Author: AdminBallitoPro

Willard Beach in KwaDukuza delivered a picture perfect day of world-class surfing in warm, windless midwinter sunshine and excellent 1.0 to 1.3 metre waves to kick off the historic 50th anniversary edition of the Ballito Pro presented Billabong, the world’s longest running professional surfing event.

The first World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 10,000 rated event of 2018 features an outstanding field of 112 of the world’s best surfers and the day was filled with spectacular performances and heart-breaking upsets.

Oney Anwar kept the Indonesian flag flying in Ballito, following his compatriot Rio Waida’s victory in the Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) event on Sunday with an impressive display of wave selection and radical manoeuvring that earned both the highest single ride score of 8.83 out of 10, and heat total of 16.76 out of 20.

“I just kept it simple, paddling out and sitting on the right . I made a few mistakes at the start, but I kept fighting for the one I was waiting for and then it came and I got that 8.83,” said Anwar of his heat strategy.

“I came last year with a really badly injured foot, and I never usually like a place when I’m injured, but I stayed until the contest finished and I loved it! This year I’m not injured and I’m enjoying it even more! But this is only the first round and I want to keep the good vibe rolling and keep enjoying my life.”

The eight Round One heats saw just two of the top seeds earn heat wins with powerhouse Australian Jackson Baker continuing the momentum he picked up from his victory in the QS 3,000 event in Port Elizabeth last Saturday to win his matchup.

And Brazilian prodigy Mateus Herdy used all of his aerial prowess to snatch victory over South African Adin Masencamp (Strand) as the pair of teenagers eliminated Timothee Bisso (FRA) and former Championship Tour (CT) member Raoni Monteiro (BRA).

The other two South African wildcards in the opening round were both ousted with Jordy Maree narrowly failing to advance when he finished third in his heat and Jake Elkington ended fourth in the first heat of the day.

The start of Round Two saw the level of competition step up to new heights with most of the heats closely contested as the competitors ripped the waves to shreds in the pristine conditions.

Rookie CT sensation Griffin Colapinto (USA) sneaked through his opening encounter by the narrowest of margins, finishing well behind winner Kalani Ball (AUS) and then hanging onto second place just three-hundredths of a point ahead of Kiron Jabour (HAW).

Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) won an exceptionally hard fought cosmopolitan clash where current QS rankings leader and 2015 Ballito Pro champion Alejo Muniz (BRA) finished fourth while former CT member Mitch Crews was pipped for second place by fellow Australian Mikey Wright, who reached the semi-finals at Ballito last year and has moved into the top 10 on the CT after stating 2018 as a wildcard.

While acknowledging that the first QS 10,000 of the year is an important event on the schedule, the Hawaiian took the victory in his stride and was just happy to be in Ballito.

“I’m not the most strategic surfer, I just want to ride a lot of waves because if I get too patient, wait too long, that’s not the surfer I am,” said Hendrickson. “So it’s all about riding a bunch of waves, the other guys don’t factor into my plans. The Ballito Pro is a big event on my schedule, it’s the first 10,000 of the year, and I’m fortunate to just keep going as a surfer. I don’t have that sponsor backing, so I’m just happy to be here.”

Umhlanga local Beyrick de Vries had the partisan hometown supporters hooting and was holding onto an advancing second place in his heat until Jacob Wilcox (AUS) found the best wave of the heat in the dying moments of the 30 minute clash and got the score he needed to earn a spot in Round Three

Soli Bailey (AUS) implemented his gameplan perfectly to ensure he progressed to the last 48 in the Ballito Pro, reading the conditions astutely and acting accordingly.

“Approaching the heat there were a few factors coming into play, it was high tide and it was always going to be quite a slow heat, so it was going to come down to a couple of good waves,” said Bailey. “I had 30 minutes, which is a long time if you can be patient, and I really wanted to consolidate with a good wave at the start and then back it up as quickly as possible.”

“I was pretty lucky I got that lefthander that gave me a good score and that was my gameplan – just to make sure I put myself a decent wave to start the heat with, to set me up for the heat – and then I built on that and it worked out. The first big event of the year is always cutthroat, it means everything in qualification process, so it was a pretty nervous heat for me. I’ve had a couple of tough heats and some bad losses, so I just wanted to get one under my belt and it will be good to keep going.”

The penultimate heat of the day saw the return of 2017 semi-finalist Mikey February (ZAF), who is now a full time member of the elite CT. Despite holding his own through most of the heat, the Capetonian was overtaken in the dying moments, much to disappointment of his legions of fans.

Organisers completed all eight heats in Round One and eight of 24 heats in Round Two on the opening day of the event. They will meet at first light and make a decision soon after 7am on when to get the action started, and when to get the QS1,000 rated Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong underway.

In what could be deemed a momentous meeting of two historical greats, despite having a generation gap and being from completely different spheres, former World Surfing champion Shaun Tomson and Dr. Albertina Luthuli, eldest daughter of the first African Nobel Peace Prize winner Nkosi Albert Luthuli, shared deep insight into this country’s past, present and future.

At their first meeting last Thursday afternoon, the two philanthropists were kindred spirits intently reminiscing on the phenomenal characteristics of the great Chief Luthuli, whilst strolling arm in arm through the Albert Luthuli Museum, which was once the house in which he lived.

Albert Luthuli was instrumental in the struggle against apartheid and was allegedly killed in a train accident near Stanger in 1967. His relationship with struggle veterans, most notably Nelson Mandela have been well-documented internationally. Mandela was a protégé of the great Chief, who would often hide him from apartheid police in his home in Groutville.

Tomson’s visit to South Africa culminates with him spending 67-minutes at the Lethithemba Secondary School for the centenary celebrations of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July #LiveTheLegacy.

Shaun Tomson, the only South African World Surfing Champion and six times winner of the Gunston 500 in Durban, has spent the last week motivating local schools and organisations in the KwaDukuza region through the Positive Wave Tour driven by SMG Rocks and hosted by Coco De Mer as part of the 50th edition of the world’s longest running professional surfing event, the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong.

After visiting the museum, Tomson laid a wreath at the grave of Nkosi Luthuli. “I was simply bowled over by the Luthuli’s warmth towards me, and their heartfelt gratitude for my work in helping the local students overwhelmed me with emotion. It was deeply inspiring for me to hear stories of one of South Africa’s greatest leaders, especially some of the more personal stories that I had never heard before.The spirit of Luthuli spoke to me and I will be a better person because of my experience,” said Tomson.

“Shaun is an icon in our time. It is very inspiring to have shared these few precious moments with him today. The words that he shared are poignant with meaning as he not only understands the present, but the relevance of the past. I am so impressed with having a young white person who shares the same hope for South Africa as I yearn for, and the same hope that my father lived and died for,” said Dr. Luthuli.

Since retiring from professional surfing, Tomson, has been riding a wave of success around the world as a motivational speaker, author, journalist and businessman. He has made a huge impact on millions of young lives across the world with his book The Code: The Power of I Will, where he illustrates how people can change their lives in just twelve steps, each beginning with the words “I will…”.

All ten schools visited by Tomson during the Positive Wave Tour were invited to participate in an “I Will” Art Competition, to win a place as one of the schools to be selected to be a part of the Madiba Day 100 year celebrations.

A judging panel comprising of Shaun Tomson, Representatives from Department of Education – Ilembe District, KwaDukuza Municipality – Youth & Sports Unit, Ballito Pro Presented by Billabong team evaluated the artwork submitted by 7 schools. The top three schools to be featured on the social media campaign for the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong are Guzana Secondary (Ward 23), Imbuyiselo Secondary (Ward 1) and Nonhlevu Secondary (Ward 29). The public will have the opportunity to vote for the winning school, which will receive a prize of R10 000,00 from Capitec Bank.

 

Rio Waida from Indonesia and Zoe Steyn from East London took the premier Pro Junior titles at the Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS which was completed in bumpy but contestable one to 1.3 metre waves at Willard Beach in Ballito on Sunday

The first of two events in the 21st year of the world’s longest running series of events for surfers aged 18-and-under, the Ballito Junior Series features World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1,000 rated events for men and women, alongside SSA sanctioned events for Under 12, U14 and U16 boys and girls.

Waida made the most of the shifty, onshore conditions at Willard Beach to defeat local favorite and event top seed, Luke Slijpen (Llandudno) in the final of the event that kicked off the 10-day Ballito Pro Surf Festival. The Indonesian flowed effortlessly from section to section, surfing with visibly more speed than most of his competitors and posted an early 6.00 to take the lead and put the pressure on Slijpen.

Slijpen, who claimed his second JQS men’s title of the season in Port Elizabeth earlier in the week, kept busy hunting for good waves but was unable to post anything better than average range scores (4.0 — 5.9 points out of 10).

With 10 minutes remaining, Waida put the final nail in the coffin by dropping an excellent score of 9.25, the highest single wave score of the entire event, to leave Slijpen needing a perfect 10 to take the lead. And the situation stayed that way until the buzzer sounded to end the heat.

“I was thinking stay busy for the first five minutes and then I got a 6.0 on my first ride, which I thought that was pretty good in these conditions, so I decided I could start waiting for good ones,” Waida explained.

“I was lucky, the sets kept coming to me, and then I got that nine points and after that I could just relax. This win is great result for me, I’ve finished second in a QS1,500 before, but now I’m just looking forward to competing in the QS10,000 this week.”

Slijpen extended his lead at the top of the WSL Africa Junior Men’s rankings and with just one event left on the2018 schedule, he is the champion elect and a shoe-in for the four man regional squad to represent WSL Africa at the World Junior Surfing Championship in Australia in January.

Zoë Steyn took the JQS women’s title in emphatic fashion, beating Kirsty McGillivray from Jeffreys Bay in the tricky onshore conditions that saw the two stay busy, each catching plenty of low-scorning waves. Steyn eventually found rhythm towards the end of the heat and the East Londoner’s last two rides, a 4.75 and a 5.60, were the two that counted.

“It’s been my goal for a while to win a Pro Junior event so I’m really excited,” said Steyn. “It’s helped with my selection for the team to go the World Juniors in January, which was my ambition for this year, so that’s great. I’m just going to keep on trying to get the best results I can for the rest of the year, and I really want to defend my title at the SA Champs in September.”

Steyn was in devastating form throughout the event, winning every heat she contested and posting the highest score of the women’s division, a 9.0, in her semi-final defeat of Kayla Nogueira (uMhlanga).

She consolidated her No. 2 ranking behind runaway leader Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) who did not enter the Ballito event, moving ahead of her closest rival, Sophie Bell (Salt Rock) who was eliminated by McGillivray in the semi-finals.

The Billabong Junior Series pres. by BOS is the opening event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival that runs until Sunday 1 July at Willard Beach and surrounds. The crown jewel in the festival, the Ballito Pro pres, by Billabong, is a R3.2 million, QS10,000 event that features 112 of the world’s best surfers and starts on Monday 25 June.

Full results, along with news, video footage and images can be found on www.worldsurfleague.com

Alongside the surfing, visitors will be spoiled for choice with non-stop activities providing even more entertainment throughout the Ballito festival site. South Africa’s hottest musical acts appealing to all tastes – rock, pop, hip hop, kwaito, electro and dance – will be performing live on Salt Rock Beach over the last weekend. Beach and extreme sports, culinary contests as well as quality retail and food stalls will captivate visitors at this coastal holiday highlight.

The competitors in the U18 division of Billabong Junior Series pres. by BOS were whittled down to the last eight in both the men’s and women’s divisions on Day 2 of the event which was run in peaky one metre waves and variable winds at Willard Beach in Ballito today (Saturday).

The record extending 21st edition of the worlds’ longest running series of events for surfers aged 18-and-under features World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1,000 rated events for men and women with the champions to be crowned on Sunday afternoon.

The men were first up with the top eight seeds taking on the eight qualifiers from Friday’s opening round in pristine early morning conditions. And it was the underdogs who dominated as highly rated surfers Koby Oberholzer (Warner Beach), Eli Beukes (Cape Town), Dillon Hendricks (Jeffreys Bay) and Bryce du Preez (East London) were all eliminated in surprising results.

Brazilian Mateus Herdy was the standout on the day, staying really busy and earning scores of a near-perfect 9.0 out of 10 plus a 6.75 for a heat total of 15.75, both the highest of day, which left his three opponents needing to replace both their counting rides for victory.

Herdy was joined in the first of tomorrow’s semi-finals by Salt Rock local Calvin Goor, Tide-Lee Ireland (Durban) and current WSL Africa rankings leader Luke Slijpen (Hout Bay). The Capetonian is set to put further distance between himself and the chasing pack after the elimination of Beukes and Hendricks.

The second semi will feature Rio Waida from Indonesia and the under-rated Aya Gericke (Wilderness), who squeaked through his heat yesterday with a last minute ride, but put on a more assured display today as he relegated the consistent Max Elkington to the runner-up spot in their encounter

Elkington also advanced to the final day of the event, along with Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) who was runner-up to Waida.

The women took to the waves for the first time in light onshore conditions later in the day and in contrast to the men, it was the top ranked surfers who justified their seeding as KwaDukuza locals Sophie Bell (Salt Rock) and Kayla Nogueira (uMhlanga) won their heats, as did Kirsty McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay) and Zoe Steyn (East London), the current No2 on the regional junior women’s rankings.

“I was just trying to get a quick start and then stay busy and build on my scores,” Steyn explained. “This event is really cool, it’s probably one of my favourites. I’d really like to make the team to Australia so I’m aiming for a big result in the U18’s here as I’d really like to qualify”

Steyn and Bell are battling for the second spot in the WSL Africa squad behind runaway ranking leader Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) who has already won four events but is not in Ballito. Steyn holds a slender 310 point lead over Bell with just one event left this season so their results in Ballito will be crucial..

The top four will be joined by Aimee du Preez (East London), Gabriella Lailvaux (Durban), Ceara Knight (Cape Town) and Advah Bart Sade from Israel who is the only non-South Africans to reach the last eight.

The Billabong Junior Series pres. by BOS is the opening event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival that runs until Sunday 1 July at Willard Beach and surrounds. The crown jewel in the festival, Ballito Pro pres, by Billabong, is a the R3.2 million, QS10,000 event that features 112 of the world’s best surfers and starts on Monday 25 June.

Full results, along with news, video footage and images can be found on www.worldsurfleague.com

The 21st edition of the Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS kicked off the 10 day Ballito Pro Surf Festival on Friday with South Africa’s best U18 surfers and a contingent of international competitors opened their accounts in the World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) events for men and women aged 18-and-under.

Competitors in the world’s longest running junior surfing series were greeted with small 0.6 to one metre waves with sunshine and light winds at Willard Beach, and the future generation of surf stars put on a show as they went to work earning prize money and precious points for the coveted Billabong Junior Series titles.

Round One consisted of four heats with Tide-Lee Ireland (Durban) and Aya Gericke (Wilderness) winning their respective heats while Indonesia’s Rio Waida and Mateus Herdy from Brazil posted victories for the internationals.

The four winners, along with heat runner’s up, Luke Thompson (Durban), Saxton Randall (Durban), Daniel Emslie (East London) and Daniel Orpen advanced to Round 2 where they will take on the seeded surfers when competition resumes on Saturday.

There were some major upsets on the day including Mexican-born South African standout Sebastian Williams who was eliminated when he couldn’t get the score he needed on his last ride. Other fancied surfers who suffered the same fate were York Van Jaarsveldt (Kommetjie), Mitch Du Preez (East London) and Brazilian Ryan Kainalo.

The top protagonists will take to the surf when Round 2 gets underway and Cape Town’s Luke Slijpen will be looking to continue the momentum from his win in the QS event in Port Elizabeth earlier this week. Others to look out for are the Jeffreys Bay duo of Angelo Faulkner and Dillon Hendricks, Capetonians Eli Beukes and Max Elkington, as well as Koby Oberholzer from Warner Beach.

In the women’s draw, international surfers like Tiana-Breeze De Mooij from New Zealand and Advah Bar Sade from Israel will join top local junior surfers Sophie Bell (Salt Rock), Zoë Steyn (East London), Kayla Nogueira (Umhlanga) and Ceara Knight (Cape Town) in a bid for glory in this competitive division.

The points each competitor earns also count towards the annual WSL Africa crowns and the selection of the squad of four men and two women who represent the WSL Africa region at the WSL World Junior Championships in Australia next January.

Full results, along with news, video footage and images can be found on www.worldsurfleague.com

World-class musical acts, extreme sports’ action, food contests, quality retail, fashion and general beachside fun are all on the programme for this year’s Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong. This jam-packed event – celebrating its 50th edition – will be taking over KwaDukuza from 22 June to 1 July.

“We are going to be #LiveTheLegacy at this year’s Ballito Pro – looking back at the event’s history while celebrating all the elements that continue to make this such an incredible annual festival,” said Collette Bundy, event organiser. “We also want to extend our thanks to KwaDukuza Municipality who have been hosting The Ballito Pro for a decade now, and are various sponsors and partners, It’s been a productive partnership that has showcased the incredible talent and beauty of this region.”

Riding the retro wave

Forming part of the golden Jubilee celebrations is Shaun Tomson’s #positivewavetour to promote surfing and healthy oceans. The six-time winner of The Ballito Pro will be in attendance for daily activations as well as a Retro Expression Session and the screening of his film ‘Bustin Down the Door’ on Thursday 28th June will be hosted at the Ballito Junction Regional Mall. Tickets for the ‘Living the Legacy’ 50 years of Pro Surfing Evening hosted by Shaun Tomson at Coco De Mer are available, all in favour of Development Surf.

Classic food and drinks

Visitors will get to #LiveTheLegacy at the Ballito Pro Retro Jubilee Food & Drink presented by Ballito Junction Regional Mall on Monday, 25 and Tuesday, 26 June from 4pm to 11pm. This two-night culinary showdown will take guests on a journey of surfing through the ages while they enjoy live musical and dance entertainment. There will be cooking contests – for young and old – fashion shows and spectacular food and drink options in a retro, carnival-style setting. The Retro Cocktail Lounge and Bar, serving classic mixes, will be a choice destination for relaxing as the sun goes down.

Monster activations

Willard Beach is the place to be from 28 June to 1 July as the Monster activations get underway. This year, Monster will be unleashing non-stop action including:

• The Monster Cash-Up presented by Zigzag – amateur surfers can win R2 000 and a Groundswell Surf Store voucher every day during the free surf session as Zigzag scouts for the most explosive manoeuvres outside of the heats.

• The Monster Expression Session presented by Zigzag – just before the main event finals there will be R30 000 up for grabs for the best moves. Festival-goers can also enter to win one of the three custom-shaped surfboards by guessing the winning surfer.

• Monster Skate Demos – local skaters, headed up by Khule Ngubane, will show festival fans some dry land board action. Khule will be hosting skate clinics, having sessions with local skaters, a best trick jam with prize giveaways throughout.

• Monster Energy Rig Riot – the Monster Energy Station will be on site with a games’ station, music, and giveaways. This is the spot for visitors to refuel their stock of Monster Energy.

• The Le Riche Bro’s Trials Bike shows – South African motorcycle trials’ champions, Bruce and Brent le Riche – sponsored by Monster Energy – will put on a captivating performance on their demo rig.

Musical mayhem

On Thursday, 28 June and Friday, 29 June, Salt Rock Beach will get rocking with a bumper musical line-up featuring at the Ballito Pro Free Music Concerts Powered by 5FM. Big name stars include December Streets, Okmalumkoolkat, Black Motion, MS Cosmo, The Kickstands, Sketchy Bongo and 5FM’s Nick Hamman, among others. Hamman will also be broadcasting live from The Ballito Pro from Wednesday, 27 June to Friday, 29 June, 9am to 12pm time slot and on Saturday, 30 June from 10am to 2pm.

But the music doesn’t stop there, because from 22 June to 1 July, partygoers will get to hear some of the country’s best DJs at the Crush Nightclub official After Dark Parties. With two dance floors, the best music, as well as some amazing drink specials, Crush is the only place to be in Ballito when the sun goes down! Guest DJs featuring this year include Chunda Munki, TiMO ODV, Chris Taylor, Strange Loving…and many more!

Ballito Downwind Series

The aquatic action kicks into high gear with the introduction of the Ballito Downwind Series on Saturday, 30 June and Sunday, 1 July. More than 100 of South Africa’s best paddlers will participate in the doubles’ race from either eMdloti Beach to Tiffany’s Reef on a south-westerly, or Zinkwazi Beach to Tiffany’s Reef on a north-easterly, in the hopes of winning their share of R10 000 prize money, as well as product prizes from Muscle Wellness, Gara Racing Paddles, Thule and Canelands Beach Club & Spar.

Daily beachside action

Alongside the Monster activations, Willard Beach will be transformed into an outdoor market, boasting various stalls retailing food, clothes and crafts with local musicians setting the vibe. And, for some high-adrenaline fun, The Coke-a-Cola Football Arena will be the location for daily recreational activities such as beach soccer and a variety of engaging children’s games.

Charity drive

The Ballito Pro will also be hosting the Ilembe Surf Riders Development Programme, a newly-established initiative aimed at developing new surf talent, particularly within the Dolphin Coast’s rural areas.

South African surfing legend Shaun Tomson made a huge impact on young lives when he kicked off his Positive Wave Tour in KwaDukuza on Friday morning. Tomson’s inspiration for the youth comes from his book The Code: The Power of I Will, where he illustrated how they could change their lives in just twelve steps, each beginning with “I will…”.

The 1977 World World Surfing Champion and six times winner of the Gunston 500 in Durban, is motivating local schools and organisations through the Positive Wave Tour driven by SMG Rocks & hosted by Coco De Mer as part of the 50th edition of the world’s longest running professional surfing event, the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong.

Tomson’s first workshop was hosted in the unlikeliest of places, the Shark Tank, where he inspired the Cell C Sharks to empower themselves through the power of his code “I will”.

The Sharks, who have never won a Super Rugby title since the competition’s inception in the nineties,are determined to break their losing streak through implementing Tomson’s twelve-step code.

“Your attitude is a fundamental choice,” Tomson told the province’s rugby team. “You need to find the power within yourself to create faith, courage, confidence and determination which will turn hope into action. The ultimate goal of the codeis to create a wave of positive energy that keeps circling the globe, infusing everyone that comes across it with a powerful spark of hope for the future,” he added.

Tomson, author of The Code: The Power of “I Will”, thereafter conducted his first school workshop at the Zilungisele Primary School in KwaDukuza, inspiring the youth to believe in themselves and to unlock the power that lies within to shape their future.

Like most schools, Zilungisele Primary which has almost 700 learners, is facing a battle with drugs. Tomson advised learners, “Drugs is about choice; making a choice or not making a choice. Drugs make your life worse, and can kill you. Every one of you has the power to help other people by making a difference to their lives.”

Tomson encouraged learners saying that the pathway to success is through learning. “You can change the behaviour of others through what you say. Everyday you should do something good, not just for yourself, but for your friends!”

Based on faith, courage, creativity and determination learned from his personal life experiences, Shaun Tomson positively encouraged the learners at Zilungisele Primary School to be agents of change in their own lives.

Mrs S.P. Shabalala, principal of Zilungisele Primary School said, “ We truly appreciate that KwaDukuza Municipality together with the Ballito Pro have brought the message of ‘The Code and I will’ from Shaun Tomson to our school. We feel that our learners are already committed to the code, and we promise to support them to live their codes.”

Deputy Mayor of the KwaDukuza Municipality, Mrs Dolly Govender said, “There is no end to education. You educate yourself every single day, by gaining knowledge. And knowledge equals power.”

“You have the power to be great leaders of this country. You can empower each other by sharing your knowledge and the message you learnt from Shaun Tomson,” she said.

The Positive Wave Tour is aimed at inspiring the youth of South Africa and aptly coincides with Youth Month, which highlights the importance of education and the youth of this country in building a better future for themselves.

The Shaun Tomson Positive Wave Tour driven by SMG Rocks and hosted by Coco De Mer will conclude with the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18th July, with 67 minutes of work at a selected high school in the KwaDukuza Municipality.

The Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong, is set to #LiveTheLegacy this year with some of the best South African musical acts performing at The Ballito Pro Free Music Concerts Powered by 5FM, and Crush Nightclub After Dark Parties. The 50th edition of this popular holiday festival, supported by KwaDukuza Municipality, will take place at KwaDukuza from 21 June to 1 July.

Ballito Pro Free Music Concerts Powered by 5FM

The best musical entertainment will rock Salt Rock Beach on Thursday, 28 and Friday, 29 June at the Ballito Pro Free Music Concerts Powered by 5FM.

On Thursday, 28 June, 5FM’s own Kid Fonque and Kyle Cassim will generate their influential sounds alongside one of the country’s best rappers, Okmalumkoolkat. The uMlazi-born superstar is a renowned trendsetter in the musical industry, creating ‘new age’ kwaito with plans for more gqom sounds in his music. Hip hop’s foremost female DJ – and now music producer – MS Cosmo, will also take to the stage to perform some of her hottest tracks, ‘Connect’ and ‘Ay Baby’. This Soweto-born DJ will not disappoint.

The programme just gets hotter with the announcement of the Thursday concert’s headline act, internationally-respected dance duo, Black Motion. Tshwane’s own Robert Mahosana (DJ Murda) and Thabo ‘Smol’ Mabogwane are the men behind Black Motion, and they’re excited to bring their trademark mix of live percussion, kwaito and house to the Ballito stage.

The best beats continue on Friday, 29 June, as South African indie rock band, December Streets, wow the Ballito audiences with some of their hits, including ‘My Name’, ‘Got that Feeling’ and ‘Thief’. The unique, energised sound of acoustic duo, The Kickstands, will captivate the audience as Rudi Greyvenstein and Gary Nixon display some truly raw talent, performing hits such as ‘Hold On’ and ‘Back to Paradise’.

The sounds of the influential record producer and performer, Sketchy Bongo, will add to this musical feast with Gauteng’s electronic/dance genius, TiMO ODV, also set to get the crowds amped. This young star is a gold-selling South African songwriter, producer and DJ who’s been rocking the music industry since 2011. And, two names synonymous with getting a party going – 5FM’s own Nick Hamman and Rob Forbes – will make this a perfect musical line-up.

While enjoying the hottest musical acts, audiences can also win big at the Ballito Pro Music Concerts Powered by 5FM. All they have to do is snap a boomerang selfie with Mitchum, post it onto any social media platform with the #Switch2Mitchum and stand a chance to win an amazing hamper… because ‘Great Moments in Life Start with Mitchum’!

Nick Hamman will also be showing his on-air talent as 5FM will be hosting live broadcasts from the Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong. From Wednesday, 27 June to Friday, 29 June, Hamman Time will be broadcasting during the 9am to 12pm time slot. On Saturday, 30 June from 10am to 2pm, 5FM Charts with Nick Hamman will be taking over the airwaves directly from The Ballito Pro.

Crush Nightclub After Dark Parties

From 22 June every night until 1 July, there will be non-stop musical entertainment taking over Ballito as Crush Nightclub hosts the After Dark Parties for the 5th year.

With two dance floors hosting some of the country’s hottest DJs, as well as some amazing drink specials, Crush is the only place to be in Ballito when the sun goes down! Guest DJs featuring this year include Chunda Munki, TiMO ODV, Chris Taylor, Strange Loving…and many more still to be announced!

Catch Crush Nightclub’s After Dark Party promoters on the beaches every day, handing out free tickets and other fun giveaways. Strictly no U18s allowed and ID checks will be performed at the door.

This year’s dynamic party list includes:

Friday, 22 June: Pro pre-party – Royal Love and Friends
Saturday, 23 June: Living the Legacy – Featuring Tommy D
Sunday, 24 June: Swell Sundays – Battle of the DJs
Monday, 25 June: Battle of the DJs Finals
Tuesday, 26 June: Swimwear Show hosted by Big Night Out
Wednesday, 27 June: Student Night – Featuring Chunda Munki
Thursday, 28 June: Durban Takeover – Featuring Veranda Panda
Friday, 29 June: Ride the Tide – Featuring TiMO ODV
Saturday, 30 June: Living the Legacy – Featuring Strange Loving
Sunday, 1 July: Swell Sundays – Ballito Pro Closing Party

In addition to the hottest musical performances, The Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong, has a full festival programme running throughout the two weeks. These include:

• Shaun Tomson’s Positive Wave Tour driven by SMG Rocks
• Retro Jubilee Food & Wine presented by Ballito Junction including cooking competitions, fashion shows and entertainment
• Daily on-stage entertainment
• Ballito Downwind surfski contest
• Monster Activations including Monster Skate Demos, Monster Expression Session presented by Zigzag, Le Riche Bro’s Trials’ Bike shows
• Retail stalls
• Beach recreational activities at the Coke-a-Cola Football Arena
• Children’s games at the Coke-a-Cola Football Arena

The Golden Jubilee edition of the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong, the world’s longest running professional surfing event, has attracted a stellar field of the world’s top surfers to Willard Beach in Ballito from June 25 to 1 July.

The first World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 10,000 rated event of the year will showcase the talents of more than half of the world’s elite Top 34 ranked surfers on the Championship Tour (CT). The balance of the 112 man field features all of the top 32 on the QS rankings, including current rankings leader Alejo Muniz (BRA) who will be gunning for a second Ballito Pro title to add to his 2015 crown.

The CT contingent is led by Willian Cardoso (BRA) whose 8,000 point haul for his runner-up finish at Willard Beach last year contributed significantly to the Brazilian qualifying for the Dream Tour at the end of 2017. Cardoso secured a sensational maiden CT event win at the Uluwatu CT in Bali this week and will come into Ballito ranked No.5 on the Jeep Leaderboard.

Defending event winner, Durban’s own Jordy Smith, is in great form after charging into the Top 10 on the CT leaderboard with back-to-back third and fifth place finishes in the recent events in Bali. Smith loves competing in front of his legions of hometown fans and is determined to become the first three-time winner of the event since fellow Durbanite Shaun Tomson won an unsurpassed six consecutive titles from 1973 to 1978.

Other internationally renowned CT stars include former winners Connor O’Leary (AUS) and Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Frenchmen Jeremy Flores and Joan Duru, Brazilians Yago Dora and Michael Rodrigues, Kanoa Igarashi who now represents Japan, and exciting rookie Griffin Colapinto (USA).

South Africa’s contingent includes Michael February, who became the first local to join Jordy Smith in the CT ranks after his fairytale run to the semi-finals in Ballito last year, uMhlanga local Beyrick de Vries and current WSL Africa rankings leader David van Zyl (Glenashley).

Another two locals will receive wildcards based on their Qualifying Series rankings after the QS1,000 rated Jordy Smith Cape Town Surf Pro pres. by O’Neill this coming weekend. And the wildcard formerly awarded to the winner of the Ballito Trials will be allocated to the highest placed local on the WSL Africa QS rankings who has not already qualified.

QS No. 10 Matt McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay) is currently the highest ranked South African and a certainty for one of the wildcards, while the other two coveted spots will be determined in a see-saw battle between the likes of Capetonians Adin Masencamp and Jordy Maree, Shane Sykes (Salt Rock) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay).

“This is one of the strongest fields for the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong that I’ve seen since it moved to Ballito in 2009,” said WSL Africa Operations Manager Colin Fitch. “The 50th anniversary event has created huge anticipation and there has been a really positive build up with five WSL events already held all over the coastline this year.”

The Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong runs from Monday to Sunday, June 25 to 1 July, and offers a total prize-purse of US $258,000 (approx. R3.35 million) of which just over R500,000 and a massive 10,000 precious ranking points go to the winner.

The Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong is the highlight event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival, a 10-day celebration of beach culture that includes the 21st edition of the Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) Billabong Junior Series pres. by BOS from June 22-24 and the QS1,000 Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong that runs in conjunction with the Men’s QS10,000 event.

International surfing legend Shaun Tomson, the1977 World Surfing Champion and now a globally acclaimed motivational speaker, author and film-maker, will headline the 50th anniversary celebrations. Tomson will conduct a Positive Wave Tour driven by SMG Rocks that visits schools in KwaDukuza in the lead up to and during the event and culminates in 67 minutes of service at a selected school on July 18, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

He will also be the guest of honour at the ‘Live the Legacy’ awards evening at Coco Der Mer and he will host a screening of his highly celebrated film ‘Bustin Down the Door’, covering the founding of the world professional surfing circuit during themed 1970’s, during the Retro Jubilee Food & Wine presented by Ballito Junction.

Alongside the surfing, visitors will be spoiled for choice with non-stop activities providing even more entertainment throughout the Ballito festival site. South Africa’s hottest musical acts appealing to all tastes – rock, pop, hip hop, kwaito, electro and dance – will be performing live on Salt Rock Beach over the last weekend. Beach and extreme sports, culinary contests as well as quality retail and food stalls will captivate visitors at this coastal holiday highlight.