From Liquid Salt Magazine ::
Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Donald Brink is a talented surfer and humble board builder now living in San Clemente, California. In our latest interview, Donald shares his influences and experiences that have helped shape the meaning of his personal philosophy, “Enjoy Your Water.”
How were you introduced to surfing?
In a sense, I really wasn’t introduced to surfing but the first time I remember seeing it I knew I wanted to do that. My family didn’t live on the coast but we spent many vacations there. Those times offered a wonderful opportunity to discover this fascinating new world of the ocean. Much later when I was 15, our family moved to Cape Town and I couldn’t have been happier. Before we arrived, there I was already off and running, under my own steam, to figure out surfing on my own. I had bought a water-skiing wetsuit from an ad in the newspaper not knowing the differences but wanted to be prepared. I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I wanted to do it.
Same beach I learned to surf at and rode exclusively for years. South African beauty, Glen Cairn Beach Cape Peninsula False Bay. Photo: John Brink
Do you remember first surfboard and/or wave?
Oh definitely! Within two days of our family arriving to Cape Town, I had a surfboard. I clearly, clearly remember everything about it. In fact, I could probably shape one today with my eyes closed because of how fondly I remember it. It was an older Spider Murphy model, under the Safari label, given to me by some friends in the area. The board is around 6’2” with a faded green deck spray and blue wedge band tapering nose to tail on it. It was pretty much a 1980’s, flat deck thruster, with a downed rail, soft bump through the tail, foam core thruster fins and had a bottom that was a pretty much a flat panel V through the tail. This was my first surfboard and that’s all I had and that’s all I knew.
To READ the rest on the Interview at Liquid Salt… Click HERE
Hobie Surf Shop 