It’s been almost six years since Doc passed on and finally we have a resting place for this piece dedicated to his memory, written by Andrew ‘Roosta’ Lange.

Rest In Peace Antony Michael 'Doc' van den Heuwel. Born 1944, died Sunday morning 21st September 2003 in his camp on the dunes overlooking Supertubes, Jeffreys Bay. The Doc will go down in history as one of South African surfings' martyrs - for his lifestyle, his attitude and interpretation of living to surf, staying on the beach and staking his claim and right to live and die on the dunes overlooking one of the world's most hallowed surf spots. It's a story so overwhelming and tidal I feel almost a little young and insignificant to reflect Doc's true message so I have enlisted the help of three custodians of our South African surf culture; Bruce Gold, Christine Moller and Shorty Bronkhorst, interview-style to help weave this one down the line and into some proper sense! All three being Doc's true 'connections'. Christine and Doc were two of South Africa's first representatives charging the North shore of Oahu in Hawaii almost three decades back, whilst Bruce and Shorty go as far back as surfing itself and have shared Doc's path so we can be assured of an accurate and honest reflection of what really went down...

You and Doc were cruising together on you first trip to J-Bay right?

Shorty: "It was in 1966 when he came back from competing for South africa in Peru and ah, we actually did a trip to Cape Town and stopped off here in J-Bay on the way, and then stopped again on the way back. Then I had to get back hey, and Doc said ‘I’m staying a bit longer!’ and of course there was nothing here, I mean not a house in sight, we all camped in the dunes down the bottom of The Point."

What was the story with Doc when they wouldn't give him his Springbok colours?

Shorty: " He didn't actually get them because there was John Whitmore you see, who told him that if he didn't cut his hair he couldn't surf and he just wouldn't cut it! So they never gave him his colours. That tells you a lot about Doc hey? Rather than cut his hair, he'd rather not have his Springbok blazer!!!"

What do you reckon Christine?

Christine: "Well I also knew Tony since he was sixteen. It was Durban lifesaving club days, he was with Pirates and Shorty was South Beach then Tony became a pro lifeguard as well."

So then how did you two end up meeting in Hawaii?

Christine: "I was over there from California and he came over from SA to stay and surf the North Shore, it was before all the contests started happening, just before we left they started having one or two events, it was around '66 I think."

Did he charge?

Christine: Charge what? Oh, (laughs), well I guess he did - I think we were all were surfing like crazy in those days..."

What was the whole Hawaiian social scene like back then?

Christine: "No, it was quiet, I mean we'd go home, make dinner, go to bed 'n get up early the next morning! There was no nightlife, there were some youngsters from San Fransisco and they got a light show going in Honolulu, that was about it."

What about that really solid wave Bruce was telling us about that you and the Doc shared at Sunset when it was big? 

Christine: "We had a lot of waves at Sunset, I suppose, well it's different the waves over there and I had my semi-gun, that was a beautiful board sponsored by Greg Noll. I could ride it in three foot surf or ten foot surf."

What was the story?

Bruce: "They were both taking the drop together, Christine above him on the outside. Tony waiting for Christine to do her bottom turn, trying to convince her to hurry up and turn!"

Christine: "I dunno, the waves got bigger and bigger the way I hear it? (more laughter) I don't think they were that big (giggles). I dunno, I suppose you don't think about it when you're young and strong, you just go out there and you surf!"

Bruce, where and when did you first meet Doc?

Bruce: "End of '68 hey, right here at The Point."

Were you guys camping or what?

Bruce: "Ja, we came out here on a surfing trip and Doc was staying here in a half a bus, half a silver bus. He'd been here for a while. He had a sore back from doing a flick-flack on the dunes. I even saw him shaping a board on a drum for some Aussie. Gavin Rudolph rode it the first time, I had a Canon Super 8 and documented Gavin on it "

How would you describe Doc's style of surfing?

Bruce: "Very controlled, very powerful. Precise and considered surfing - STYLISH!"

What era suited his surfing best?

Bruce: " Longboard surfing for sure, Mickey Dora came back here and he only rode longboards and he inspired us more or less to return to the longboards."

Tell us a cool story about the Doc.

Christine: " Many years ago with my blue Kombi we went over to St Francis - we were actually looking at the pictures today - and Tony says, " This is how you go in here," as he waxes his surfboard. There's all those stones there and he goes climbing over the stones and jumps on his board and starts paddling and knocks his skeg off!" (heaps more laughter)

Bruce: "Doc was the Kombi man for a good couple of years, big BIG days at seldom-surfed spots with the likes of big Joff Hoffman supplying the amperage. Daytime fires, sherry bottleneck times on Super's dunes between surfs. His dogs, Sam with cleft palate grin, and Knee-High, then Faith goes blind and starts walking in circles and finally Socks dying in his arms a month before his own departure. Happy landings, as my brother Rex would say, hope he and Mickey and maybe Bunker are there to welcome him. Remember Bunker on his birthday at the Beach Hotel? Free drinks from 4 to 9pm, saying to Rex, "Welcome to hell Rex!" and Bunker's squeeze only with eyes for Tony. Great times around the full-size snooker table. Miss Jericho Poppler 'Hunting the Tony' asking Simon Anderson, ‘Do you surf?’. Stitching boots in the nude with Michelle by the Kabeljous River, fires on the Krom blowing harmonica with Sam Mieny on guitar. ‘Surfing, that's all I wanna do, till I'm 62,’ Sam's surfing song and lately Japanese chow with the Nippons, they all loved the Doc."

So it was around '92 when I first heard from an Aussie that the infamous Doc was on the scene and out of the township. Staying at Koffie's surf camp keeping the coals blazing around the fire and telling the tourists stories. I had to see it for myself and thus started my friendship and 'tutelage' with the Doc, Supertubes and the politics of Jeffreys Bay. Since all I'd ever heard through grommethood was the name, like he was one of the pioneers of J-Bay or something, respect came naturally, you see he was as loved as he was hated at times. Doc lived the way he wanted, which was not without confrontation. Negativity as a result of his actions, habits and attitude came and went like the tide - like the two sides of Doc - one unequivocally cool, the other on edge, disillusioned and angry at the way things had become with the scene, crowds and the reckless over-development of J-Bay.

Early winter two or so years ago, now time's changed, and a bunch of us who'd been hanging in town surfing a few swells ended up carting Doc's stuff back out to the dunes and armed with spades and some good pieces of wood we re-established his camp. The thing was, well is, that no one could ever have done something like that! Think about it, to be able to stake your claim to a piece of dune overlooking one of the world's most hallowed surf spots and get away with it you'd have to have lived a life like Doc's and no one else will! No one could argue his right to be there, he'd been hanging on those dunes, and flying down the line at Supertubes and high-lining swift cylinders since 1963! Antony van den Heuwel leaves behind a legacy of fast living and barrel riding in J-Bay and most essentialy world-wide . He hung with the Duke, and the original beachboys in Waikiki. Surfed in the world champs twice amongst legends, not to mention all those sessions on the North Shore, Peru, early Durban and of course empty J-Bay.

"Congratulations to Antony van den Heuwel on his 3rd place behind Midget Farrelly and Paul Strauch in the small wave ability contest, and 4th in the paddle race in the February-March Peru International Contest. In the July issue we will interview Ant to hear his views on the latest surfing trends, and international competition."

- from Sidelights by Hotdog, South African Surfer magazine, 1960's.

But like many of us, the Doc's heart and soul belonged in empty J-Bay. Can you imagine sharing its sublime perfection with a few  friends or lucky people? Resident shapers Larry Levin and Mike Meyer both capture and identify with Tony's spirit entirely. Mikey was, well is, busy working on the Doc longboard model. These guys were tight, free souls who've shared the same Supers race track for decades. All those waves and how much tube time! Amongst all these swells, barrels and legends, heroes came and went, but the Doc and a few others stayed true to their roots. He ended up carving his own niche out of the dunes through leatherwork, and again by pushing the envelope of pointbreak and down the line surfing. All of us are, or should be subconsciously following this path! Ja, we've made adjustments, but Doc's commitment is in essence what we’re about isn't it? Some of us have made compromises, fallen in love, pursued material gain, even gone pear-shaped 'n insane! I mean we've got to survive right? We're all on the same path though, and have to keep the commitment and vibe of free surfing alive!

"If it were the Transkei say, we'd have spent 25 years there, got a piece of land from the headman and be sorted, but this is J-Bay! You need money to survive, some of us had to make adjustments - I make surfboards and I surf." - Mike Meyer

Tony stayed true to his desires and in a sense martyred himself for the true freedom of being able to be on every swell if he wanted to. His path was through a heap of perfect barrels on one of the world's best waves. Living and dying for the pursuit of freedom through liquid escape.

The present - at 59 ripe years it was a challenge to camp in the dunes. For a while he had his dog Faith and then Socks and all the crew in the 'office' under the boardwalk and things were rocking, tight people, good times. I'm sure a heap of us have spent many a day watching the show between sessions. Christine knitting Bippo beanies on one side, Bruce doctoring the Doc's back on the other while he grooved to his radio, crafting leather boots and sandals and dogs 'n pups ran around your feet like crazy! Doc's leatherwork was renowned the world over - check the Art Brewer photo of his thigh-high boots custom built for the infamous Bunker Spreckles - not to mention Mickey Dora's amazing politically-incorrect sealskin boots (still in possession of one Bruce Gold). You just had to have patience and order your boots long before you left town! And so he eked out a few bucks from the leatherwork, did some interviews for surf mags, and generally survived in a style one could only manage in a place like J-Bay with its history as a surf travel mecca and international meeting place for all forms of tube riding.

"Doc's presence on the boardwalk was like part of the whole J-Bay package. Foreigners could always talk to the real old local who'd been there forever, after a day hussling or being hussled by locals in the sometimes ridiculously intense Supertubes lineup." - Jeffreys Bay resident

The years ticked by and the inimitable Doc carried on with his tidal ways. He won the veteran's in the Port St Francis SA longboard champs at Seal Point in 2001 but ill health and good times reached a peak literally with a wild Christmas binge and the Doc started coming down. I'm sure I can say on behalf of a lot of people who knew him that the Doc that we knew in the time before he died was the most humble and reverent person around. You could almost see he knew how lucky he was to still be there and was gonna milk it for as long as he was still around!

THE LAST SWELL, Full moon, Wednesday 10th September, 2003

Four daze of waves, two swells - the first peaking at almost twelve feet by late evening. Only the usual suspects are left out - Mickey Duffus, Asho, Brickez, Mikey Meyer, Stu Shelver and Dave Weare. The best days surfing in ages and the boys were feeling festive, having a few Labels in the carpark watching the show when out of the bush from Point comes the infamous artist and resident headcase Pierre de Villiers Fourie:. "WHERE ARE THE SURFERS NOW?" he shouts, "I SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE WATCHING BUT NOT TOO MANY OUT! I USED TO SURF HERE BY MYSELF WHEN IT WAS 15 FOOT! BUT NOW I'M DYING, WHAT DO YOU CARE!" he rants and waves his big stick. Everyone shakes their head and we blame it on the moon shining full and silver like a coin as its light jumps and fades on the swell-filled bay. He rants some more and disappears in the direction of Doc's camp. About a half a Black label later Doc shows up and we tell him the story. He sympathizes with Pierre's scenario, typical brilliant artist gone crazy from time and circumstance, but does not wanna bump into him at all costs! The carpark starts emptying and we all filter outa there hungry like hunters for the morning session.

Next morning it's dropped to five maybe six feet solid, everyone's out already getting pitted, light north-west opening the barrels even more than usual. I watch Simon and Peter Nicholson get stand-up barrels one after the other, brother after brother. 'The Foot' Greg Emslie is charging the bottom section while AC and Els carve deep in and outa barrels backhand no-rail-grabbing. It's epic to watch and I cruise down the boardwalk over to the Doc and Shorty. Doc's a mess and I ask what happened. "Pierre came into my camp last night and beat the shit outa me with his stick!" His elbow's swollen like a tennis ball, his breathing laboured from a whack across the back and he's limping from another whack on the hip. The story continues as Christine cruises down the boardwalk to find Doc whose been sitting there in the sun all day because he's inable physically to climb the last little stretch into his camp! She takes him home for the night for a hot bath, shave and supper, then over to Bruce in the morning for a massage. Doc confides in Bruce saying how he never really felt homeless until now with Pierre on the loose terrorising him.

Now Doc never really was in the best physical condition in the first place and a knock across the back could be like a whack on the kidneys - you could just be walking around a week later and drop dead. Autopsy results came back the Doc died of causes natural, he had TB in one lung...

We don't know what happened, but what we do know is that we lost a legend, we may or may not have been able to prevent it from happening, but some good must come from this all, so here is Doc's message:

"You can spend your whole life trying to figure out how to make a million or you can spend your time doing what you love and what you're good at! "

And as Bruce says, "Never mind your book learning - BEWARE, BE WARY, and BE AWARE! Grab the beauty of the fleeting moment, be here now not beer now!"

Postscript: There was a memorial paddle out and scattering of Docs' ashes at The Point at midday, Saturday 4th October 2003. Sam Mieny and the boys jammed at the hut for hundreds of Doc's friends who came from all over South Africa. It was absolute sheet glass for the paddle-out to the take-off spot where 56 surfers of all ages joined hands for a minute's silence, then Shorty Bronkhorst scattered Ant's ashes and everyone cheered for their fallen brother. This tribal memorial service brought together a lot of people who hadn't connected for years and there were a lot of hangovers the next day to mark the passing of a true J-Bay surfing legend.

(Words by Andrew ‘Roosta’ Lange • Authenticated by Bruce Gold)