The Wavescape Surf Film Festival joins forces with Sports for Development charity ‘Ticket to Ride Foundation’ to run the ‘Wavescape Ticket to Ride Night’ at the Labia Cinema on Orange Street on Thursday, December 9.

As part of the annual Wavescape Film Festival, being run in Cape Town between December 1 and 20, the evening takes in two screenings of seminal surf documentaries ‘Somewhere near Tapachula’ and ‘Surfing Favela’, and includes a raffle to win a brand new ‘Dumspter Diver’ surf board donated by top Cape Town shaper DVG as well as a host of prizes donated by Quiksilver. All proceeds raised will be donated to the Ticket to Ride Foundation.

The Ticket to Ride Foundation is a Sports for Development charity working within the townships of the Southern Peninsula. Based in Masiphumelele, the Foundation uses sports as a way to convene communities and pass children and young adults into curriculum based education schemes focusing on Literacy and Numeracy, Life Skills and HIV. Specifically, funds raised by the Wavescape Ticket to Ride night will be used for the purchase of a fleet of new soft-topped surf boards for use in the Ticket to Ride surfing programme operated at Muizenberg beach.

The evening begins at 20:30 with the screening of ‘Somewhere near Tapachula’, an inspiring surf documentary about abused and lost street kids in Mexico and which recounts the story of Mision Mexico, a place of sanctuary set up by Pam and Alan Skuse for 45 children who find redemption through surfing. A screening of the hard-hitting ‘Surfing Favela’ then follows. Shot in Cantagalo and Rocinha, two impoverished areas of Rio de Janiero, this documentary sensitively portrays a group of surfers who boldly pull the youth of their community from a dark-scoured underworld of degradation and hopelessness. Essential viewing.

The evening culminates with the prize draw for surf board. Tickets for the evening are R30 Rand, with raffle tickets then on sale for R20. Tickets can be booked in advanced and purchased on the evening at the venue.

Presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation, the Wavescape Surf Film Festival runs from 9-20 December. Supporting sponsors are Pick ‘n Pay, Quiksilver, 2oceansvibe Radio, Men’s Health, the Cape Times and Wavescape .

The festival incorporate the Wavescape Surfboard Art Exhibition (currently on at Depasco Café in Cape Town) and the Surf Film festival. There is an open-air free screening of the film Scratching the Surface on Clifton Fourth Beach on Friday December 10 after the sun goes down. The film includes cutting edge camera technology in use by pioneering surf filmmakers. Thousands of like-minded people gather on the beach with picnics from early in the evening to enjoy a long, languid summer evening. Indoor films will be screened at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay from December 12 to 15 and at the Labia Theatre on Orange on December 9 and December 16 to 20.

For details call the infoline 079 0260 669 or www.wavescape.co.za.

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CAPTION TO PHOTO: Ibanathi Dubula who has learnt to surf with the Ticket to Ride Foundation, delights in a wave and the joy of the ocean.

Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates: The Communication Works
Cell: 083 326 3235
Tel: 031-8115628
Fax: 086 682 7334