Category: News

The 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival, which encompassed sustainability, inclusivity, and growth, welcomed large numbers of holidaymakers to KwaDukuza shores for an epic seaside event that ran from 27 June to 9 July. Alongside the many popular retail and entertainment activities on offer, this year’s festival brought a number of new programme additions to the 54th Ballito Pro.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to the host, KwaDukuza Municipality, our sponsors, partners, and all the festival attendees for one of the biggest and best Ballito Pro Festivals to date,” said Collette Bundy, The Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival Organiser. “It was through extensive collaborations that we were able to grow our festival programme, including a variety of sustainable elements that promoted ocean health and conservation – without which, there is no Ballito Pro. We look forward to continuing this trend of inclusivity and sustainability as we plan for 2024!”

Konke KuLuhlaza – Everything is Blue

This year’s theme Konke KuLuhlaza touched on the importance of ‘going green for the big blue’ with ocean conservation and inclusivity prioritised. This started with event hosts, KwaDukuza Municipality, which has adopted Coastal Development & Economic Tourism Strategies, including the KwaDukuza Coastal Management Plan, which ensures best practices, environmental education, sustainability, and beach safety through strategic plans for growth and economic sustainability. This includes launching its Blue Flag Beach programme, with Willard Beach one of three Blue Flag beaches in the area.

Another key partnership with the non-profit organisation (NPO), Ballito Urban Improvement Precinct (BUIP) has ensured water health with regular monitoring E.coli levels at all beaches and tidal pools from Salmon Bay to Tiffany’s Beach. BUIP, with the support of the municipality, is also raising funds to install a fourth access ramp to the beach, forming part of its Beach Access for All campaign (donate under the ‘Project’s page on www.BallitoUIP.co.za).

Event sponsor, O’Neill, is also showing its commitment to conservation through its sustainable product collection – the O’Neill Blue. For the Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Challenger event, the O’Neill Blue event merchandise was manufactured from recycled cotton and polyester using a recycling process called Repreve. This is where plastic bottles from the oceans and landfills are converted into durable fibres to manufacture boardshorts. Throughout the festival, sustainable steps were taken such as the removal of single-use plastics, recycled polybags, and recycled material hangtags. O’Neill also supports global NPOs who align with the O’Neill Blue Ocean Mission including The Surfrider Foundation, Mauli Ola Foundation, Ocean Works, and Surfers Not Street Children.

Awareness Programmes

A further three local NPOs came on board at this year’s Ballito Pro Festival to educate and encourage ocean conservation. Litter4Tokens, founded on the KZN North Coast in Shaka’s Head by Clare Swithenbank-Bowman in 2015, encouraged festival-goers to collect nurdles – harmful microplastics found on the ocean shore – with 25 staff members also involved in cleaning up litter. More than 56 bags of litter were collected a day throughout the event, with a record set by Ballito Pro spectators who spent 10 hours a day collecting a total of 38.9kgs of nurdles. These are collected using Litter4Tokens Mermaids Tear Catchers (another name for nurdles) which is a dual sieve/frisbee which sifts through the sand. Participants were treated to prizes worth more than R50 000 for their environmental contribution.

The Litterboom Project (TLP), founded by Cameron Service in 2017, collects waste from rivers to prevent it from reaching the ocean. A thick pipe placed across the rivers can sift out huge amounts of waste – more than 500 000kgs to date – preventing it from becoming an ocean-bound problem. At the Ballito Pro, visitors supported TLP initiatives by competing in the Hunt Properties 5km run through Ballito on Friday, July 7. The company donated R5 for every participating runner with thousands of rands raised for TLP.

Another KZN North Coast organisation tackling pollution is the newly launched WEEE are iLembe, an initiative that promotes the recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) – or e-waste. WEEE are iLembe set up at the Ballito Pro retail area at Willard Beach where visitors got to learn more about the initiative, how to safely dispose of e-waste, as well as check out the epic e-waste-to-art installation!

Music and After Dark Parties

There was non-stop musical entertainment at this year’s Ballito Pro Festival with The Good Vibes programme running from 1 to 9 July at Good Vibes Café and Bar. Getting the party going were top DJs such as Kyle Cassim, Austin Cassim, Chunda Munki, DJ Royal Love, I am Rogue, Ryan Stylz, Claudio, Jayy Jabs, and more. KwaDukuza’s best record spinners competed in the Ballito Pro Battle of the DJs competition on Wednesday, 5 July at the KwaDukuza Town Hall with DJ Phiwe Morris taking the top prize.

The competition winner got to play on the Main Stage on the first night of the Ballito Pro Music Concerts which took place at Salt Rock Main Beach on 6 and 7 July. He joined the likes of Ballito’s DJ Merlon who headlined the event, as well as Dlala Thukzin, Oscar Mbo, DJ Sox and Chynaman. Friday welcomed Matthew Mole, Majozi, Freddy L, and Durban’s Southport Band.

The Conchilla Tapas Lounge & Bar set the scene for the After Dark programme and daily activities throughout the festival, with La Montagne featuring live music as well as a fantastic series of music, comedy, and burlesque performances at La Montagne’s Pumpkin Theatre close to Willard Beach.

Sports Action

Sporting action wasn’t limited to KwaDukuza’s surf with Brent Le Riche returning to perform his world-class trial biking moves as part of the Monster Energy Programme from 7 to 9 July. Old School Productions welcomed a top line-up of the country’s best skaters for The Ballito Pro Skate Jam at the Ballito Bowl on 1 July. It was Umhlanga’s Kalvyn MacMillan (35) who took first place in the Men’s Division, while Capetonian Janine Louw (24) came tops in the Women’s Division, and Ballito’s Ezra Vosloo placed first in the U16 Boy’s Division.

For the first time ever, the Ballito Pro welcomed the inspirational Para Surfing Expression Session to its programme, with adaptive surfers taking to the water on 1 July. The surfers came from Made for More, a local non-profit organisation that aims to include, empower, and equip people with disabilities through sport. Through their adaptive surfing programme, many individuals have been instructed in water safety, life skills, and adaptive ways to bodyboard and surf. A stand out on the day was O’Neill Team rider Caleb Swanepoel who caught a solid 4-foot wave with the crowd providing massive support.

On 4 July, the Ballito Pro BRA (Ballito Restaurant Association) Golf Day fundraiser took place at Simbithi Golf Club with proceeds raised going towards the Ballito Beach Collective (BBC). Fabian Durocher-Yvon, owner of Fiamma Grill, commented: “The BRA Golf Committee expresses our sincerest gratitude for the donations, sponsorship, and commitment to this successful event. The BBC is fundamental in helping keep our beaches safe, clean and beautiful.”

Retail and beachside activities

There was daily seaside fun for families, including fantastic retail stalls selling quality goods; free Beach Yoga and Pilates; beach sports and recreational activities; Jive with Jen daily dance lessons, expression sessions, face painting and fun games for children; O’Neill Blue Capsule initiative and Women of the Wave activation; indoor rowing demonstrations; and the Coastal and Cultural Tourism Experience.

Don’t miss any of the action at the 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival and be part of the change.  #konkekuluhlaza #everythingisblue

To find out more about The Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill festival programme, visit:

Website: www.theballitopro.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theballitopro/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheBallitoPro

Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheBallitoPro

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theballitopro

Snapchat: Username – TheBallitoPro

To find out more about The Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill visit:

Website: www.theballitopro.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theballitopro/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheBallitoPro

Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheBallitoPro

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theballitopro

Snapchat: Username – TheBallitoPro

To find out more about The Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill festival programme, visit:

Website: www.theballitopro.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theballitopro/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheBallitoPro

Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheBallitoPro

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theballitopro

Snapchat: Username – TheBallitoPro

In what was by far the biggest, most hotly contested Ballito Pro Skate Jam to date, it was Kalvyn MacMillan (35) who put on the winning display, earning himself first-place in the Men’s Division. Capetonian Janine Louw (24) brought some impressive skills to win the Women’s Division, while local skater Ezra Vosloo take first prize in the U16 Boy’s Division. Hosted at the Ballito Bowl in KwaDukuza on Saturday, 1 July, the 2023 Ballito Pro Skate Jam welcomed some of the country’s biggest skaters in this high-stakes competition that is now a regular feature on The Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival calendar.

“We’d like to extend huge congratulations to all this year’s Ballito Pro Skate Jam winners, and to all the 2023 contestants who put on an unbelievably impressive performance,” said Markus Müseler, Old School Productions event’s organiser. “This is the third edition of the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, and the support of our sponsors and the high standard of South African skating has seen this become one of the dominant skating events on the calendar. We’re looking forward to growing this even further next year.”

Paul Canning, O’Neill Brand Director and event organiser, commented: “On behalf of Volcom, we’re stoked to be a part of such a cool event that forms part of the Ballito Pro. It’s awesome to see how it’s grown – it just gets bigger and better every year.”

He said they were excited to welcome new sponsors Hot Wheels Skate who came on board for the third edition of the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, joining Volcom, Fallen Footwear, and Groundswell Skate and Surf.

“Personally, I love to see the support the Ballito Pro Skate Jam gets from the local Ballito community. This is one event that everyone looks forward to and it’s an event we want to see growing from year to year,” he concluded.

Umhlanga’s Kalvyn MacMillan, the Men’s Division winner, is no stranger to the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, having won the 2021 edition and placed second last year. Commenting on the competition he said:

“My first two runs weren’t great – I fell in both. But managed to pull myself together in my final run. Looking forward to next year as well! This was definitely the biggest bowl contest they’ve had with guys coming from Joburg, Cape Town, and all around South Africa so the competition was a lot a lot tougher – the bar was raised on all platforms and guys came out swinging! It was really fun, very challenging but that’s what you want. The turnout from the Ballito people supporting was also great.”

He extended thanks to all the sponsors for making the event such a success: “We’re always happy to have this contest, it was an all-around good day and I’m really looking forward to next year.”

Cape Town’s Janine Louw flew out to experience the Durban skate scene and the Ballito Pro Skate Jam for the first time.

“The Ballito Pro is such a prestigious event that has significantly contributed to the local community and the South African surf and skate scene. Its recent addition, the Ballito Bowl Skate Competition, holds immense potential to further this legacy,” said Louw.

She is one of the female skaters who has been championing the growth and recognition of female skaters as athletes. She hopes that, through this win, she can inspire incoming female athletes to join the sport.

Winner of the U16 Boy’s Division, Ezra Vosloo (12) described it as ‘the best day of the year!’. Speaking after the event, Ezra’s dad, Brode, said the youngster’s goal was to win the U16 event and re-qualify for the Open event, but he enjoyed some great competition along the way. “It’s great to see skaters like Warrick Edgar from the Western Cape coming up to compete. There aren’t many skate competitions in the year, so there’s a lot of pressure on the one event to attain your goals. We live in Ballito very near the bowl so Ezra’s there most afternoons – it’s his sport of choice!”

The Ballito Pro Skate Jam 2023 Results

Open Men’s Division

1st: Kalvyn MacMillan
2nd: Khule Ngubane
3rd: Damian Bramley

Women’s Division

1st: Janine Louw
2nd: Bexx Sneddon

U16 Boy’s Division

1st: Ezra Vosloo
2nd: Warrick Edgar
3rd: Caleb Ambrose 

2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival

The globe’s longest-running surfing contest is accompanied by the epic 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival! Bringing the best in entertainment, retail, and beachside fun, this year’s festival programme from 27 June to 9 July will be centred on sustainability, inclusivity, and growth, following the theme Konke KuLuhlaza – Everything is Blue. Alongside the surfing, skating, and biking action, visitors can look forward to:

• Brent Le Riche performing trial biking tricks for the Monster Energy Programme
• Retail offerings
• Free beach Yoga and Pilates from 7am to 8am (except Sundays)
• Daily beach sports, and recreational activities
• Jive with Jen daily dance lessons, expression sessions, face painting and fun games for children
• O’Neill Blue Capsule initiative and Women of the Wave activation
• Bra Golf Day fundraiser
• Environmental awareness programmes and events
• Coastal and Cultural Tourism Experience
• Indoor rowing demonstrations

Don’t miss any of the action at the 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival and be part of the change.  #konkekuluhlaza #everythingisblue

In line with this year’s theme Konke KuLuhlaza – Everything is Blue, the 54th Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival has centred its events around ocean conservation, with awareness programmes running throughout the festival from 27 June to 9 July. Driving the conservation efforts at the KwaDukuza-based festival are Litter4Tokens, The Litterboom Project (TLP), WEEE are iLembe, and the Ballito Urban Improvement Precinct (BUIP).

“Without healthy oceans, there is no Ballito Pro, there is no tourism, there is no life on Earth. We all have a role to play in turning the tide on ocean health, and that’s why we’re expanding our ocean conservation awareness programme throughout the Festival events,” explained Collette Bundy, The Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival Organiser. “This year’s theme touches on both the blue of the ocean, reflective of KwaDukuza’s Blue Flag Beach programme as well as our sponsor, O’Neill’s Blue global product collection; while also emphasising the ‘green’ elements of sustainability and conservation.”

The Litter4Tokens initiative was founded on the KZN North Coast in Shaka’s Head by Clare Swithenbank-Bowman in 2015. This globally recognised, award-winning initiative has helped create a circular economy in underprivileged communities countrywide, where waste collectors exchange recyclable material for essential products. This innovative model clears waste while simultaneously allowing residents to care for themselves and their families sustainably.

Noting the high number of dangerous nurdles (also known as Mermaid Tears) – microplastic pellets which form the base material of plastic products – on KZN North Coast beaches, Litter4Tokens pioneered the Mermaid Tears project. This educates people about the incredible dangers of nurdles to marine life, and encourages the purchase of Mermaid Tear Catchers to remove nurdles from sand. Created using recyclable material, the Mermaid Tear Catcher – which doubles as a frisbee – allows users to sift through the sand, separating the harmful nurdles which can be disposed of safely.

Thanks to the funding from the President Stimulus Fund and Brownie points, Litter4Tokens has prevented more than 996 000 bags (1 097 tons) of litter from reaching the ocean, while feeding more than 179 000 people in remote communities across South Africa and Mexico! This equates to 373 tons of carbon dioxide. Litter4Tokens sister foundation in the USA Trash4tokens.org was launched in 2022 allowing for global educational outreach campaigns impacting more than 32 000 people in schools, foundations, and businesses.

How can you get involved?

In 2022, the Ballito Pro campaign collected more than 2.6kgs of nurdles, saving thousands of marine lives – now it’s time to beat that record! Visitors to this year’s Ballito Pro can look out for the trademark nurdle station at Willard Beach where Mermaids Tear Catchers are on sale. All proceeds from the catchers are put back into the non-profit organisation. There are also amazing prizes worth more than R50 000 to be won for those who collect the most nurdles at the event. This is a great activity for the whole family, and a good way to educate children about safe environmental practices.

Litter4Tokens also offers BEEE and Section 18a certificates for corporates to achieve the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. By donating to Litter4Tokens business and manufacturing funding, they can expand their impactful work.

Another homegrown, award-winning conservation NPO, The Litterboom Project (TLP), was founded by Cameron Service in 2017 and uses an innovative waste collection approach in eight KZN and two Western Cape rivers to prevent waste from reaching the ocean. A thick pipe placed across the rivers can sift out huge amounts of waste – more than 500 000kgs to date – preventing it from becoming an ocean-bound problem.

TLP has also pioneered other sustainable programmes including Back a Beach and The Wastepreneur programme. They recently launched Back a Beach encourages the business community to sponsor beachfront clean-ups, making this a more regular occurrence that inspires community action.

The already successful Wastepreneur programme offers training in using machinery to convert plastic waste, collected from rivers, beaches, and other areas around Durban, into valuable products that can be sold. This venture has been so successful that some of the products are sold by South Africa’s biggest retailers.

How can you get involved?

At the Ballito Pro, visitors can support the TLP initiatives by joining the Hunt Properties 5km run through Ballito on Friday, July 7, where the company will donate R5 for every participating runner. TLP welcomes matching donations from other companies that would like to get involved. The charity run starts at 5.30am from Concha Café. After the run, TLP welcomes visitors to meet the team at 8am to find out more about the work being done.

Another KZN North Coast organisation tackling pollution is the newly launched WEEE are iLembe, an initiative that promotes the recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). WEEE, also known as e-waste, includes any electrical or electronic device that uses either electricity or batteries, that is no longer wanted or needed. This can include things like phones, laptops, TVs, appliances, lighting, batteries and more. The growing problem of e-waste sees millions of tonnes generated globally each year, which if not treated or treated incorrectly, can cause harm to the environment and human health.

On 23 August 2021, the South African government banned WEEE from entering landfills yet less than 10% of all e-waste is recycled. WEEE are iLembe aims to educate people about safe and proper disposal of e-waste and to encourage diversion of e-waste from landfill into recycling. This will allow for products to be refurbished and kept in circulation and the recovery of valuable materials that can be reused in new products.

How can you get involved?

WEEE are iLembe will be set up at the Ballito Pro retail area at Willard Beach where visitors can learn more about the initiative, how to safely dispose of e-waste, as well as check out the epic e-waste-to-art installation!

An immediate signifier of ocean health is the water quality which is why the Ballito Urban Improvement Precinct (BUIP) is monitoring the E.coli levels at all beaches and tidal pools from Salmon Bay to Tiffany’s Beach. This is not only vital for the health of marine life, but an important indicator for tourists and residents who enjoy swimming in the oceans recreationally. Showing rigorous transparency, BUIP shares the E.coli results on its social media pages and will continue to monitor the levels to ensure beach-goer safety and ensure Willard Beach retains its Blue Flag Beach status. The Ballito UIP Non-Profit Company with the support of KDM would like to install the addition of a fourth access ramp to the beach, forming part of its Beach Access For All campaign.

How you can get involved?

Keep updated with water quality levels by following @BUIP on Instagram and @BallitoUIP on Facebook. You can also visit the www.BallitoUIP.co.za website and check the ‘Projects’ page to contribute towards the ramp fund so that the beach is accessible to all.

2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival

This year’s festival programme will adopt the Konke KuLuhlaza – Everything is Blue theme throughout the action-packed and fun-filled lineup. Visitors to this year’s top surfing event can look forward to great festival activities and entertainment, including:

• Retail offerings
• The Ballito Pro Skate Jam
• Monster Energy trail biking demonstrations by Brent Le Riche
• Free beach Yoga and Pilates from 7am to 8am (except Sundays)
• Daily beach sports, and recreational activities
• Jive with Jen daily dance lessons, expression sessions, face painting and fun games for children
• O’Neill Blue Capsule initiative and Women of the Wave activation
• Bra Golf Day fundraiser
• Para Surf Expression Session
• Coastal and Cultural Tourism Experience
• Indoor rowing demonstrations

Don’t miss any of the action at the 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill Festival and be part of the change.  #konkekuluhlaza #everythingisblue