Cass Collier is a towering figure in South African surfing. He rose to fame in the late 1990s as the first non-white surfer to win an international surfing title. Today, he is a triple Western Province Champion, a Big Wave World Surfing Champion, and one of the top surf coaches globally. His journey is nothing short of inspirational.
Childhood and Early Fascination with the Ocean
Cass’ fascination with the ocean began early on, spending most of his childhood at 9 Miles Beach in Strandfontein. This beach was one of the few non-white beaches where he was allowed. It was here he learned to surf at the tender age of 9. His father, Ahmed Collier, defied apartheid’s restrictions and took Cass to the better, only-whites beaches, even at the risk of being arrested. Ahmed’s political stance on ownership and self-determination became a guiding principle for Cass in his pursuit of surfing excellence.
Victorious as the First Non-White Surfer to Win an International Surfing Title
In 1999, Cass and his teammate, Ian Armstrong, emerged as victors at the Reef ISA Big Wave World Championships in Todos Santos, Mexico. The duo’s success sent shockwaves through the industry, as many were taken aback by the prowess of two bearded Rastafarians from Africa. This victory proved that appearances and backgrounds should never be barriers to achieving greatness.
Overcoming Challenges and Tragedy
Their victory should have been a time to revel in their success, but the media’s attention was primarily focused on Cass’s background as a non-white in apartheid South Africa rather than his accomplishments. Despite this, Cass continued to push forward in the world of competitive surfing.
However, tragedy struck during an international competition in Haiti in 2000 when Cass witnessed a fellow competitor lose his life to the massive 20 ft waves. This harrowing experience led to a moment of self-reflection, and Cass decided to withdraw from competitive surfing to focus on sharing his knowledge with his community.
Establishing the Cass Collier Surf Academy
In 2000, Cass established the Cass Collier Surf Academy at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg, where he has passionately taught surfing to people of all ages for the past 22 years. For Cass, the satisfaction of seeing a surfer ride a wave for the first time is worth all the effort he puts into teaching. His love for the ocean and the sport of surfing remains as strong as ever, and his dedication to his students is unwavering.
A Documentary and Cass’s Legacy
Cass’s journey and the challenges he faced as a colored surfer during apartheid were documented in a 2005 film titled “Taking Back the Waves.” Directed by Nicolaas Hofmeyr, the documentary captured Cass Collier and Ian Armstrong’s rise to prominence as outcasts in the surfing world and shed light on the struggles they endured.
Despite all the challenges and adversities he faced, Cass Collier’s legacy as a surfing legend remains unblemished. His journey is a testament to the indomitability of the human spirit and serves as an inspiration to aspiring surfers and, indeed, to everyone who dreams of overcoming the odds to achieve greatness.
