The Anti-Contest Surf Contest

Two of South Africa’s best surf creatives, photographer Alan Van Gysen and editor/director Will Bendix, are the duo making up the core of Now Now Media, and behind the ShootOut concept. This fresh idea has captured the imagination of many, and despite the term ‘surf contest’ this is quickly pivoted by the phrase ‘anywhere, anytime, anyone.’

After a successful event at Skeleton Bay last year, the ShootOut concept has rolled out into three events for the year, and it has every chance of growing from there. With support from Monster Energy, it is on the runway and has a journey lined up.

What changes the game is that it is in real time, on the ground, and when it goes down, it happens on the day, with surfers present after a day in the surf. It’s not about submitting well-edited clips with gnarly 80s punk soundtracks and then dragging on voting for days and weeks, with surfers and organizers chasing more and more clicks and likes. It happens in a day, and tired surfers are the main characters, not the background actors.

Another refreshing aspect is that the Now Now crew are actually trying new stuff. They have risen above the utterly banal drudgery of what WSL pro surfing is right now, and have figured out another way of doing competitive surfing.

To hear more, we caught up with AVG and Bendix.

Guys, good to chat. How did the idea behind the ShootOut germinate?

Whenever an amazing swell hits nowadays, you’ll see it flood out on social media and YouTube in bits and pieces, to the point that these swell events are some of the most watched ‘events’ in surfing nowadays. So, imagine if you could experience that in a more direct or focused way and shine a light on the surfers sending it. That sparked the idea for the ShootOut. We’re basically just documenting what goes down on the day and inviting other people to experience it in a fun way.

Did you have immediate backing for it, or did it happen after the fact?

Monster backed the idea from the go. They helped us do a low-key trial run at Skeleton Bay last year, providing proof of concept. The waves were perfect, and there was such a positive response, so we knew that the idea had legs. Now, they have really thrown their support behind it. We’re also stoked to have Ocean & Earth come on board and are looking at getting one or two more exclusive sponsors as we roll it out.

How do you call an event? Do you let the word out beforehand? For example, there could be a day at Donkey that might also be a day for JBay, so how do people know? Or is it just lucky that you decide, and if people are there, they are there?

There’s no announcement beforehand; we announce in the morning that we will go live at the location like we did with Skeleton Bay and whoever is there. We’re not looking to blow up a swell beforehand. We’re keeping an eye on the charts at a few key spots and rolling the dice like the other surfers who commit their time and resources and take the risk chasing these swells.

Three events in one year. Is that the plan? That’s nice coin for surfers if they are at the right place.

That’s the plan. We’d like to run at least one in Africa and have an eye on a few spots in Indonesia and other special locations. The series might grow from there, but our current focus is targeting a few waves with that real X factor and seeing how it pans out.

The money is nice, for sure, but it’s more of a cherry on top. In our books, anyone who gets a good ride at a wave like Skeleton Bay or somewhere like that is a winner.

Could a surfer effectively win more than one ShootOut in one calendar year?

They could for sure if they’re there when it happens.

What are the expected outcomes of an event like this?

I think the biggest thing for us is to capture the excitement and awe of those truly special swells and allow others to experience them in an entertaining way.

So many good surfers fly under the radar, so it’s a way to acknowledge them, too. Like last year at Skeleton Bay, Nadia Erostarbe just blew everyone away. She was getting double-tube rides that would have won a CT heat. People were getting life-changing waves left, right and center. Everybody was cheering on the beach. That’s what we aim to capture and what the ShootOut is really about.

What about locals? If you arrive at a spot for a ShootOut and there is a crew of locals out on a particular day of the year, do you run the risk of local chagrin? Or does no one really know about it?

I don’t think so. The waves we’re looking at are well-known or famous, and surfers always chase swells there. As mentioned, we’re not blowing these swells up beforehand or bringing a crowd. Part of the idea behind the ShootOut is to acknowledge the standout local surfers on one of the best days of the year at their local spot. We’re basically just documenting what goes down on the day and allowing other people to experience it in a fun way.

What are the actual mechanics of the peer vote?

The peer vote is done by polling the surfers there and crew on the beach. We did this last year at Skeleton Bay, and it worked well. There’s usually one or two standout surfers or waves that everyone is claiming and talking about, like Jordy Maree’s never-ending drainer from last year. There could be scope for some kind of public vote further down the line, but for now, we’re just seeing how it evolves.

There is a train of swell currently heading for South Africa. Do you smell any ShootOut possibilities upcoming?

Our eyes are peeled on the charts, but it’s tricky! Everybody thought that second swell last year at Skeleton Bay would be the swell of the decade, but it ended up being pretty rogue. The one we got before that was smaller but probably one of the most perfectly lined up swells we’ve ever seen there. But it could have gone either way.

Do other people get to capture videos and submit them, or is it only for Now Now Media to capture and submit them?

Right now, our small crew is documenting the action, and we are making a point of working with local filmers who are usually shooting anyway. We’d like to introduce a mechanism where other surfers or filmers can submit clips, but for now, we’re just seeing how it goes.

What was the feedback from last year? How many people viewed the entries, etc.?

The feedback and interest were really good. The clips got over two million views on Instagram, and the session video has around 400,000 views. Most people are like us and just love watching guys and girls getting really, really barreled.

What else is Now Now up to? Apart from the ShootOut, what else have you guys produced lately, and what do you have up your sleeves for the rest of the year?

We’re just about to release the first episode of a series we’re doing called ORIGINS, which tells the stories behind the world’s most incredible waves. The pilot episode is about Puerto Escondido, and it’s really topical with everything happening over there and the wave being under serious threat. We were shooting for the film with Matt Bromley when he pretty much got scalped by his board, which was gnarly and is all in the movie. We’ve also got a couple of environmental stories that we’re working on, which is our other focus and genuine passion, especially when we can bring those stories together with surfing in a meaningful way.

Find out more about Now Now Media here.

ShootOut Prizes

Standout Of The Swell: $5,000 USD

Local Hero: $3,000 USD

Monster Moment: $2,000 USD