THE OOM

So, who was John Whitmore anyway?

John ‘The Oom’ Whitmore is a South African watersports icon. Also known as the ‘Doyen’ – and the godfather of South African surfing – throughout his eventful and adventurous life, John had an enormous influence on skin diving, surfing, Hobie Catting and bodyboarding across much of the country. Overall, he helped to create several industries and had a huge impact on South Africa’s international sporting prowess and reputation – making an indelible contribution that still resounds decades later.

As Cape Town’s first hardcore surfer, John discovered scores of new surf spots along the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts and introduced the sport to hordes of eager ‘stokies’ through the late 1950s and into the 1960s. As one of South Africa’s first full time surfboard manufacturers – indeed, as a supreme craftsman of surfboards who set incredibly high standards for all to follow – he also helped to rapidly grow a then-marginal pastime into a thriving sport and industry.

John founded the first national surfing competitions, formed the first provincial and national surfing associations and through his government connections obtained the first Springbok colours for surfers. He also managed several South African surfing teams, including the first full contingent, which attended the ISF World Surfing Championships in San Diego in 1966.