Latest news with #JeffreysBay
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Molly Picklum misses chance in J-Bay as Connor O'Leary claims first WSL win
The Australian star Molly Picklum has agonisingly missed out on another World Surf League triumph in South Africa, but the Australian-born goofy-footer Connor O'Leary has claimed victory in the men's final. Picklum was frustrated with herself for not riding one last wave that might have sealed a last-gasp final win over her American rival Gabriela Bryan. In the closest of showdowns, Bryan took a narrow lead in their duel at Jeffreys Bay on South Africa's Eastern Cape on Friday with just 90 seconds left, scoring 6.93 when needing a 6.68. It left Australia's WSL leader Picklum little time for a response as she looked to earn a modest score of 5.93 to seal back-to-back victories in the J-Bay after her triumph in Saquarema, Brazil, last month. But Picklum, the 22-year-old from Gosford, hesitated when looking for the ideal wave to carry her to victory, failing to grab a couple of possible chances to ride in the final minute in a bid for glory. When her time ran out to respond with what would have been her seventh effort of the final, the Australian splashed the waters in disgust at having lost the final by a mere 0.26 points, 13.60 to 13.34. Picklum's consistency means she still leads the WSL standings on 61,145 points, ahead of Hawaii's Bryan, who was lifting her third title of the season to put her on 58,595 points. In the men's event, Japan's O'Leary took out his first WSL title. The Australian-born O'Leary had the event's only 10-point ride in the semi-finals as he knocked out three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo, before beating another Brazilian, world No 1 Yago Dora, in the final. O'Leary only rode three waves but racked up scores of 8.17 and 7.50 in his second and third runs, giving him a two-wave total of 15.67 of a possible 20, well clear of Dora's 14.23. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion 'All the stars aligned for this one, so I'm stoked. It felt good to have so many people cheering for me, and then to perform for them,' O'Leary said. 'I intended to do some of the best backhand surfing you've ever seen, and to compete with a fellow goofy in the final, hopefully it inspires other goofy-foot surfers that they can compete against the best in perfect right-hand point breaks.' The tour moves on to Tahiti next month, with the finals to be staged in Fiji between 27 August and 4 September. Picklum, Byran and American Caity Simmers have qualified for the women's event, while only Dora has sealed his spot in the men's competition.
The Guardian
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Molly Picklum misses chance in J-Bay as Connor O'Leary claims first WSL win
The Australian star Molly Picklum has agonisingly missed out on another World Surf League triumph in South Africa, but the Australian-born goofy-footer Connor O'Leary has claimed victory in the men's final. Picklum was frustrated with herself for not riding one last wave that might have sealed a last-gasp final win over her American rival Gabriela Bryan. In the closest of showdowns, Bryan took a narrow lead in their duel at Jeffreys Bay on South Africa's Eastern Cape on Friday with just 90 seconds left, scoring 6.93 when needing a 6.68. It left Australia's WSL leader Picklum little time for a response as she looked to earn a modest score of 5.93 to seal back-to-back victories in the J-Bay after her triumph in Saquarema, Brazil, last month. But Picklum, the 22-year-old from Gosford, hesitated when looking for the ideal wave to carry her to victory, failing to grab a couple of possible chances to ride in the final minute in a bid for glory. When her time ran out to respond with what would have been her seventh effort of the final, the Australian splashed the waters in disgust at having lost the final by a mere 0.26 points, 13.60 to 13.34. Picklum's consistency means she still leads the WSL standings on 61,145 points, ahead of Hawaii's Bryan, who was lifting her third title of the season to put her on 58,595 points. In the men's event, Japan's O'Leary took out his first WSL title. The Australian-born O'Leary had the event's only 10-point ride in the semi-finals as he knocked out three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo, before beating another Brazilian, world No 1 Yago Dora, in the final. O'Leary only rode three waves but racked up scores of 8.17 and 7.50 in his second and third runs, giving him a two-wave total of 15.67 of a possible 20, well clear of Dora's 14.23. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion 'All the stars aligned for this one, so I'm stoked. It felt good to have so many people cheering for me, and then to perform for them,' O'Leary said. 'I intended to do some of the best backhand surfing you've ever seen, and to compete with a fellow goofy in the final, hopefully it inspires other goofy-foot surfers that they can compete against the best in perfect right-hand point breaks.' The tour moves on to Tahiti next month, with the finals to be staged in Fiji between 27 August and 4 September. Picklum, Byran and American Caity Simmers have qualified for the women's event, while only Dora has sealed his spot in the men's competition.
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Japan's O'Leary beats world number one Dora to take J-Bay win
July 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Connor O'Leary won his first world championship tour title at the Corona Open J-Bay in South Africa on Friday. O'Leary had the event's only 10-point ride in the semi-finals as he knocked out three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo, before beating another Brazilian in world number one Yago Dora in the final. The Australian-born O'Leary only rode three waves but racked up scores of 8.17 and 7.50 in his second and third runs, giving him a two-wave total of 15.67 of a possible 20, well clear of Dora's 14.23. "All the stars aligned for this one, so I'm stoked. It felt good to have so many people cheering for me, and then to perform for them," said O'Leary, a goofy-footer, or one who stands with his right foot forward. "I intended to do some of the best backhand surfing you've ever seen, and to compete with a fellow goofy in the final, hopefully it inspires other goofy-foot surfers that they can compete against the best in perfect right-hand point breaks." World number two Gabriela Bryan won the women's event with a hard-fought victory over Australian world number one Molly Picklum, totalling 13.60 with efforts of 6.67 and 6.93 to outdo Picklum's opening 7.67. Picklum finished with a total of 13.34. "I came here early, putting in a lot of time here, and it paid off. I'm so stoked. It's been a dream of mine to win here at J-Bay. It's an iconic wave and one of my favourites in the world," Hawaii's Bryan said. The tour next heads to Tahiti. The top five men and women after the 11-stop tour will then compete for the world title in a one-day, winner-takes-all Finals Day in Fiji. Picklum, Byran and Caity Simmers (U.S.) have qualified for the women's event, while only Dora has sealed his spot in the men's competition.
The Herald
18-07-2025
- General
- The Herald
J-Bay hosts community lunch to spark year of nourishment and hope
While the world's top surfers took on Supertubes in the J-Bay Open, something equally powerful was stirring on land this Mandela Day; a mass gathering around shared tables, cooked with love and served with dignity. More than 1,500 residents of Jeffreys Bay and Pellsrus came together at Pellsrus Primary School for the first-ever J-Bay Community Lunch, where a hot meal carried the weight of a much bigger dream: to feed 200 people every week for a year. Organised during the WSL J Bay Open by The House of Mandela, the Faulkner Family Trust, and a growing coalition of local churches, artists, surf leaders, and residents, the lunch was a call to action, and a grassroots tribute to Madiba's spirit of ubuntu: 'I am because we are.' Rooted in the philosophy of umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu — a person is a person through other people, the gathering emphasised that true strength lies in community. 'Food grown, cooked, and shared by communities builds lasting bonds more than anything else,' said Kweku Mandela-Amuah, event director and grandson of Nelson Mandela. 'Here, we honour the mothers' recipes, the farmers' soil, and the shared responsibility to care for one another, as we always have.' At the heart of the experience was home-grown flavour and soul: local gogos who cooked alongside guest chef Hardy McQueen; schoolchildren performed and shared stories; and artists like YoungstaCPT, DJ Doowap, and Don Delicious brought the music. The lunch was just a start. In a province where one in four households face food insecurity, plans are already in motion to transform the moment into a sustainable feeding programme (at just R5 a meal) powered by local kitchens, rotating chefs, and a growing volunteer network — all fuelled by the values of ubuntu. 'When we break bread together, we break barriers too. This is not charity, it's reciprocal care,' said professional surfer and organiser Joshe Faulkner.
The Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
SA's Jordy Smith eliminated by rookie in J-Bay
Rookie Frenchman Marco Mignot delivered a devastating blow, taking out world No 1 Jordy Smith in front of his home crowd and stripping him of the yellow leader jersey in the Corona Cero Open J-Bay on Sunday. The event continued on Sunday to complete the men's round of 16 with three-to-five foot lines rolling through at Supertubes. With a dissipating swell, conditions slowed down throughout the morning, and organisers decided not to run the women's quarterfinals on Sunday. The competition has been called off for Monday and Tuesday, and the next call will be made on Wednesday at 7.45am for a possible 8.03am start. On Sunday, Mignot stayed busy building a solid score, while Smith opted to wait for a bigger set wave, which never arrived. Smith left it too late, needing a near-excellent score in the dying minutes, and Mignot advanced to his second quarterfinal appearance on the Champions Tour (CT). 'If you take on No 1, and you beat him, it's a bigger reward,' Mignot said. 'I always want to surf against the best and push myself. These moments are special, to share them with Jordy, the king of J-Bay, but I'm super happy to take the win. 'Before coming here, I was watching clips of Jordy, because I think he's the best out here.' Drawing each other again but on a different continent, Americans Griffin Colapinto and Cole Houshmand got a rematch in Supertubes after facing each other in the final of the VIVO Rio Pro just over a week ago. Colapinto got to work quickly to build a score, and shut it down with a 7.50 (out of a possible 10) for his powerful turns and drawn-out carves on a big J-Bay wall. Coming under pressure from João Chianca (BRA) in the first heat of the round of 16, world No 2 Yago Dora (BRA) started on the back foot. A quick equipment change saw a shift in momentum as Dora knew he had to get a big score on the board. Relying on his aerial prowess, Dora raced down the line, launching himself into the golden light of the morning and navigating the landing for an excellent 9.00. 'I broke the tip of my fin, and that was my magic board,' Dora said. 'I didn't want to change boards, so I just caught a wave in to change the fin. 'There was a long lull, so I tried to stay patient and wait for an opportunity. It was a weird wave, so I knew I would have to go big again. 'The second best feeling in surfing is flying through the air and landing in the flats, it's so scary, so when you pull it off, it feels so good.' With Smith knocked out of the event, Dora has moved into the No 1 position, but Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) can still challenge him for the yellow leader jersey in J-Bay as both advanced to the quarterfinals. — World Surf League
