton would’ve thought twice about taking some of the assignments these guys have to go on.

I don’t really consider going for a surf all that extreme though and there’s no way we were going to take these guys out to The Factory or Dungeons for what we’d consider extreme. Still, life always has a curve ball or three lined up and we managed to get them as close to extreme as possible without risking life or limb.

I met up with Moesh and Sy in Rosebank one Saturday afternoon. When they pitched they each had a towel over their shoulder and a vibe that is best described with a little narrative that goes something like “Hey Moesh, you wanna go down to the beach later and maybe go for a swim?”

If I was a pirate I would’ve called them ‘land lubbers’. I was going to enjoy this for sure. Aaaarrrr! I started with tales of sharks, rocks and icy cold water. You know, just to help along that feeling of extreme.

To be honest I do this to anyone I take surfing for the first time. I think of it as “My Little Revenge”. You see, I grew up on the Cape Flats where surfing, for lack of a better word, was “uncommon”. Names like “surfer dude” and questions to the effect of “where you going to ski my broe” were pretty much the norm. Yep, gotta love the hood.

Getting down and dirty 

Long Beach was our first choice but with a Western province contest on we had to keep moving. We ended up in Scarborough - howling off shores, freezing water and a solid rip for good measure is what we got.

The waves were less than three foot but we had enough to justify sending them out. This is where DEDICATION comes into the picture again.

Moesh got sent out in a wettie that I opted to cut up and use as a shorty. Still he stuck it out for about an hour. NUFF RESPEKT to you man. I wouldn’t do it with anything less than my 4:3 Psycho, hoody and booties.

Sy on the other hand did get the good suit. He stripped down in fifteen seconds flat and had it on in no time - the wrong way round! Ag well, beginner mistakes I guess. It was only when Moesh put his hoodie on back-to-front that we started to get worried. Could these guys even swim?

We finally got them suited up successfully and sent them trotting down the beach. These boys did have it in them, they must've watched “Point Break” or something 'cos they calmly strutted down the beach, boards casually held under their arms, not an ounce of angst amongst them.

We scanned the surf and picked a likely spot for them to paddle out. With our camera's setup and ready, Ted kicked into “Surf Instructor” mode. Not even Ben Stiller could have done it better! He talked them through the basics and soon had them doing mock paddles followed by the whole “standing up practice” routine.

(move your mouse over the image to see them in action)

It was on! With sweat beginning to trickle down their backs Ted finally judged them prepared. Into the water they went, following Ted like two ducklings chasing after their mother. Five minutes later we had to grab our gear and run down the beach - Scarborough's infamous rip had pulled them about 100 meters further away!

They did their best in the trying conditions but we all know you very rarely manage to stand up during your first session. They came pretty close - we swear - but after one-too-many wipe outs and maybe 3 litres of salt water the guys had had enough. Crazy thing about radio jocks, they can talk and talk and talk. After an hour freezing my ass off my tongue tends to be frozen as well. Not these two.

As they emerged dripping from the freezing water we could see they were super stoked. There's something special about the grin a surfer has on his face when he returns to shore. Did you note I said “surfer”? That's what I consider these two guys to be.

After drying off and soaking up some sunshine they were soon talking about their next surf. Mmm… I think the bug took it’s proverbial bite. Mother Nature just has that effect no matter who you are. I think the pics say it all. These two went all out, had a blast and definitely got the best out of their day.

They made an interesting observation on the way to the car - why is it that you're greeted by a large signboard proclaiming the joys of “Gentle Giants” and only see the one about “Great Whites” and “What to do if a shark attacks” on the way back? Makes you think doesn't it?

At this point we must say a big “Thank You” to Ted for daring the frigid waters to help them out, he’s another one of those “dedicated” brothers. Not everyone would willingly swim out in icy cold water and push guys into waves, if you've go a few minutes to spare, why not checkout his profile by way of gratitude.

Repaying the favour 

The two jocks repaid the favour by having us over for an interview on Wednesday afternoon. Needless to say we were “The Kooks” and were way out of our depth.

Luckily for us they kindly helped us out by leading us into the questions and when we managed to relax we had a really great time together. For all you girls out there, Marschant would like to apologise if he offended your delicate sensibilities. What you didn’t hear can’t hurt you eh?

The studio light has shifted from green to red, mimicking the twinkling lights of port and starboard, the final track has been played and we’re outta here, in parting we’d just like to say: One Surfer, One Ride, A Lifetime of Stoke!