John Whitmore

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John Whitmore (born 1929- died 2001) pioneered the sport of surfing in South Africa.

His early career as an abalone and crayfish diver quite literally put him in touch with the ocean and the waves which would so determine his later career. After having read about surfing in Hawaii in the late fifties, John became so enthused by the prospect of surfing he set off to build his own surfboards. This led to the sport of surfing being born in South Africa, at Muizenberg and Sea Point. Affectionately known to Capetonians as "die oom" (the uncle), Whitmore gave daily surfreports from his sea-front home.