Bruce was one of the first to ride the waves at Supertubes, before the small EC town blew up as a hotspot. This month, the legend turned 79!
Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa (27 June 2026) – Bruce Gold is JBay’s longest-serving surfer, and one of the once-sleepy EC town’s oldest icons. Some call him The Last Surfing Hippie. Others call him Gandalf of JBay – because he is that legendary. As is his beard.
“If you’ve spent any time here in the coastal Kouga town of Jeffreys Bay, chances are you’ve seen him somewhere between Supertubes and the Point, riding his bicycle with a surfboard under his arm, catching waves that many people half his age can only dream about, or greeting people with his trademark ‘Ahoy!’ and a smile.” shares Kouga Tourism, celebrating Gold on his birthday.
“Today Bruce turns 79, and it’s hard to imagine Jeffreys Bay without him.”
The town’s tourism board says that Bruce was living the lifestyle that so many people now travel across the world to experience long before JBay was on the map for surfing.
Gold was out paddling Supertubes in the late ‘60s, riding a wave that decades later became popularised as one of the best and most famous right-hand point breaks in the world. Decades before JBay became a world surf tour hotspot, Bruce was catching the swell and camping out in the dunes. His simple but special way of life has made him quite the celebrity amongst locals.
“Visitors love meeting him, photographers are always hoping to catch him out in the surf, and locals know him simply as… Bruce.”
Bruce, the ever-peaceful wave-riding hippie, wants nothing to do with the fame. Countless articles have been written, and doccies have been made about him, but he’s not about chasing clout. Only waves.
“He’s never been one for the spotlight, and we think he really means it – his Insta handle is literally ‘los.my.uit’” jokes Kouga Tourism. “Yet he’s become one of the town’s most recognisable faces.”
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“Thank you for being part of the story of Jeffreys Bay for so many years, and for reminding all of us that sometimes the richest life is also the simplest one.”
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