Every surfer who wins gold at the SA Masters Surfing Championships deserves their medal, but it seems to me that local surfer and over-55 SA champion Gareth Sepp is just a little more deserving than most.
Just more than three years ago, Gareth suffered a nasty double hernia injury.
The repair surgery was a tad rough. He was opened up like a gutted fish and patched up with gauze. The op was not a success and he spent a longer than usual unhappy time on morphine.
When he finally did stagger back into the surf after a disproportionately long time out, an unfriendly wave hammered him and ruptured the wound.
Fortunately the second keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) was a complete success and his healing was a quick two weeks.
With the 2024 SA Championships bearing down on him, Gareth quickly took to light running for cardiovascular training and went surfing whenever he could get a break.
In six short weeks, in a highly contested division, Gareth was able to post the win for 2024.
In total Gareth was out of the water for a year with his injuries.
Still, as a Buffalo City Surfing committee member, he was at all the trials, helping out but not surfing during his rehabilitation.
Attending committee meetings and working as always at the Discovery Surfers Challenge, G2, as he is affectionately known (G1 is Gareth Mitchell), was always doing his bit to contribute to the Buffalo City surfing machine.
Come 2025 and Gareth was still in the process of recovery, but he is a firm believer that “preparation is key”.
Gareth says he prepares for everything — he prepares for work, his garden service; in fact, his hernia injury came from lifting lawn mowers on and off the bakkie and hefty pieces of trees from tree felling.
He says he is generally strong from his work but his cardio tends to suffer.
In prep for 2025, Gareth was clear in his mind of what worked in 2024.
So he was back to road work again, and paddling. He paddled up and down Nahoon Beach in the howling east wind when no one else was there.
And he put in heaps of training with the Johnson family in Gonubie in howling onshore, doing everything he could to mimic Kommetjie Long Beach conditions.
I asked Gareth how he kept the desire burning after so many years competing.
He says he is just naturally competitive. Even in social golf. (It is surprising how many surfers are good golfers — Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Occy, Mick Fanning to name but a few).
Gareth loves the challenge, the focus and being in a flow or zone of concentration when all outside “noise” seems to quiet down and being in the moment is an uncluttered and dedicated experience.
This year’s gold medal is Gareth’s fifth SA title. With the first green and gold blazer in 1989 and captain of the Springbok surfing team in 1990, G2 is no stranger to this game.
He has competed overseas and travelled with David Malherbe on the European Pro tour.
Gareth has represented Boland, Border and Cape Town, so cold water and a big wind are no challenges to him.
When Cape Town cancelled their marathon this year, surfing continued. It takes more than a gale to blow the humour out of Gareth Sepp.
Surfing and competing since the age of 11 and on the Buffalo City Surfing committee since who knows how long (currently as president of the club), Gareth is a contributor to excellence in local surfing.
“I am proud of him. He works hard at everything he does,” Alison Sepp said.
“Surfing has given me so much,” Gareth said.
“Serving on the committee is not a chore. I am with like-minded, positive people. It is a privilege to be a part of it and honestly a joy.”
The over-55 SA gold medal could not easily go to a more deserving athlete.
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