Chasing the Unicorn traces the history of surfing in post-war Mozambique, as well as the burgeoning local surfing culture in the region.
At the end of 1992 the Mozambique Peace agreement ended a 16 year-long civil war in the country. Just like that, the entire country opened up, and the previously inaccessible surf breaks became available for exploration. Soon after, surfers took to the seas to find what treasures Mozambique had hidden away all those years.
“We just heard there’s waves in Mozambique and went for a look,” says freesurfing legend Frankie Oberholzer in the new surf movie from Now Now. He chartered a yacht from Richard’s Bay, but it was soon caught in heavy seas that had the crew fearing for their lives. Seeking a lea from the storm, they happened upon Inhaca, where they found a perfect break.
From then on, the secret was out about Mozambique’s world-class waves. The film outlines the development of surfing in Mozambique, from dodging land mines while searching for peaks to how the local surfing culture has taken off in recent years.
Of course, the film also features excellent surfing from the likes of Sung Min Cho, Eli Beukes, Julia Fernando, Jordy Smith, Brendon Gibbens, Mikey February and others.
