Grant Twiggy Baker is a legendary waterman who’s just signed up with the F-One foiling program, an accomplished paddler, big wave hero and now working on his surf foil skills he’s never afraid to try something new, and that’s why we like him!

 

They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but sometimes you do, and they turn out to be far larger than life than you ever imagined. For me Grant, AKA Twiggy is one such hero, a genuinely humble guy who lets his actions on the water do the talking. Twiggy is one of those rare breeds of surfers who have embraced new watersports as they are born, and pursued them to an exceedingly high level.

Originally a surfer from South Africa he turned his attention to kitesurfing in the early days of the sport, his surfing skills led him to become one of the best wave riders with a kite at the time. After kiting the big wave scene beckoned, a wild card place was awarded for the Mavericks event in 2006, based on a voting system where Twiggy got the whole of South Africa behind him.

He went over there early, trained hard for three months surfing Mavericks everytime it broke and won the event, a complete outsider who arguably shouldn't have been invited. He cemented his name into the big wave history books and has gone on to win numerous events and world titles ever since. Along the way, he became a very capable paddleboarder while recovering from an injury, a rare skill in a world where surfers often frown upon the use of a paddle. In more recent years Twiggy took to foiling with a paddleboard and has now progressed to prone paddling incredulously tiny boards into waves with a hydrofoil.

His thirst for learning new sports seems to know no bounds and his humility, in every aspect, is ever-present. When told by people watching him learn to surf foil that he should watch Kai Lenny, he smiles and agrees, although there is a good chance a part of him just died inside a little. It takes a lot for a massively accomplished athlete to go back to basics, sit way out in the lineup and eat shit all day long trying to master something new.

The fact he does this and comes up hungry for more every time is why we love the waterman who is Grant Twiggy Baker… He's just signed up with F-One as a foil and kite ambassador, and we were lucky enough to catch up with him on a recent trip to learn how to SUP Foil.

You're well known for your big wave exploits and arguably the most proficient waterman to come from South Africa, how hard was it to break out of that third world continent and into the mainstream of big wave surfing?

That’s a tough first question; we are at a significant disadvantage coming from the Southern Hemisphere, with 90% of the recognised big wave spots up North. With that comes all the hype and sponsorships, but at the same time, we have our advantages down here as well. Plenty of uncrowded waves and tight-knit crews of underground big wave charges, an active board building community and easy access to the coast to name a few. So yes, it is tough to break out, but at the same time, it can’t be an excuse.

You’ve always been keen to try new sports, a proficient kitesurfer, paddler, surfer and spear fisherman among other things. Lots of surfers are passionate about staying true to the core of surfing, what makes you different and more open to new challenges?

I think it’s mostly because of where I’m from that I’m open to different sports that keep me in the ocean. Durban has good waves for half the year, but the other half can be flat and windy and not the best for surfing. It makes sense to try different things that suit the varying conditions. Kiteboarding is amazing here with winds from both tacks and a huge variety of waves, and we have an abundant supply of game fish and warm, clear water for spearfishing. The small windless days are perfect for SUPing and now foiling.

Back in the day you were competing on the world tour for kitesurfing, did you have much success, do you still kite a bit now?

I still love to kite, the freedom it gives you in the waves is incredible, but I haven’t competed for many moons. I had a little success back in the day but nothing to write home about.

How did you get into paddle boarding and is it becoming widely accepted as a sport in South Africa?

The SUP community is big down in South Africa, and I first became involved after knee surgery, using the SUP for rehabilitation. After that, I was hooked and love to go SUPing when it’s warm with small, fun waves. I also enjoy a good downwinder for training, and we have epic conditions here for a good, long workout.

What do you enjoy about it the most?

Again the freedom it allows you to paddle down the beach or out to sea and be alone at your own surf break or to take a paddle up a river. It’s a different way of experiencing the ocean, and that’s always fun.

SUP Foiling and foil surfing is your new passion, what drove you to try something that to some looks so impossibly hard?

(Laughs) It’s not that hard if you follow the correct steps to get started. It’s important to begin behind a boat for a few days and get a feel for the foil. After that, I would suggest using a bigger surfboard or SUP for your first few weeks in the waves for extra balance and easy wave catching, before slowly reducing your board size as you feel comfortable. It’s hard to get good at, but nothing worth doing is easy to learn.

Can you describe to us how it feels when you finally glide down that first wave?

It’s an amazing feeling, unlike anything else I’ve felt in the ocean. You feel like a seagull gliding over the ocean, and any subtle movement makes a difference to the performance of the foil. The glide, reduced drag and efficiency of the foil still intrigue me every time I stand up.

As an outsider looking in, it looks pretty limiting, perhaps only working at certain breaks and the difficulty factor presents a barrier to entry that SUP has previously been devoid of. What do you think the potential for foiling in the waves is?

For sure, it’s for certain conditions and locations and for me, it’s another aspect of wave riding that I can add to my quiver. Some days its good for surfing and others kiting, SUPing and now foiling.

Are we going to see people foiling down huge waves in the future, is it practical to take something like that into huge surf?

Yes, and yes, foiling is in its infancy, and it will grow into something much more than what it is now. It makes sense for big waves, which often come with wind and chop; the foil can eliminate these factors. With the amount of research and testing going into foil’s at the moment, it’s only a matter of time before we see its application everywhere.

Are you kite foiling too or just sticking to the surf for the moment?

I’m kite foiling for sure, it's an excellent way to learn about the different foils and for those light wind days its so much fun!

You’ve recently become a family man, how has that changed your perception of how you undertake your career? At the big wave contests, you’re truly pushing the limits, does having Billi waiting on the beach change your outlook on how you compete?

Like my wife says, you have a family now, so you had better catch bigger waves (Laughs). No, for sure having people depending on you changes your perspective on life and I have adapted my technique in big waves accordingly, and this has helped me in the competitive environment because I’m choosing my waves more carefully and going for quality rather than quantity.

You’ve got a few business interests, has the big wave sponsorship increased in light of its mass appeal or are you still relying on your hard work in the business world to pay the bills?

It’s a bit of both these days, five years ago there was no money in the sport, and we were doing it for love and passion, and I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. These days there’s enough money to add some good income on top of what I make from my other business interests. You could scrape by just surfing but who wants to do that, and even if I were a highly paid surfer on the WSL tour, I would still want to further myself with other interests.

Which would you prefer, a 50ft day at Dungeons or a 3-foot day with the surf foil?

(Laughs) Great question, I’m very hooked on the foil right now, and both give me an incredible rush but perfect 50ft Dungeons? There’s no feeling like that!

A lot of big wave spots are getting crowded, are we still living in a world with untapped resources still looking to be discovered? How much effort goes into finding these spots, and how long does it take to work out how best to approach them with safety.

There are so many big waves out there waiting to be found or already being surfed by a handful of guys that we do not need to worry about crowds. For sure the “name” sports like Jaws, Mavericks and Dungeons will get more crowded, but if you move a couple of hours up or down the coast for any of those waves, there are empty gems just sitting there. This is what I see in my future, going back to grassroots surfing and testing yourself against the entire experience of surfing big waves. The paddle out, the working out of the wave, riding a few safely and getting home in one piece is what it's all about.

You recently joined the F-One Team, how did that come about, and what are you doing for them?

I’ve always admired the F-One setup and love the kites as well as how Mitu Monteiro approaches the sport so when Raphael Salles contacted me about coming on board as an ambassador for both kiting and foiling I jumped at the chance. Right now we are getting a handle on the foil revolution and working on perfecting our boards and foils for production.

You’ve been to Mauritius before, but this was the first time with the surf and SUP foils, what is the potential like over there for this new sport?

Mauritius is perfect for all watersports, and the foil is no different. It’s a paradise for surfing, kiting, SUP and foiling!

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

My family and I had a fantastic time in Mauritius, and I’m excited to be involved with the F-One guys and what the future holds for us. So thanks to Raph and his team for the opportunity to work and play with them.

What does the future hold for Grant Twiggy Baker, Billi and Kate?

Its wide-open bru, the future is looking bright and exciting. We are ready!

Videos

SURF FOIL TALK BY TWIGGY
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater has been kitesurfing for over twenty years, paddleboarding for the last six years, and was there testing the first wingsurfer from Naish in Tarifa when it arrived on the continent. He is passionate about riding waves and exploring new places. As the publishing editor, he oversees everything at Tonic but also our sister magazines IKSURFMAG and IMB. He's been on the water since he was born and has never looked back, in the winter you'll find him chasing swells in the Caribbean and during the summer he can be found all over Europe at various SUP, Kitesurf and Mountain Bike events getting features for the magazines.

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