Jbay's surfing history
Category History of Jbay
Jeffreys bay was founded by captain Jeffreys who sailed his cargo ship up and down the East Coast of South Africa on trading expeditions in the 1840's, but this article is about Jbay's surfing culture so John Whitmore is the man to mention. He discovered dozens of remote and deserted surf breaks in South Africa, many of which are now thriving town which depends on surfing and tourism for a living, and this includes St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay. He profoundly impacted the success of Bruce Brown's epic surfing movie, The Endless Summer.
The movie made surfing, and for that matter, Jbay, famous around the world and John Whitmore became one of the film's breakout stars also becoming world famous in the process. The popularity of the film made Jbay an extremely popular town and in the process created a stunning holiday destination that everyone can enjoy.
But of course with Jbay mostly known for surfing the town gained many shops with world famous surfing brands such as Billabong and Quiksilver. When it comes to holiday life Jbay boasts with the most beautiful restaurants with rich history as well as creative shops established by the locals.
Since the year 2000 Jbay has experienced another boom in popularity, becoming a popular destination for holiday goers in South Africa and abroad.
Author: Joubert Grigor
