South African surfski is about to catch its most exciting wave yet. The nation’s first-ever Schools Surfski Series, powered by ForexPeople SA, launches this year with a mission to transform hundreds of schoolchildren into the next generation of ocean warriors.
It’s a development that’s been long overdue. Surfski represents one of South Africa’s great sporting exports, a homegrown discipline blending endurance, ocean awareness, and pure adrenaline that’s produced world champions and captivated paddlers globally.
Yet despite the sport’s international success and passionate grassroots following, no structured national pathway has existed to nurture young talent from their first tentative paddle strokes to competitive racing.
That changes now.
Partnering with the South Africa Surf Ski Academy in Durban, ForexPeople SA is bankrolling an ambitious programme designed to introduce schoolchildren to the exhilaration of surfski whilst building healthy outdoor habits and establishing a credible development pathway that extends from playground to podium.
Double launch creates momentum
The series debuts with strategic intent, leveraging two major moments that anchor it firmly within South Africa’s paddling calendar.
Cape Town’s paddling community gets their first glimpse through a sponsored appearance at the beloved Sea Dog Paddle Series in Fish Hoek, a vibrant weekly gathering that welcomes paddlers of all abilities and represents the perfect low-pressure introduction to competitive surfski culture.
The official national kick-off follows on 21 March 2026 at the ForexPeople KZN Schools League Surfski Race, hosted as part of the lively Paddle Fest festival.
From these foundation moments, the Schools Surfski Series rolls out across three provinces, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, offering accessible short-course races, school visits, technique clinics, and club-supported development that removes barriers to entry.
The goal isn’t just elite athlete production. It’s mass participation that discovers hidden talent whilst getting thousands of children outdoors, active, and ocean-literate.
Inclusive model rewards participation
The series follows a cleverly designed scoring model that rewards both participation and performance, ensuring schools aren’t penalised for entering enthusiastic beginners alongside talented prospects.
A Champion School Trophy encourages institutions to field squads rather than individual stars, fostering team culture and ensuring stronger paddlers mentor developing teammates.
Already, emerging stars are capturing attention. U18 contenders Keagan Vogt and Tessa Salmon represent the calibre of young talent the series aims to nurture, athletes who’ve discovered surfski passion and now need structured competition to accelerate development.
World champion brings credibility
The involvement of Jasper Mocke elevates the Schools Surfski Series from ambitious initiative to genuine game-changer.
Mocke’s CV speaks for itself, former world champion surfski paddler, elite coach, respected mentor. Together with his brother Dawid, Jasper has spent more than two decades dominating global surfski at the highest level.
Now, as a newly announced partner with ForexPeople SA, Mocke brings unmatched credibility and genuine passion to youth development.
“This series gives young South Africans an incredible opportunity to develop confidence, fitness and ocean awareness,” Mocke explained, articulating a vision that extends far beyond competitive results.
“Surfski builds resilience. It gets children outdoors, working as a team, learning to read the ocean and discovering the joy of movement. I’ve spent my life in this sport, and I’m excited to help open that world to as many kids as possible.”
As founding partner, ForexPeople SA isn’t just slapping their logo on bibs and hoping for brand exposure. They’re funding the infrastructure that makes sustainable youth development possible.
Safety training. School clinics. Regional development officers. The national finale. All the unsexy background work that transforms good intentions into functioning programmes.
“For us at ForexPeople, this partnership is about creating opportunities that support healthier, more confident young people,” says Richard Beddow, Founder and Managing Director of ForexPeople SA.
“Having someone like Jasper involved – not only as a former world champion but now also as part of our team – makes this initiative especially meaningful. His experience in the sport and his passion for developing young paddlers make him the ideal person to help grow the series and introduce more children to surfski.”
Surfski occupies a unique space in South Africa’s sporting landscape. It demands ocean literacy – the ability to read swells, anticipate wind shifts, and navigate dynamic water conditions that change moment to moment.
Most importantly, it delivers pure joy. The sensation of catching a runner, accelerating down a swell face, linking waves in perfect rhythm – it’s addictive in the healthiest possible way.
These qualities – ocean awareness, resilience, courage, joy – represent exactly the attributes South Africa needs to cultivate in young people.
The Schools Surfski Series doesn’t just develop paddlers. It develops confident, capable, ocean-literate young South Africans who’ve learned to embrace challenge, work collaboratively, and find fulfilment in healthy outdoor pursuits.
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