Local Surfer – Louis Day
54 Going On 21, A Realistic, Honest Dreamer
You might have seen him out and about in town or most likely parked at the beach in a Black Pajero with the registration plate “Surfing”, surfboards on top, dog next to him and the windows down. Louis Day is no stranger to Hermanus, he has been here his whole life. He grew up in a house alongside his 3 brothers in Westcliff, his dad was prominent diving business owner Louis Day senior. When he was a teenager he was sent off to technical boarding school in Oudtshoorn after which it was time to go to the army. He returned, started a family, started his own construction and project management business Louis Day Projects and began catching up on all the time spent away from the ocean.
When did you start surfing and why? I started surfing when I was about 7 years old, it looked cool at the time and I thought to myself I’d love to try it. When I was 13 I finally built up the courage to paddle out to the back at Kammabaai, Voelklip. I was stoked!
Hermanus is…fantastic there is always a wave to surf and we have beauty all around us.
My favourite season is…summer, this is my favourite time of the year. The days are longer, meaning there is more time to surf, I can fit two sessions in a day.
I wish I could…surf more. A day without surfing is a long one…
What does it take to be a surfer? You have to be a lover of the ocean to want to surf, you have to have drive to want to learn how to surf and stick with it. There had been times when I was younger and still learning that I thought I have had enough. Getting dragged under and knocked on the head a couple of times by a tank of a board is not fun, but then you go by the beach and there is a awesome set of waves and you feel the ocean calling you.
Who is your favourite surfer and why? I admire women who surf, my favourite surfer is Kassia Meador, she is one of the most recognized pro long boarders around. Her smooth and stylish surfing is something as a long boarder myself wishes to duplicate.
Surfing is…engrained in me as a person. Surfing makes me feel free and liberated.
What is the best thing about surfing? The best thing about surfing is that you are always learning and having a blast. When the surf is not good here in Hermanus surfing takes you to other towns and even countries. I have even begun to make hand crafted surfboards as a hobby.
The worst thing about surfing is…I am getting older and surfing is a lot harder on me, but I don’t stop. The cold water is something I hate! Cold water and ageing bones are not a man’s best friend.
My best memories are…all revolved around surfing. I have been to some amazing places in the world like Maldives, Indonesia and Mauritius. My wife Paula bought me a book “100 places to surf before you die” for my birthday, I am glad to say I’ve surfed most of those places.
What do you do when the surf is bad? People must think but if the surf is bad what are you doing? I can be found fishing, I love the sea. Otherwise I’m always out and about at restaurants having a cup of coffee and catching up with the locals.
I wish I knew then what I know now about…life, love and having kids. I had my daughters Megan and Elouise when I was young – though I would never change that. It was my wife and my choice to have them then, life was not easy but we made it work with very little. Today I sit here and I am proud of what I have been able to give them, what I have achieved and gained over the years.
These days Louis is still out surfing at all the spots and helping young, up and coming surfers negotiate the bigger swells that wash into the bay each winter. Louis is a true Hermanus local, passionate about the ocean, the town and enjoying the “slow lane” life that Hermanus has to offer. If you do see him, feel free to spark up a conversation, there is a lot of things he can tell and show you!
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