Profile: Paul Botha

Paul Botha, 63, is a veteran watersports promoter who has operated at the highest levels of local and international surfing administration for the past three decades. A committed surfer since 1959, Paul has ridden waves in more than 30 countries. He has founded and / or run many of the organisations that govern and promote the sport and the beach lifestyle, and has owned, managed and / or promoted many of its icon events.

A full time professional watersports promoter since 1986, Paul has long established contacts in virtually every country in which surfing is practiced and, through his company Life’s a Beach Communications, owns arguably one of the world’s most extensive databases of surfing and watersports promoters, local and international media, industry personnel and surfers.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2007 – Present         Earthwave Beach Festival – Co-founder & promoter

2007 – Present         Kahuna Promotions – Co-founder & GM

2006 – Present         ISA World Surfing Games & ISA World Junior Champs –  SA Media Director for events in California, Portugal, Costa Rica, Brazil, France, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, New Zealand & China

2005 – Present         People’s Post -  Author of fortnightly View from the Beach column

2000 – Present         Life’s a Beach Communications – founder & GM

1987 – Present         Billabong Pro – Jeffreys Bay – Event coordinator, contest and media director for the most prestigious and lucrative surfing event in Africa

2009                           Coordinator for  Guinness World Record – Cape Town – 110 surfers on the same wave

2007                           Sunday Times Brand Awards – Teens – Best Brand Communicator for Billabong

2006                           Khusa Awards for Teens – Best Experiential Events – Top 3 - Beach Africa + Billabong Pro + Red Bull Boxcart

2006                           Guinness World Record for ‘most surfers on a wave’ + Shark Debate – Cape Town – Co-founder & promoter

2004 – 2010             Kahuna Surfing AcademyCC – Co-founder & GM - Introduced standardised surf coaching curriculum to SA

2004                           ISA World Surfing Games – Ecuador - Onsite media director

2003                           Inaugural ISA World Junior Surfing Champs, Durban - Media director

2002                           ISA World Surfing Games – Durban - Media director

2001                           Oxbow ASP World Longboard Championships – J-Bay - Event coordinator & media director

2000 – 2005              Red Bull Big Wave Africa – Cape Town - Co-founded, ran and promoted SA’s premier big-wave surfing event

2000 – 2004              Mr Price Pro – International surfing event – Durban - Media director

1999 – 2000               Peninsula Tourism (Cape Town) - Executive Board member

1996                              Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) - Emergent Marketer of the Year for Ocean Action beach festival -Durban

1995                           GreaterDurbanMarketing Authority - Valued Partner Award

1995 – 1997               Ocean Action beach festival – Cape Town - Founder & Convener

1992 – 1998               Ocean Action beach festival – Durban & Global - Co-founder and Sport & Media Director

1991                           United Surfing Council of SA (USCSA) – the first non-racial governing body for surfing in SA - Facilitator & Chairman for unification talks

1988 – 1998               Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International – Founded & ran Africa regional office

1988 – 1997               Gunston 500 – Durban - Event Coordinator and media director for SA’s longest running international professional surfing event

1987 – 1998               Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International  - Executive Board member

1987 – 2005             Association of Surfriding Officials (ASRO) - Co-founder & inaugural president for body providing all officials for wave-riding events in SA.

1987 – 1994               5FM Radio - Surfing Reporter for SA’s premier national radio station

1986 – 2000              Surfabout Watersport Promoters (Pty) Ltd - Founded and ran SA’s first professional watersports promotion company

1984 – 1987               Spur Steak Ranch Surfabout - Co-founder and event coordinator – first international professional surfing event staged in Cape Town

1984 – 1986              South African Surfing Association - National Judging Coordinator

1983                           South African national surfing team – Coach

1978 – 1986              Western Province Surfing Association (Cape Town) - Vice-Chairman and representative on the executive board of SA Surfing Association

1976, ’83, ’90, 97, 2000, 2002 & 2004 –Western Province surfing champion in various age categories

Numerous awards for administration, promotion, media liaison & journalism

Published in a dozen books, scores of magazines, hundreds of newspapers and websites

More than 1 000 interviews on radio and TV as spokesman for events and the surfing lifestyle