Latest news with #BallitoPro
IOL News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Durban's Luke Thompson realises dream with Ballito Pro victory
South Africa's Luke Thompson won the The Ballito Pro – the world's longest-running professional surfing contest this past weekend. Photo: Luke Patterson Image: Luke Patterson Durbanite Luke Thompson fulfilled a childhood dream by winning the prestigious Ballito Pro Challenger Series event, held from 22 June and concluding this past weekend. The 21-year-old, who took up surfing at the age of 10, said it was only after progressing through the heat stages that he truly began to believe he could go all the way. 'The entire beach was going mad,' he said. 'It was definitely the proudest moment of my life so far.' After three years of hard work and relentless training to compete on the Challenger Series, Thompson finally captured his first tour win — and did so on home soil. The Ballito Pro is regarded as the world's oldest and longest-running professional surf event. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading With his maiden Challenger Series victory now under his belt, Thompson is aiming for a top ten finish in the global standings. The World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series draws elite talent from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, Tahiti Nui, North America and South America, all vying for international recognition and future qualification for the Championship Tour. Thompson's standout performance at Ballito marks a significant turning point in his young career and is likely to attract attention from global sponsors and brands. 'This was my first win on the Challenger Series — in fact, it was my first time even making the final,' he said. 'I've been competing at this event for three years but never made it past the round of 16. It's always been a dream of mine to win here because I basically grew up surfing this beach.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Durban surfer makes historic Ballito Pro win
FRESH from his win at the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill on Sunday, Durban surfer Luke Thompson is already making waves in the Eastern Cape where he is preparing to take on the Corona Cero Open J-Bay event from July 11 to 20. The 21-year-old was awarded a wildcard slot after his historic win on the North Coast where he out-manoeuvred Australian, George Pittar, in the final. Thompson, who began surfing at the age of 10 and was surfing for KZN at 12 years old, made history with his win, becoming the first South African since 2017 to be in the final at the Ballito Pro. He is no stranger to winning, having won the Ballito Pro Junior U14 boys division in 2018 before representing SA at the Vissla ISA World Junior Champs in October that year. Following his victory in front of his home crowd, Thompson said, 'It feels like a dream and I'm just waiting to wake up. I'm so proud to be South African, the support on the beach has been incredible.' Also Read: Champions crowned at Ballito Pro Junior The crowds had lined the beach for this momentous occasion, cheering every time Thompson paddled for a wave. Both surfers struggled to find a wave with an open face to work with, only needing a small requirement for the win. The 21-year-old local found an opportunity under priority to crank out two turns. Pittar had a chance to fight back, but fell on his wave and the beach erupted as Thompson got the required score for the win. 'When I made the final I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I wish it was a better final, but I can't believe it. There's so much hard work that goes into this. The biggest thank you to my coach, I couldn't do it without him,' said Thompson. Hard at work already, at the pre-competition surf in Jeffreys Bay, Thompson will be joining the likes of Matthew McGillivray and Sarah Baum, who also secured the regional wildcards as the highest placed African surfers on the Challenger Series. The women's title winner at the Ballito Pro was Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe who stormed her way to the top after claiming victory over Portugal's Yolanda Hopkins in the final. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Durban surfer Luke Thompson wins Ballito Pro and ends SA's title drought
Durban's Luke Thompson claimed an incredibly popular Ballito Pro title at Willard Beach yesterday morning. According to The North Coast Courier, the 21-year-old talent, buoyed by massive beach support, became the first South African to win the Pro since Adin Masencamp in 2021. He joins an elite list of recent Durban winners in the event, alongside Championship Tour title chaser Jordy Smith and Olympian Sarah Baum. In the women's division, Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe claimed victory in an all-Iberian final against Portugal's Yolanda Hopkins. All local eyes were on Thompson, who knocked out Australian Oscar Berry at the semi-final stage on Saturday morning, before returning an hour later to beat another Australian, George Pittar, in the final. It was a muted final for both athletes after a morning of excellent surf in the best conditions of the week. A cagey opening exchange saw Pittar register an early 5.17 wave score, to which Thompson replied with a 5.33. Neither surfer found the rhythm they enjoyed throughout the competition, with Pittar holding onto a tight lead for most of the final with a 9.0 combined score. After trying to find a decent second wave for what felt like an age, Thompson hopped onto a left with under five minutes to go and managed to complete two solid turns. That 4.0 wave put him ahead of Pittar, who was unable to complete another wave in the allotted time. An emotional Thompson was embraced by fellow South African surfers when he got back to the beach, before being carried through a jubilant crowd. 'It's a dream come true to win in front of a South African crowd here,' said Thompson. 'It's been a crazy couple of days and the support has been incredible from everyone. I'm so proud to be a South African.' The win is Thompson's first on the Challenger Series, improving on a previous career-best finish of 9th. Twenty-five-year-old Erostarbe also became a first-time winner after reaching the podium three times. She earned her finals berth in Ballito by way of a standout semi-final against Australian surfing legend Sally Fitzgibbons. After dropping the biggest single wave score of the day, a massive 8.17, Erostarbe added another 7.17 to rack up the victory and develop real momentum for the final. Facing off against the talented Hopkins, Erostarbe set the bar early with a strong 6.50. Hopkins came back with a big 7.67 – the biggest score in either final – but could not get a second score of higher than 3.17. Erostarbe's consistency proved crucial and she claimed the title by almost two points. Her win ensured an historic two weeks in Ballito for female Basque surfing, after sisters Annette and Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri claimed the Ballito Open and Ballito Pro Junior titles. For a full list of results, visit
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Durban surfer Luke Thompson clinches Ballito Pro in final minutes!
Durban's Luke Thompson claimed an incredibly popular Ballito Pro title at Willard Beach this morning. The 21-year-old talent, buoyed by massive beach support, became the first South African to win the Pro since Adin Masencamp in 2021. He joins an elite list of recent Durban winners in the event, alongside Championship Tour title chaser Jordy Smith and Olympian Sarah Baum. In the women's division, Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe claimed victory in an all-Iberian final against Portugal's Yolanda Hopkins. All local eyes were on Thompson however, who knocked out Australian Oscar Berry at the semi-final stage this morning, before returning an hour later to beat another Australian, George Pittar, in the final. It was a muted final for both athletes after a morning of excellent surf in the best conditions of the week. A cagey opening exchange saw Pittar register an early 5.17 wave score, to which Thompson replied with a 5.33. Neither surfer found the rhythm they enjoyed throughout the competition however, with Pittar holding onto a tight lead for most of the final with a 9.0 combined score. After trying to find a decent second wave for what felt like an age, Thompson hopped onto a left with under five minutes to go and managed to complete two solid turns. That 4.0 wave put him ahead of Pittar, who was unable to complete another wave in the allotted time. An emotional Thompson was embraced by fellow South African surfers when he got back to the beach, before being carried through a jubilant crowd. 'It's a dream come true to win in front of a South African crowd here,' said Thompson. 'It's been a crazy couple of days and the support has been incredible from everyone. I'm so proud to be a South African.' The win is Thompson's first on the Challenger Series, improving on a previous career-best finish of 9th. Twenty-five-year-old Erostarbe also became a first-time winner after reaching the podium three times. She earned her finals berth in Ballito by way of a standout semi-final against Australian surfing legend Sally Fitzgibbons. After dropping the biggest single wave score of the day, a massive 8.17, Erostarbe added another 7.17 to rack up the victory and develop real momentum for the final. Facing off against the talented Hopkins, Erostarbe set the bar early with a strong 6.50. Hopkins came back with a big 7.67 – the biggest score in either final – but could not get a second score of higher than 3.17. Erostarbe's consistency proved crucial and she claimed the title by almost two points. Her win ensured an historic two weeks in Ballito for female Basque surfing, after sisters Annette and Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri claimed the Ballito Open and Ballito Pro Junior titles. For a full list of results, visit Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Thompson and McGillivray lead South African Ballito Pro charge
Durban's Luke Thompson and Jeffrey's Bay local Matt McGillivray will suit up for the Ballito Pro Round of 16 as the only South Africans left in the field. Both surfers made it through their men's Round of 32 heats at Willard Beach this morning (July 3), while Cape Town's Adin Masencamp was unfortunately knocked out. Local hopeful Thompson surfed the first heat of the day, but had to wait until 9.35am to get underway as organisers chose to wait for improved wave conditions. Facing a packed heat against Hawaii's Eli Hanneman, Portugal's Frederico Morais and Australia's Jackson Baker – all of whom have Championship Tour experience – one may have expected a nervy start from the 21-year-old talent. But Thompson looked calm from the get go, opening with a solid 6.67 on his first wave of the day, later finding a 6.90 to win the heat ahead of Hanneman. Thompson's previous best Challenger Series finish is 9th, in Ballito in 2022 and Brazil in 2023, and he will be hoping to set a new career best later this week. He will face Brazil's Mateus Herdy in the Round of 16. McGillivray (28) has spent more time at the top-level, including five years of Championship Tour experience and a berth in last year's Olympics. It has been an up-and-down 2025 for him so far however, and a second-place finish in El Salvador was not enough to avoid the mid-season cut, which is why he is surfing the Ballito Pro. He has not been at his absolute best in the competition so far, needing a late wave to make it through the Round of 64 earlier this week. It was much the same in the first two-thirds of his heat this morning, where he was unable to score above 3.30 in his first five attempts. But as the remaining time dipped under 10 minutes, McGillivray came alive with two back-to-back waves that catapulted him into heat contention. He landed an aerial move with about eight minutes to go that scored him 6.83, which he followed up with a quickfire double turn adjudged at 5.03. That was enough to make it through an enthralling heat in second position behind Hawaii's Shion Crawford, while Brazil's Deivid Silva – a former winner in Ballito – and Japan's Hiroto Ohhara were knocked out. McGillivray will face Australia's Oscar Berry in the Round of 16. Elsewhere, Masencamp could not get it going in the following heat and he finished third behind Berry and New Zealand's Billy Stairmand. Meanwhile, the first perfect-10 wave of this year's Ballito Pro was registered by Mexico's Lucas Cassity (16), who landed a massive aerial spin in Heat 2. Competition surfing is finished for the day, with the first call being made at 7am tomorrow. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
