Adrian Tregoning

I’ve had my composite Element since December 2009. Since then, I’ve paddled it countless times and on the odd occasion I’ve been lucky enough to get my old man to take some photos of me when he’s been on his breaks during contracts. So this article is mainly a bunch of photos of me and not really an article as such. You’ll see some of the photos are really small - these are screen shots from video footage that was taken.

You’re probably wondering how the boat is. Well, it’s awesome. Lighter than the plastic, of course, but probably more importantly, it’s stiffer, way stiffer. Unfortunately my boat was a prototype so it doesn’t have fins but as you can see in the photos, it still rips. Fins have advantages and disadvantages but these days I’m so used to not using them, I don’t think I’d even surf a plastic Element with fins now. Being a very keen bodyboarder I know how it feels to ride a board or boat on edge only. Of course, production Elements will have fins boxes, don’t worry. The boat needs a lot more edge control and harder edging without fins because you have to ride the rail and not the fins but you’ll get used to it if that’s your style. Riding with fins is more about a big of edging and some weight transition I find and works damn well, but no fins is sweet too. Just try it. Either way, the boat is really incredible and I’m still loving every single minute of it. Well worth the money. Check out the pics.

Melkbosstrand, at a surf spot known as Tubewaves. Photo by Wendy van Rijn. I will do a separate article of when the Dutchies came to Cape Town! :) Note, ALL of these photos are from spots near to Cape Town, South Africa :-) Video stills from a misty session at Karmers on 8 Feb 2010.

  More video stills, this time from Tubewave, Melkbos, taken 3 days later on 11 Feb 2010 in some big, but messy swell. The video is not bad.

One of the most solid days I’ve had at Tubewave, Melkbos on 16 Jan 2010. These are also video stills. The swell this day was 4.7m I think. Any bigger and it starts to get messy here and not as good, and not really bigger. I took some massive beatings that day.

Warming up. This was a session recently, 25 May 2010.  Again, Tubewave, Melkbos.

Huh, who’s on the beach?!

A lekker hollow one, and now you know why it’s called Tubewave. I bodyboard a fair amount here, I love this spot. 

A lekker blunt at Tubewave.

Tubewave, again. Behind the front sand bank is some reef, where I am now in these two photos. It’s in the kelp so staying upright is definitely the plan!!!! You can sometimes get nice rides here, but it’s risky. Go at high tide if the swell is big enough.

I’m checking out a sweet set breaking over the reef. That’s a nice wave when the sets come through. 

Loop over this hump, which wasn’t captured. 

Getting barrelled in the Element. Happy days!

And the final photo from that 25 May session at Tubewaves.  Me showering off at Tubewave while internationally known riverboarder crazy man Charl van Rensburg spies on my showering techniques. BTW, that’s the composite Element lurking there – isn’t she beautiful?!

A session at Corner on 27 Feb 2010, a few hundred metres north of Tubewave. This photo by Michael Schubert.

I also managed to score some sweet waves at Noordhoek on one day – 24 Feb. Photos by Michael Schubert. More from this session can be seen on the site already, hence I only included a few shots. 

Big Bay  on 17 Feb. Some nice swell, but closing out. Not a great day but had fun anyway.    

5 January at Table View and managed to score some slick waves in calm conditions. 

Briefly getting shacked, and then getting eaten.  Final video stills from the 5 Jan Table View session.

At some session at Table View beach. You can see Table Mountain in the background on the final photo. Waves aren’t usually great here but on a wind still day you can sometimes get something fun.

The composite Element lurking at Cape Town’s northern most beach – Van Riebeeckstand.

This photo, and the rest now, are from a session at Van Riebeeckstrand on 22 May. I had a really upset stomach for a week already from drinking too much river water but I decided to hit a session anyway as I was well keen. Waves were ok but I felt damn sick. At least I got some shots :)

No fins, no problem. Carve HARD on the edges, they bite nicely.  Final wave from that session. A HUGE thanks to my dad, Trevor, for taking most of these photos! Super stoked!!

And now for some video footage:

January 2010 sessions!

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And then February 2010 sessions!

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And also a new ‘freestyle move’ I invented… LOL

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And then I also got hold of a Predator VX360 video headcam which I’ve been using a bit. Check the camera itself by clicking HERE.

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Hope you enjoyed the photos and videos. I’ll try to get more soon when I get the chance, which I definitely will. Our winter season produces some big swell so things can only get better. 

Paddler: Adrian Tregoning.

Photography by: Trevor Tregoning, and also a few by Michael Schubert. Thanks guys!