Cape Town – Vans Duct Tape Surf Contest

Marking its 10-year anniversary, the Vans Duct Tape event series gathered an international community of surfers, artists and shapers on the shores of Muizenberg beach

For the second stop of this year’s Duct Tape Invitational and Surf Festival event series, held at Muizenberg beach, Cape Town. Hosted in the hub of Surfer’s Corner from July 1st to July 3rd 2022, the event brought in crowds from around the city to celebrate innovation, creativity and craftsmanship in longboarding. Removing the barrier between athlete and spectator, the Duct Tape event allowed surf enthusiasts, local beach-goers and members of the Muizenberg community the opportunity to engage directly with athletes through surfing, art and music.

The Duct Tape Invitational stop in Cape Town, South Africa welcomed 32 longboarders to compete over the course of a three-day contest, featuring a women’s and men’s competition with equal prize purses across each division. South African locals Angelica Rosslind, Dylan Swindale, Crystal Hulett, Dean Simpson, Sam Christianson and Stevie Sawyer were amongst those participating. After a close final in both the men’s and women’s heats, Kevin Skvarna (USA) and Ambre Victoire (France) walked away with the victory in their respective divisions. This invitational marks Kevin Skvarna’s first Duct Tape win as a returning invitee, while French invitee Ambre Victoire walked away with the prize as a first-time Duct Tape competitor.

The customary Duct Tape paddle race offered invitees an extra dose of competitive fun along with an extra shot at a portion of the prize purse, with Victoria Vergara (France) and Ander Mendiguren (Spain) taking home the paddle race wins in their divisions.

Beyond the invitational portion of the event, attendees took part in a variety of workshops and engaged with local brands at the Duct Tape community market – with vinyls from The Other Records, fins from Good For You Fin Co and surf and skate wax from Orange Bucket Surf Wax. The workshops on offer for the weekend included moonbag customisation with Sealand, immersion and meditation workshops with Waves For Change, talks from Justice for Jaws, a beach clean-up with the Beach Co-Op and an interactive art workshop with local artist, Janet Ormond. All Duct Tape banners from the Cape Town stop have been donated to Sealand who will be working alongside Surfline to upcycle the banners into custom, sustainable bags.

To top off the festivities, the festival offered daily DJ sets, live band performances from Elle E and Tough Guy, and live broadcasting and interviews from The Other Radio, while South African artists Njabulo Hlope and Romi Flowers painted surfboards on site. Hand-shaped custom surfboards by Vans team riders Sam Partaix, Shane Sykes, Lee Ann Curren and Michael February were on display at the event for festival-goers to see, and will now live at Lifestyle Surfshop in Muizenberg for use by the local community. Spectators were also able to watch Muizenberg local Alfonzo Pieters and Vans team riders Sophie Bell, Benny Urban, Ainara Aymat and Lahcen Aguerd live-shape boards at Lifestyle Surfshop over the course of the weekend.

Vans Duct Tape Invitational Results:

MEN

1st – Kevin Skvarna

2nd – Justin Quintal

3rd – Stevie Sawyer

4th – John Van Hohenstein

WOMEN

1st – Ambre Victoire

2nd – Honolua Blomfield

3rd – Kelis Kaleopa’a

4th – Sierra Lerback

Following Cape Town, South Africa, this year’s Vans Duct Tape Invitational and Surf Festival will host one additional stop in Huntington Beach, California in August as part of the WSL’s 2022 World Longboard Tour.