The Ballito Pro presented by Billabong always brings a festive vibe to the relaxed coastal scene and this year, visitors can expect even more with the introduction of the Fire Up Your Stoke cuisine, fashion and entertainment evening on Wednesday, 29 June.

Fire Up Your Stoke forms part of the twelve-day festival which offers daily activities for visitors to embrace the outdoor coastal lifestyle on offer. The festival runs alongside the main feature which is the ongoing surfing action with top international surfers battling it out for the number one spot.

The Fire Up Your Stoke programme is packed with a number of delectable cook-off competitions – for chefs as young as three years old – all assessed by well-known judges from MasterChef and Ulitmate Braai Master. There will also be onstage entertainment, wine, whiskey and craft beer tastings and an exclusive showing of an international surf film.

“In addition to the incredible line-up of events we have planned from 22 June to 3 July, the Fire Up Your Stoke evening is sure to be a hit with all ages looking for a relaxed evening,” said event co-ordinator, Collette Bundy. “There are so many budding chefs out there looking for an opportunity to make their mark and this will provide them with the perfect, no-stress platform. There will also be a range of food on offer for those looking for a great dining experience as well as live music, dancing and fashion entertainment. There will really be something for every taste at Fire Up Your Stoke.”

To heat things up, three of South Africa’s renowned chefs will be in attendance to judge the various categories. MasterChef South Africa winner, Roxi Wardman, will be joined by Ultimate Braai Master competitors, Eldry Liebrandt and Louis Pillay, of Team Shisa Mfethu. The trio brings with them a wealth of culinary knowledge with Roxi currently running the popular Spoonful Eatery in trendy Helen Joseph Road, Glenwood, while ‘the hot brothers’ are currently embroiled in the fourth season of South Africa’s toughest outdoor cooking competition.

A dedicated cooking area will be set aside for the evening’s youngest participants, the Mini Cooks. Here, children aged three to six, will create their own sweet treats, giving support to the belief that dessert before a main course is really the preferred option.

While the Mini Cooks are kept busy, the Fine Young Cooks will start with their preparations. Open to all would-be chefs aged seven to 13, the event will see 10 paired teams compete in a sosatie-making competition with each team having to create their own secret sosatie and side dish, cooked on a Weber gas braai. The final creation will then be presented to the judges who will crown the Fine Young Cooks’ Team 2016. Each team is required to bring their own ingredients and assemble and cook everything at the venue.

The Ultimate Grill-off Ballito Style will pit teams of two against each other with each team expected to create a signature dish on Weber gas braais for the title of Ballito Grill Champs 2016. Dads and lads, moms and daughters, friends and couples will team up, select a team name and dress accordingly for the event where they will create and present a starter and main course or main course and dessert for the judges.

Throughout the evening, the hotly-contested Battle of the Ballito Burger will see local restaurants looking to win over patrons’ appetites and votes with their signature burger and sides. The public are encouraged to visit each stall and assess the cuisine before casting the deciding votes.

And to add a bit of spice to the evening, there will be a special cook-off between Billabong team rider and Big Wave surfer, Matt Bromley, and former World Champion surfer, Martin ‘Pottz’ Potter.

Visitors will also be privy to two exclusive premiere screenings of Matt Bromley’s new surf movie ‘Risky Business’. The film, shot by New Zealand filmmaker Guy Mac, focuses on Bromley chasing down the wildest and most beautiful waves in some of the world’s top surfing spots. It uniquely encompasses the four different spheres around the globe, depicting everything from the sub-zero climates of Iceland and Ireland to the Indonesian tropics and warm waters of Hawaii, as well as South Africa’s enticing coastline. This will be the first global screening of the movie with viewings at 5.50pm and again at 8.55pm.

For the young designers looking to showcase their talents, there will be an exciting competition whereby competitors have to create garments using recycled materials. Consisting of two categories, the juniors’ section will see children designing their own garments to be modelled onstage while the professionals’ section will have young designers creating a garment for an allocated model. These garments will be judged by four professionals in the fashion industry, namely; Ashley Starin Eddy (Mr KZN), Tracey-Anne Buckley (Mrs KZN), Levinia Lea Naidoo (Mrs SA Finalist 2016) and Genevieve Tomkinson Daw (Winner of Designer Competition 2014). There will be amazing prizes up for grabs including a cash prize, vouchers from Brand Habit, photoshoots and lots more. Simply Models will also be showcasing some stunning items from Brand Habit throughout the fashion show.

All the action will take place at the main festival area at KwaDukuza’s Willard Beach on Wednesday 29 June starting at 5pm. Be sure not to miss out on any of the evening’s non-stop entertainment!

Fire Up Your Stoke programme:
5pm to 5.45pm: Fine Young Cooks Comp
5.50pm to 6.30pm: First showing of Matt Bromley’s Risky Business
6.35pm to 6.50pm: Simply Models Fashion Show
6.55pm to 7.50pm: Ultimate grill-off Ballito style – Battle of the Ballito Burger
7.55pm to 8.10pm: Up Cycle Fashion Designers’ Competition 8.35pm to 8.50pm: Winners’ announcements
8.55pm to 9.35pm: Second showing of Matt Bromley’s Risky Business

*Times may be subject to change. Please visit www.theballitopro.com to view the updated schedule.