tracksmag.com.au - Re-engineering the waves at St Francis Bay and the fabled Bruce’s Beauties
Will curated rock groynes create world-class waves at St Francis Bay in South Africa?
When surfers of a particular generation hear the name Cape St Francis, their minds immediately turn to the zippering coils made famous by Bruce Brown’s ‘The Endless Summer’. A part of the bay was re-named ‘Bruce Beauties’ in the wake of the film and it remains one of the most celebrated sections in surf movie history. However, since that footage was taken in the early 60s the waves in the region have been in steady decline. A new project hopes to revive them.
St Francis Bay is about to change fundamentally. The Long Term Coastal Protection Scheme, a precise combo of rock groynes and beach nourishment, could reset the Bay’s sandbanks and reshape its surf potential. If all goes to plan, St Francis and Bruce’s Beauties might emerge as South Africa’s next true surf zone.