Author: AdminBallitoPro

The first major World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event of the year, the QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong, ran through the Round 1 and first four heats of Round 2 in choppy one metre waves at Willard Beach on Monday.

With 112 of the world’s best surfers chasing a share of the US $260,000 (approx. R3.3 million) and the biggest ranking points haul available on the QS, the action was fast and furious as the short-period swell provided plenty of waves.

“For that heat my strategy was to get two average scores really quick in order just to start the heat. But there were so many waves coming and I didn’t know which one to take so I couldn’t find those waves in the beginning,” said 2014 Ballito champion Alejo Muniz (BRA), who finished runner-up in the last heat of the day to advance to the last 48.

“It was really stressful and I was needing a very small score, just a 4, so when there was 5 minutes left I told myself to just wait for a wave with two turns, and I’m happy that I got it!”

Jeremy Flores (FRA) has been coming to South Africa for many years and despite contemplating withdrawing from the event due to a recent leg injury, he won the final heat of the day.

“The conditions are pretty hard so I think it’s anyone’s game and the one who catches the best wave is going to make the difference,” said Flores. “I’ve injured my leg so I wasn’t even sure if I was going to surf my heat But I told myself it’s only 30 minutes so I toughened up for two waves and I got through, so I’m stoked. It’s good to be back in Ballito, I feel good here, the food is good and the people are amazing and the waves are fun, so why not.”

Current runaway QS rankings leader Jesse Mendes (BRA) stayed busy throughout his Round 2 heat, riding 13 waves in the 30 minute encounter. The 23-year-old from Guaruja led throughout but only posted his best two rides, an 8.0 for a pair of vertical backhand bashes and an 8.50 for a high-flying 360 aerial rotation, in the last five minutes.

Michael February (ZAF), made the partisan local crowd happy when he secured a come-from-behind victory in the opening heat of Round 2. The lanky Capetonian, currently ranked No. 20 on the QS and with plenty of momentum after a string of victories in smaller QS1,000 rated events earlier this year, shrugged off an impressive 9 point ride by Krystian Kymerson(BRA) and steadily built a heat winning total.

“It’s never easy when you hear that one of your opponents has scored a 9 in the first couple of minutes of a heat, but I stuck with my plan to wait for two good waves, and it paid off in the end,” said February, whose patience was rewarded with rides of 7.0 and 6.83.

“It’s been great doing well in the smaller events, but I really need to do well in the bigger ones like the Ballito Pro, so the pressure is still on. I’m happy with this win and I’m looking forward to the rest of the event.”

Mikey Wright (AUS) earned the day’s highest single ride score, a 9.23 for three huge hits on a right, but with just a 5.50 for his backup ride he finished second behind fellow Australian Jacob Willcox, who racked up rides of 6.67 and 8.17. Both will be in Round 2.

Ballito local Richie Kidd justified the wildcard he was awarded for winning the SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong last Thursday when he grabbed second place in the opening heat of the day and progressed to Round 2. There he narrowly missed out on a fairytale berth in the last 48 when he was overtaken for second spot by Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) with just minutes remaining..

Jeffreys Bay based Matthew McGillivray and Dylan Lightfoot were the other two South Africans in action on the opening day. Both finished third in their respective heats to be eliminated in equal 97th place overall, pocketing 200 points and US $500.

Top seed and current world No. 3, Jordy Smith (ZAF), will be coming up in Heat 12 of Round 2 when the competition gets underway.

Organisers will meet at 7.30 am local time on Tuesday to make the call on when to recommence the event. Full results, news, photos and more can be found at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the free WSL App.

The Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong is proudly supported by the KwaDukuza Municipality, Billabong, 5FM, Capitec Bank, Casio, North Coast Courier, Monster Energy, Zigzag Surfing Magazine, World Surf League (WSL) and Surfing South Africa (SSA).

BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Michael February (ZAF) 13.83, Krystian Kymerson (BRA) 12.83, Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.24, Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 9.87
Heat 2: Charly Martin (GLP) 11.93, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 10.34, Deivid Silva (BRA) 8.67, Jack Robinson (AUS) 7.84
Heat 3: Jesse Mendes (BRA) 16.50, Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 12.20, Richard Kidd (ZAF) 10.90, Robson Santos (BRA) 8.57
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.93, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.40, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 9.10, Luel Felipe (BRA) 5.53

BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 13.24, Richard Kidd (ZAF) 12.80, Kaito Kino (HAW) 8.44, Reo Inaba (JPN) 7.97
Heat 2: Luel Felipe (BRA) 11.10, Leandro Usuna (ARG) 8.97, Timothee Bisso (GLP) 8.40, Eli Olson (HAW) 7.27
Heat 3: Nomme Mignot (FRA) 12.33, Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 10.10, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 9.94, Shane Holmes (AUS) 8.40
Heat 4: Vicente Romero (ESP) 13.50, Hiroto Arai (JPN) 11.10, Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 10.67, Nelson Cloarec (FRA) 8.40
Heat 5: Jacob Willcox (AUS) 14.84, Mikey Wright (AUS) 14.73, Finn McGill (HAW) 11.30, Oney Anwar (IDN) 9.44
Heat 6: Thiago Camarao (BRA) 15.33, Parker Coffin (USA) 12.60, Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 12.13, Shun Murakami (JPN) 5.60
Heat 7: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 13.90, Kilian Garland (USA) 11.94, Rafael Teixeira (BRA) 11.67, Kalani Ball (AUS) 10.07
Heat 8: Pedro Henrique (PRT) 11.53, Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 10.83, Cody Young (HAW) 10.06, Mason Ho (HAW) 9.93

REMAINING BALLITO PRO PRES. BY BILLABONG ROUND 2 MATCHUPS:
Heat 5: Joan Duru (FRA), Maxime Huscenot (FRA), Marco Giorgi (URY), Leandro Usuna (ARG)
Heat 6: Keanu Asing (HAW), Davey Cathels (AUS), David Do Carmo (BRA), David Van Zyl (ZAF)
Heat 7: Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Griffin Colapinto (USA), Carlos Munoz (CRI), O’Neill Massin (PYF)
Heat 8: Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Beyrick De Vries (ZAF), Joshua Moniz (HAW), Nomme Mignot (FRA)
Heat 9: Miguel Pupo (BRA), Brett Simpson (USA), Marco Fernandez (BRA), Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI)
Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA), Ian Crane (USA), Diego Mignot (FRA), Vicente Romero (ESP)
Heat 11: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Evan Geiselman (USA), Adam Melling (AUS), Michael Dunphy (USA)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Koa Smith (HAW), Hiroto Arai (JPN)
Heat 13: Connor O’Leary (AUS), Dion Atkinson (AUS), Mihimana Braye (PYF), Jacob Willcox (AUS)
Heat 14: Yago Dora (BRA), Tomas Hermes (BRA), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Kiron Jabour (HAW)
Heat 15: Josh Kerr (AUS), Torrey Meister (HAW), Billy Stairmand (NZL), Mikey Wright (AUS)
Heat 16: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Michael Rodrigues (BRA), Aritz Aranburu (ESP), Thiago Camarao (BRA)
Heat 17: Jack Freestone (AUS), Hizunome Bettero (BRA), Lucas Silveira (BRA), Parker Coffin (USA)
Heat 18: Bino Lopes (BRA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Wade Carmichael (AUS), Reef Heazlewood (AUS)
Heat 19: Nat Young (USA), Mitchel Coleborn (AUS), Samuel Pupo (BRA), Billy Kemper (HAW)
Heat 20: Ian Gouveia (BRA), Ricardo Christie (NZL), Vasco Ribeiro (PRT), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 21: Stuart Kennedy (AUS), Alex Ribeiro (BRA), Nathan Yeomans (USA), Kilian Garland (USA)
Heat 22: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Victor Bernardo (BRA), Dimitri Ouvre (FRA), Pedro Henrique (PRT)
Heat 23: Soli Bailey (AUS), Cooper Chapman (AUS), Seth Moniz (HAW), Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 24: Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Santiago Muniz (ARG), Willian Cardoso (BRA), Flavio Nakagima (BRA)

The QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong runs until Sunday 9 July with 112 of the world’s best surfers competing for a R3.3 million prize purse and precious QS ranking points.

It is the anchor event in the 13-day Ballito Pro Surf Festival which included the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel for surfers aged 18-and-under (27 to 29 June), the SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong, which saw local Richie Kidd earn a wildcard into the main event (30 June) and the QS1,000 Ballito Women’s Pro where Sophia Fulton (AUS) was crowned the champion on Saturday 1 July.

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 to this coastal holiday highlight.

Rocking music, extreme sports, sensational cook-offs and unmissable beach fun has just hit KwaDukuza with the arrival of the much-anticipated Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong, running from 27 June to 9 July.

“KwaDukuza has once again provided the perfect backdrop to a welcoming winter festival and we’re looking forward to some really fantastic two-week beach-based entertainment,” said event organiser, Collette Bundy.

This year marks the 49th anniversary of the first South African East Coast surfing contest which gradually evolved into one of the country’s best holiday festivals. Based around the longest-running professional surfing contest, the Ballito Pro also offers holiday-goers and residents an impressive programme of unmatched entertainment.

 

This year’s festival entertainment includes:

• Top South African musical acts will perform at the Cadbury Five Star Ballito Pro Music Concerts Powered by 5FM taking over the Salt Rock beach stage on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 July. The concerts will showcase the likes of December Streets, Matthew Mole, Kwesta, Snapbvck, Kyle Cassim, Desmond & the Tutus, PH and DJ Lloyd.
• After Dark Parties will take over Ballito’s biggest nightlife venue, Crush Nightclub, where two dance floors will host some of the country’s hottest DJs.
• Partygoers will get a taste of upcoming talent at the Battle of the DJs also taking place at Crush Nightclub.
• Extreme motorcycleentertainment will be performed by world-ranked motorcyclists, Bruce and Brent le Riche, sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, at the Willard Beach Extreme Sports’ zone.
• Also ramping it up at the Willard Beach Extreme Sports’ zone will be South African skate legend, Khule Nubange, who is set to demonstrate some dry land board action.
• Serving up a hearty meal of excitement is the Night of Food & Wine taking place at the main festival area at Willard Beach on Tuesday, 4 and Wednesday 5 July. The Freak Shake and Shisa Nyama Cooking Competitions will reveal hidden talents while professionals in the industry will also be given the opportunity to prove their worth at the Celebrity Cook-off. Fashion shows, wine tastings, craft beer and cocktails will also keep the audience entertained.
• The Retail Delight will feature an abundance of quality arts and crafts, various exhibitions and retail stalls. Visitors can also grab a bite to eat at the food court, or a refreshing drink at the cider garden.
• There will be non-stop Beach Action fun at the Coca Cola Football Arena with daily beach soccer entertainment.
• The Willard Beach’s Kids’ Corner will keep kids amused with face painting, water balls, sandcastle-building contests and other fun activities.
• Committed to the rehabilitation of the ocean, festival organisers have brought back the successful Save the Waves Campaign, sponsored by Dolphin Coast Waste Management. Visitors are encouraged to support the cause by using the recycling stations across the festival venue.

Be part of the fun at The Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong, happening at venues around KwaDukuza from 27 June to 9 July.

Sophia Fulton (AUS) claimed the title at the Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong at Willard Beach today, defeating Zoe McDougall (HAW) in an all-international final held in inconsistent shoulder-high waves and a stiff cross-wind.

The World Surf League (WSL) QS1,000 rated event with a field of 32 local and international competitors was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday but was completed today as small surf is expected tomorrow.

McDougall started the final faster, opening her account with a 6.33 and following that up with a 4.50 before Fulton had anything substantial on her scorecard. But the Australian started her comeback with a 3.83 for a great opening turn before the wave petered out.

After another lull in the action, Fulton found a wave that enabled her to string together a series of manoeuvres as she rode all the way to beach, earning a 7.50 that took her into the lead. Needing 5.01 for victory with seven minutes remaining, McDougall stayed patient at first, but as time wound down she caught two further waves without managing to get the required score.

“It was pretty slow in the start but then I got that 7 and spent the rest of the heat looking for a second good score,” said Fulton. “This morning it was really high tide and flat, but then it started to peel off and the waves got more hollow. It was a long day of competition and I’ve surfed so many heats!”

The teenager, who is No 3 in the WSL Australia junior women’s rankings, has spent a month in South Africa, starting her first overseas trip with a win on the West Coast and ended it in style with another victory at Ballito.

“It’s been great in South Africa, I won the Van Surf Pro Classic in Lambert’s Bay and I’m going home on Monday, so it was good to finish it off with a win,” Fulton commented.

McDougall, whose runner-up finish saw her move to No. 14 of Women’s QS rankings, won the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel JQS1,000 event in Ballito on Thursday and had her heart set on another victory, but was gracious in defeat.

“It was really tough, I only got the one good wave and then fell on the next one. It was a bit frustrating,” said McDougall, who has won four events in South Africa since late April.

“I’m really happy for Sophia though, she was surfing really well. It was a long day, we surfed 5 heats so it was an endurance test. The conditions got really tricky out there with the wind. I’m happy to just relax now and support Matt (McGillivray) in the Ballito Pro, then back to J-Bay for a week before heading to California for the Supergirl Pro.”

McDougall outpointed Reika Noro (JPN) in their semifinal match-up, staying busy and posting a heat total of 12.34.

“It was so hard to catch the waves, I got only one wave and then I didn’t get another one,” said Noro. “Third place, I’m happy, but I wanted to get first place! But yeah I’m so happy to be here. I’m going back to Japan and then I’m going to the Supergirl Pro in California.”

Fulton’s semifinal win over fellow Australian Pacha Luque-Light was a tighter duel with the eventual champion prevailing by 10.16 vs. 9.50.

“That was so much fun! Sophia is such a good surfer so it’s nice to compete with her. I’m so happy, it’s just been amazing to be able to get this far in a QS1,000, which I only started to enter this year, so it was an amazing experience,” said Luque-Light.

“It’s been so much fun in South Africa, just meeting new people and staying with great friends, so it’s been a blast! I’m on the waiting list for the QS1.500 in France, so I’ll travel there and then spend some time in the US. Lots of travelling but I’m so excited.”

Kayla Nogueira (uMhlanga) and Nicole Pallet (La Lucia) were the top placed South African’s in the event, finishing equal fifth after losing to McDougall and Luque-Light in their respective quarterfinal clashes.

Full results, news, photos and more can be found at www.worldsurfleague.com and on the free WSL App.

The Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong formed part of the 13-day Ballito Pro Surf Festival which started on Tuesday with the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel for surfers aged 18-and-under. The SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong was completed on Thursday

The QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong starts on Monday and runs until 9 July with 112 of the world’s best surfers competing for a R3.3 million prize purse and precious QS ranking points.

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 to this coastal holiday highlight.

Richie Kidd secured the most prestigious win of his career when he defeated three of South Africa’s top surfers in the final of the SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong at his home break of Willard Beach on Friday.

The victory earned the 20-year-old Ballito local a coveted wildcard into the World Surf League (WSL) QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong where he will take his place among 112 of the world’s best surfers when the week-long, US $260,000 (about R3.3 million) event gets underway on Monday 3 July.

“I was lucky with that one wave where I got an 8, it linked up right through to the inside,” said an elated Kidd after being carried up the beach on his friend’s shoulders. “The boys were ripping, it was a long day and the whole event I’ve been trying to push aside the pressure.”

Starting in Round 2, Kidd finished runner-up in three consecutive heats before going for broke in the final, taking to the air at every opportunity and attempting some outrageous manoeuvres in his quest for victory.

“I’m a local here so I surf this spot pretty much every day. My girlfriend told me just to go out there and free surf like I usually do, and that kind of worked. I’m definitely going into the main event with the same strategy! I’m stoked on my boards, stoked on the vibe, just stoked in general!”

Slade Prestwich (Durban), Shane Sykes (Salt Rock) and Jordy Maree (Cape Town) ended second to fourth respectively and were rewarded with a spot in the Monster Energy Expression Session on the final day of the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong where the surfer completing the most radical manoeuvre earns R30,000.

The 13-day Ballito Pro Surf Festival started on Tuesday with the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel for surfers aged 18-and-under. The QS1,000 Ballito Women’s Pro runs on Saturday and Sunday with 14 international competitors among the 32 entries.

The field for the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong, the first of just five QS10,000 rated events in 2017, is headed by South Africa’s Jordy Smith, the 2010 Ballito champion and currently ranked No. 3 on the Jeep leaderboard. He faces 17 of the world’s elite Top 34 ranked surfers on the Championship Tour (CT) and 29 of the top 32 on the current QS rankings

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 to this coastal holiday highlight.

The effects of manmade pollution on our oceans is utterly devastating and the consequences for both aquatic and terrestrial life is grave if action is not taken now. In an attempt to curb the tide on this destructive behaviour, The Ballito Pro organisers have brought back the effective Save the Waves campaign.

“This year’s World Ocean’s Day focused on ‘Our Oceans, Our Future’ and this is just so true,” explained event organiser, Collette Bundy. “The oceans provide us with 70% of our oxygen, and without a real change in our mindset and associated action, we’re costing ourselves a planet. This is why we are so committed to the Save the Waves campaign which seeks to create awareness about the hazards of plastic refuse, particularly the damage created by microplastics, and the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.”

Bundy said environmental awareness was an extremely important component to the entire event and the Save the Waves campaign is about making an impact with all festival attendees.

“There will be recycling bins allocated throughout the surf and festival areas and we are encouraging all festival-goers to participate in the programme by using the bins provided.”

Alongside the recycling campaign was the incredibly creative #SaveTheWaves surfboard design competition which encouraged entrants to craft a Groundswell surfboard for the Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong event, while also raising awareness about environmental issues affecting the ocean. Winning entrant, Dustin Scott, created an emotive design depicting a skeletal turtle trapped within a plastic bottle descending into the dirty ocean darkness. This effective design won him a R3 000 Billabong voucher as well as VIP passes to the 2017 Ballito Pro.

Reiterating the importance of recycling and healthy oceans is Ballito’s Tammy Lee Smith, former professional surfer turned environmental compliance manager. While still pursuing her big wave surf dream, Smith is a dedicated environmentalist, spreading the message of conservation in the corporate world and public sector through her organisation, Sims Recycling Solutions. Smith has also entered the Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong which is taking place on the 1 and 2 July.

Her five main reasons for recycling are:

1. Recycling is a problem for the entire human race. Accumulation of waste brings devastating effects on the environment and adds to the global warming issue through the increase of greenhouse gasses.

2. It creates jobs because recycling is a labour-intensive industry involving collection, sorting and processing waste.

3. Recycling conserves natural resources and reduces the pressure applied to these resources drastically. Statistics according to the Paper Recycling Association of SA indicate that every metric ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees and uses 40 percent less energy, and 50 percent less water. Recycling all household paper or cardboard saves an annual 750 000 cubic metres of landfill space and R60 million a year in collection and landfill costs while saving enough energy to provide electricity to 512 homes for a year.

4. Waste makes you sick because poor disposal and accumulation of landfill waste leads to the emission of harmful and infectious gasses which cause respiratory diseases. Toxic liquids draining from landfills enter water systems, causing outbreaks of disease.

5. It’s free!

In addition to the ongoing recycling and environmental campaign, the Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong has an incredible fun-filled programme of festival events. The festival programme is anchored around the international surfing contest, with Casio the official timekeeper of the Ballito Pro.

Samuel Pupo of Brazil and Zoe McDougall of Hawaii surfed to victory in the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel in Ballito on Thursday, claiming the premier WSL JQS1,000 rated men’s and women’s titles respectively.

The opening event in the 13-day Ballito Pro Surf Festival featured the country’s best 18-and-under surfers alongside a contingent of highly rated international competitors as they battled for trophies, prize money and points on the World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) and SA Surf Tour (SAST) rankings lists.

Pupo, 17, was the standout performer throughout the three day event, consistently delivering the highest scores in each round and demonstrating an outstanding ability to perform gravity-defying manoeuvres high in the air above the waves.

He faced his toughest test in the final when his opponent, former South African U16 champion Ethan Fletcher of Kommetjie, took the lead at the halfway point of the 25 minute encounter with a ride the length of Willard Beach that earned 7.83. But with an excellent 8.67 in his score-line for a huge air-reverse, the Brazilian needed just 5.80 for victory and posted a 6.30 at the five minute mark to establish a lead that Fletcher ultimately could not match.

“My strategy really worked for me. Five minutes into the heat I had two scores already and that made me comfortable for the rest of the heat and I’m super-happy to have this win,” said Pupo. “I’ve been trying airs my whole life so now I’m doing them in heats and I can get a nine, or I can get a two, but it worked for me in this final. This win for me is so important as I’ve been in a couple of Junior finals but I’ve never had a win. I’ve turned 17, so I’m really happy to have my first win.”

The JQS1,000 women’s final was an all international encounter between McDougall and Pacha Luque-Light of Australia that see-sawed back and forth with the lead changing hands after virtually every ride.

McDougall, winner of the corresponding event last year and four more JQS and QS events in South Africa this year, took an early lead with a 7.33 on her first ride. But she was overtaken by Luque-Light’s 7.50 before clinching victory with an excellent 8.87 for a ride that ticked all the judging criteria of commitment, speed, power, flow and variety of manoeuvres.

‘It was fun and I guess it went according to plan, although I didn’t catch many waves and I’d like to catch more waves,” said McDougall. “I’ve only surfed against Pacha here in South Africa, but we became friends at the ISA Worlds and she’s super-sweet, super-cool and fun to hang out with, so it was just good vibes in the water.

“The points in this event only count for the South Africans so I was just trying to learn more about the break. It’s pretty tricky and has changed quite a bit since last year, so I’m just trying to spend as much time as possible in the water as a warm up for the QS1,000 event on the weekend where the points count on the world rankings.”

Luque-Light was elated to reach the final and the ebullient No. 17 on the Australian junior women rankings has had a great time in the month she has spent competing in four events in South Africa.

“I’ve being going into the events here with a positive mindset, catching waves and being smiley, having fun and enjoying the experience. So out there it was so much fun to surf with just one other girl out and go on any wave you want with the priority system,” said Luque-Light. “Zoe is awesome and such a good surfer so it was perfect to surf against her. It’s been an amazing month here in South Africa, meeting new people and surfing so many new breaks that are going to the venues for the QS and Junior events for the next couple of years. It’s been awesome.”

The SA Surf Tour events for U16, U14 and U12 boys and girls produced some epic duels with Mitch du Preez (East London) delivering an astounding performance in the U14 boys final, posting the only perfect 10 point ride of the entire event and backing that up with an 8.50 for a heat tally of 18.50 out of 20.

The U16 boys final saw Luke Slijpen (Hout Bay) earn a well deserved victory when he outpointed Saxton Randall (Durban), Angelo Faulkner and York van Jaarsveldt in a hard fought battle.

Kayla Noguera (uMhlanga) racked up another event title with a last minute ride that earned a 9.0 to overtake Tayla de Coning (East London) who had led the U16 girls final from the outset. S’Nenhlanhla Makhubu (Durban) hung onto third place, narrowly ahead of Summer Sutton (Kommetjie).

Du Preez left his three opponents all needing to replace their top two scoring rides in the U14 boys, with fellow East Londoner Daniel Emslie, last year’s U12 champ, coming the closest followed by Nate Spalding (Durban) and newcomer Jordan Boshoff (St Michaels on Sea).

Ceara Knight (Cape Town) and Zoe Steyn (East London) were the contenders during the U14 girl’s final, with the Capetonian getting the nod as the pair relegated Lhea Johnston (East London) and Caroline Brown (Cape Town) to third and fourth spots respectively.

The U12 boys, the youngest competitors in the series, delivered an exciting final in what were double-overhead waves for most of them. Kyra Bennie (Vredehoek) showed tremendous courage and commitment to clinch the title with an excellent heat total of 15.17. Kai Hall (Durban) charged the biggest waves to grab second place ahead of C Jay Posthumus (Port Elizabeth) and Ben Ribbink (Durban).

Full results from the WSL U18 events can be found at www.worldsurfleague.com. The U16, U14 and U12 results are available at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za.

The Billabong Junior Series is supported by All Aboard Travel, BOS, VonZipper and Zigzag.

Billabong Junior Series Pres. by All Aboard Travel
Results
,
U/18 Men
1 Samuel Pupo (BRA) R8 000
2 Ethan Fletcher (Kommetjie) R4 000
=3 Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) R2 500
=3 Adin Masencamp (Strand) R2 500

U/18 Women
1 Zoe McDougall (HAW) R4 000
2 Pacha Luque-Light (AUS) R2 000
=3 S’Nenhlanhla Makhubu (Durban) R1 000
=3 Zoe Steyn (East London) R1 000

U/16 Boys
1 Luke Slijpen (Hout Bay) R2 000
2 Saxton Randall (Durban) R900
3 Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) R600
4 York Van Jaarsveld (Kommetjie) R500

U/16 Girls
1 Kayla Nogueira (Durban) R2 000
2 Tayla de Coning (East London) R900
3 S’Nenhlanhla Makhubu (Durban) R600
4 Summer Sutton (Kommetjie) R500

U/14 Boys
1 Mitch du Preez (East London) R2 000
2 Daniel Emslie (East London) R900
3 Nate Spalding (Durban) R600
4 Jordan Boshoff (St Michaels on Sea) R500

U/14 Girls
1 Ceara Knight (Cape Town) R2 000
2 Zoe Steyn (East London) R900
3 Lhea Johnston (East London) R600
4 Caroline Brown (Cape Town)R500

U/12 Boys
1 Kyra Bennie (Vredehoek) R1 000
2 Kai Hall (Durban) R450
3 C Jay Posthumus (Port Elizabeth) R300
4 Ben Ribbink (Durban North) R250

VonZipper Expression Session – R2 000
Calvin Goor (Salt Rock)

The U18 events are sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL) with the U16, U14 and U12 events sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the governing body for the sport of surfing in South Africa.

The 20th edition of the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard travel is the opening event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival that runs until 9 July and includes the SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong, the QS1,000 Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong and the QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong.

Many of the country’s top ranked junior surfers tumbled out of contention on Day 2 of the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel as the inconsistent, peaky head-high waves at Willard Beach in Ballito played havoc with their heat strategies, leading to major upsets.

A total of six of the top eight WSL Africa ranked junior men were eliminated from the event on Wednesday while only one of the top 10 junior women has reached the last four.

Both the defending event champions, Adin Masencamp (Strand) and Zoe McDougall (HAW), squeaked through to the final day of competition after finishing second in their respective quarterfinal heats today. And they face the same opponents who relegated them to runner-up berths in the one-on-one format for the semi-finals.

Masencamp produced a great comeback to grab second spot from Luke Malherbe (East London) with a ride that connected all the way to the beach in the dying seconds of their heat. He will be up against red hot Brazilian Samuel Pupo who has posted the highest scores in the event so far with his huge range of high risk aerial manoeuvres.

The other junior men’s semi will see current No 8 ranked Angelo Faulkner (Jeffreys Bay) get the chance to force his way into contention for a spot in the four man squad to represent the Africa region at the World Surf League (WSL) World Junior Championships in Australia in January if he can get past former SA U16 champion Ethan Fletcher.

Fletcher eliminated rankings leader and fellow Kommetjie resident Jake Elkington to earn a place in the semis for the first time this year.

“This break can be difficult and the tide was quite high so there weren’t a lot of waves coming though. I made one or two mistakes and didn’t get the waves I needed but I’ve learnt from what happened in that heat and will work on making sure it doesn’t happen again,” Elkington explained.

“After three wins I’ll still stay at the top of the rankings after this event and it will be really cool to go to Australia at the end of the year again. Hopefully I can do well in the next Billabong Junior Series event at Seal Point. This one has been unfortunate, but I’m looking forward to Seal’s and a good result there will solidify my rankings lead.”

McDougall has won four events in South Africa since April but faces a tricky semifinal encounter against rising Durban star S’Nenhlanhla Makhubu who has been training under coach Jason Ribbink at the High Performance Surfing Academy (HPSA) and has also reached the final of the U16 girls.

“That heat was hectic, my first score was a 0.6 and I was panicking,” commented Makhubu. “But I calmed down and sat where my coaches told me to and then I got the waves. So I’m happy, I’m in the final of theU16’s, which I’m hoping to win, and the semis of the U18 and where I’m hoping to make the final tomorrow. I’ve been training really hard and I hope it pays off.”

The second semi pits No. 16 ranked Australian junior Pacha Luque-Light against unranked Zoe Steyn. The young East Londoner is competing in her first WSL junior women’s event and will also be contesting the U14 semis.

“My strategy was to get a quick start and then build on my scores so I’m pretty stoked that worked out for me,” said Steyn. “I’m also into the semis of the U14 event even though I didn’t surf my best. But I made it through and that’s what counts. I’m looking forward to the next rounds and hopefully it will go as well as today’s heats did.”

The SA Surf Tour events for U16, U14 and U12 boys and girls produced more predictable results with the top contenders set to battle for titles, prize money and points on the SAST rankings leaderboards on the final day.

Dillen Hendricks and Angelo Faulkner (both Jeffreys Bay), Luke Slijpen (Hout Bay) and Aya Gericke (Wilderness) head into the cutthroat U16 boys semis after confidence -boosting quarterfinal heat victories.

Multiple event winner Kayla Nogueira from nearby uMhlanga will take on Tayla de Coning (East London and rising stars S’Nenhlanhla Makhubu (Durban) and Summer Sutton (Kommetjie) in the final of the U16 girls.

The favourites for the hotly contested U14 boy’s semifinals include Durbanites Nate Spalding and Luke Thompson and East London’s Daniel Emslie, last year’s U12 winner, and Mitch du Preez.

Zoe Steyn heads the field for the U14 girls while the U12 event features the future of the country’s surf scene including Kyra Bennie, Kai Hall, Joel Fowles and River Gericke.

Live scoring for all the action on the final day can be followed at www.worldsurfleague.com. The results of the U16, U14 and U12 events are available at http://www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

The Billabong Junior Series is supported by All Aboard Travel, BOS, VonZipper and Zigzag.

The U18 events are sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL) with the U16, U14 and U12 events sanctioned by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the governing body for the sport of surfing in South Africa.

The 20th edition of the Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard travel is the opening event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival that runs until 9 July and includes the SSA Ballito Trials pres. by Billabong, the QS1,000 Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong and the QS10,000 Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong.

Foodies of all ages are in for a tasty treat this winter with the arrival of the Ballito Pro Food and Wine Festival taking place at Willard Beach, Ballito on Tuesday, 4 and Wednesday 5 July 5pm to 11pm.

This two-night culinary spectacular forms part of the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong festival programme which is all centred around the international surfing contest running from 27 June to 9 July. In addition to the mouth-watering food contests and quality vintages, visitors will also experience two nights of music, fashion and dance entertainment.

“Cooking is a really fantastic way to bring people together and uncover hidden talents among friends and family,” explained event organiser, Collette Bundy. “It’s always interesting to see what creations competitors bring to the table, and it’s lovely witnessing the burgeoning young talent showcasing their skill. The Ballito Pro Food and Wine Festival is a really superb evening out for the whole family and a great taste of what the entire festival is all about.”

The first evening will keep it cool for the kids with the exciting ‘Freak Shake’ Competition for ages 6 to 13 years. All milkshake-loving children are invited to enter this dessert-making contest which will involve a dash of culinary skill and heaps of fun.

Teams of two will compete to make the wackiest, freakiest shake possible using whatever milkshake ingredients they bring along on the evening. The teams are encouraged to dress in their wackiest attire and come up with a fun team name to set them apart from the competitors.

The milkshakes will be assessed on both taste and appearance by an illustrious panel of judges including Brand Manager for the Hirschs Group, Luci Hirsch Jackson; as well as the owner of Concha Café, Diogo Barendse.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this competition and, as a mum with three boys of my own, I feel it is great to see children being involved in fun activities in the kitchen, putting their energy and creativity to use,” said Hirsch’s Brand Manager, Luci Hirsch Jackson.

This winners of this colourful event – sponsored by Hirschs, Defy, Concha Café, Fine Young Cooks and Counter Culture – will be named Ballito’s Freak Shake Team of 2017 with the decadently creamy dessert featuring on the Concha Café menu.

Visitors to first leg of the Night of Food and Wine will also get to witness some incredible gastronomic entertainment as Darryn Sykes from Illembe surfriders takes on one of the surf contestants in a must-see cook-off.

Things will get more heated on the second night of the Ballito Pro Food and Wine Festival as contestants play with fire in the Shisa Nyama Proudly African Cook-off.

This smoking hot contest will see teams of two compete in a sizzling mystery box challenge organised by the evening’s incredible judge line-up which includes celebrity chef, Callie-Anne Gavazzi, and Eldry Leibrandt, owner of Shisa Mfethu’s Catering & Events as well as a former Ultimate Braai Master contestant. Callie-Ann will also be given the platform to showcase some of her favourite ‘beach bites’.

In addition to preparing an exceptional feast of South African fare, contestants are required to assign themselves a team name and dress accordingly.

While watching the exciting contests, visitors to both evenings will be able to sample some of the country’s best vintages at the Wine Tasting held between 6pm and 8pm with R40 buying a glass and eight tasters. There will also be a Cocktails and Flaring stand, craft beer on sale as well as an Artisanal Food Market with a difference. Local restaurants will be in attendance to entice food lovers with taster menus showcasing signature dishes.

The Ballito Pro Food and Wine Festival offers visitors a host of other entertainment on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings including a view of the latest on-trend fashion at the Simply Models’ fashion shows and best-dressed competitions hinged on the theme ‘African’. The Miss Ballito Top 3 will also be in attendance and visitors will get the chance to vote for their favourite Mr Ballito while enjoying some dance entertainment performed by Sugar Dance and the Parkour Crew, Street Riders.

Musical entertainment will be presented by Counter Culture with DJ Fuego Heat bringing some soul and funk with a taste of 80s and 90s on Tuesday evening. The following night will see three-piece South African rock band, Avade, putting on an electric live performance.

The Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong, festival programme promises non-stop entertainment including extreme motorbiking action by Brent and Bruce le Riche; skateboarding prowess by Khule Nubange; some of the country’s hottest musical acts – including Matthew Mole, Desmond & the Tutus, and PH – at the Cadbury Five Star Ballito Pro Music Concerts Powered by 5FM; After Dark Parties and the Battle of the DJs at Crush Nightclub; Beach Action at the Coca Cola Football Arena; the Willard Beach Kids’ Corner and daily entertainment, arts and crafts in the Retail Delight arena. The Save the Waves Campaign continues this year with festival organisers encouraging ocean rehabilitation and conservation through education campaigns and recycling initiatives throughout the festival venue.

The entry fee for the Freak Shake competition is R250 per team and entry for the Shisa Nyama Proudly African Cook-off is R300 per team. To enter email lewaine@fineyoungcooks.co.za

High-energy action in the form of spectacular two-wheeled stunts and skateboarding skills will dominate the Willard Beach Extreme Sports’ zone at The Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong from 27 June to 9 July.

Centred around the international surfing contest which pulls an impressive competitive line-up from across the globe, the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong also hosts an entertaining festival programme for holiday-makers and residents with the extreme biking action a definite crowd favourite.

South African motorcycle trials’ champs, Brent and Bruce le Riche – sponsored by Monster Energy Drink – are set to get the coastal crowd revved up.  Describing the festival as ‘the best show on our calendar’, Brent le Riche said the dynamic motorcycling team was excited to be returning for the fifth consecutive showdown.

“The Ballito Pro has been good to us and, with this being our fifth appearance, we’re obviously doing something right too!” said the extreme sportsman. “Last year’s event really highlighted the fact that there was so many familiar faces, with spectators seeing us before and bringing along their friends and family to come watch. This event is so special because it’s the Ballito Pro so the vibe is taken care of! The arena is up close and personal, and with that sea breeze swirling around the smell of burnt rubber and high-performance race fuel – who doesn’t want to be part of that?!”

The passion for all things motorcycle was sparked by their father, but the brothers have really fanned the flames, taking their extreme sports’ addiction all the way to the top. Brent has been ranked as the country’s number 1 rider 12 times with brother, Bruce, taking the title three times. Both have ranked in the top 5 on the North American circuit.

The past year has seen the brothers winning their combined 16th South African National Trials Championship while Bruce has taken on a whole new challenge – fatherhood. As with everything in life, he finds this new competition tough, but Bruce is always up for a challenge which means putting in the hard work, even in the early hours!

Commenting on this year’s Ballito Pro performance, Brent was giving too much away, stating: “I hate to say too much, but there will definitely be something different this year! Get to the festival and experience it first-hand. You won’t be disappointed.”

The performance consists of 25 minutes of extreme wheelies and nose wheelies as well as ramping 3.5m high walls all backed by incredible beats right next to the audience.

The talent continues at the skate park where South African skate legend, Khule Nubange, will demonstrate some dry land board action. Khule will be at this year’s Ballito Pro, presented by Billabong with his custom half pipe hosting skate clinics, performing sessions with local skaters as well as the not-to-be-missed official jam and best trick sessions in the activation village. There will also be a number of spot-prize giveaways, so don’t miss out!

In addition to the extreme sports’ action, visitors can catch some of South Africa’s hottest musical acts, including Matthew Mole, Kwesta, Desmond & the Tutus and PH, at the Cadbury Five Star Ballito Pro Music Concerts Powered by 5FM taking place at the Salt Rock beach stage on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 July.

From 30 June to 9 July, the musical mayhem continues at the official After Dark Parties taking place at Crush Nightclub where two dance floors will host some of the country’s hottest DJs as well as upcoming talent at Battle of the DJs, culminating on Saturday, 8 July.

There will be some tasty treats at the Night of Food & Wine event heating up the main festival area at Willard Beach from Tuesday 4 July from 5pm to 10.30pm and Wednesday 5 July from 5.30pm to 10.30pm. Daily live entertainment, arts, crafts, exhibitions, retail stalls, food and drink will be in abundance at the Retail Delight arena.

There will be non-stop Beach Action at the Coca Cola Football Arena with beach soccer entertainment while the children are kept busy at the Willard Beach’s Kids’ Corner with face painting, water balls, sandcastle-building contests and other fun activities on offer.

Visitors are welcome to participate in the ongoing Save the Waves Campaign with festival organisers encouraging ocean rehabilitation and conservation through ongoing education campaigns and recycling initiatives throughout the festival venue.

First QS10,000 Rated Event of Year Attracts Scores of the World’s Best Surfers

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 for its 49^th anniversary at Willard Beach in Ballito from 3 to 9 July.

Entries for the first World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series QS10,000 rated event of the year closed last week with exactly half of the world’s elite Top 34 ranked surfers on the Championship Tour (CT) booking their places. The 112 man field also features 29 of the top 32 on the QS rankings including current runaway rankings leader Jesse Mendes (BRA) and all of the top 12.

The CT contingent is led by Durban’s Jordy Smith, who won in Ballito in 2010 and is challenging strongly for the world title following his victory at Bells Beach at Easter. Other CT stars include Frenchmen Jeremy Flores and Joan Duru, Brazilians Italo Ferreira, Wiggolly Dantas and Miguel Pupo, Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and Italian Leonardo Fioravanti.

The form surfer is Connor O’Leary (AUS) who franked the form that saw him win last year’s Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong by finishing runner-up at Cloudbreak in Fiji earlier today to break into the top10 on the Jeep leaderboard for the first time and take the lead in the coveted 2017 CT rookie of the year race.

Former Ballito champions in the 49^th edition also include the Gudauskas brothers, Pat & Tanner, from California and Alejo Muniz (BRA).

Michael February (Kommetjie) and Beyrick de Vries (uMhlanga) are the only two South Africans to qualify for the main event via their rankings. Matt McGillivray (Jeffreys Bay) and David van Zyl (Glenashley) will receive the WSL Africa wildcards as the highest ranked South Africans in the current QS standings not to qualify among the top 112.

“This is the strongest field 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. “There has been huge anticipation for this year’s event and a really positive build up with other WSL events being held all over the coastline.”

The Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong runs from Monday to Sunday, July 3-9 and offer a prize-purse of US $260,000 (about R3.35 million) of which R500,000 and a massive 10,000 priceless ranking points go to the winner.

The Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong is the highlight event in the Ballito Pro Surf Festival, a 14-day celebration of beach culture that includes Billabong Junior Series pres. by All Aboard Travel from June 27-29 followed by the Surfing South Africa Trials pres. by Billabong on June 30 and the Ballito Women’s Pro pres. by Billabong on 1 and 2 July.

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 to this coastal holiday highlight.