Latest news with #LukeThompson
The Herald
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Action-packed day sees first eliminations at Corona Cero Open J-Bay
The Corona Cero Open J-Bay continued with an exciting day of action with classic four-to-six-foot conditions at the world-renowned Supertubes on Saturday. Day two of the competition saw the event's first eliminations with the competition of the men's and women's opening and elimination rounds. As the penultimate stop of the Championship Tour's regular season, the event is a huge opportunity for surfers to make moves into the WSL Final 5 to have a chance to compete for the World Titles at Cloudbreak, Fiji. The next rounds of the event will heat up this race after seeing surfers now sitting in the Top 5 and surfers just below all through to the next round. The crowds lined the beach as World No 1 Jordy Smith (SA) and local wild card Luke Thompson (SA) paddled out for their matchup in the men's elimination round. It was fireworks from the start, with Thompson getting the better of Smith in the first exchange. Smith accepted the challenge and went full throttle on a long Supertubes runner to score an excellent 9.43 (out of a possible 10) with a couple of huge turns. Thompson found another gear to go excellent himself, but the 'Big Bru' did enough to get the win with a total of 16.43 (out of a possible 20). 'We both started out pretty good,' said Smith. 'I really just wanted to find a bomb and shut down the heat. Sure enough, I got that wave and rode it almost into my living room! It's incredible the support down here. That's what it's all about: to inspire SA and the next generation coming through. I told Luke that I'll see him here in 12 months, and I really hope his dream comes true.' Reigning World Champion Caity Simmers (US) survived the dreaded elimination round, coming up against local wild card Sarah Baum (SA). Coming off an early exit at the Vivo Rio Pro, Simmers has been tapping into the support from her family, who are travelling with her in SA. 'I kind of have a weird relationship with this wave,' said Simmers. 'I just tried to put that behind me and have fun surfing. My whole family is here, so it helps to switch off. I got to watch my brother win the US Surfing Championships back home, and now he's here with me. He's been surfing better than me out here, and he definitely pushes me to be better.' 2023 world champion Caroline Marks (US) continues her run of good results in J-Bay with another Quarterfinals appearance after she eliminated 2024 world junior champion Luana Silva (BRA) in Heat 2. A clutch performance from two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) saw her advance over rookie Erin Brooks (CAN) to round out the quarterfinals. Wright was trailing Brooks, when she found a medium-sized wave and surfed it down the point to get a 7.07 and edge out Brooks. World No 2 Yago Dora (BRA) put on a show at Supertubes in his opening round heat, showcasing his good read of the waves to connect big, flowing turns and finding a solid section to punt a huge frontside rotation, earning an excellent 9.33. Dora is nipping at the heels of Jordy Smith (SA) for the No 1 spot and will be a force to be reckoned with in J-Bay. 'I was kind of scared to hit the ramp, because the wave was solid and I had so much speed,' said Dora. 'I had the best feeling in surfing, just floating in the air and landing into the flats. You can really get creative on this wave, it's the perfect wave, but the lines are always changing a little bit, so it's still unpredictable and you have to adapt quickly.' Joining Dora in the Round of 16 are Brazil's Filipe Toledo, Italo Ferreira and Joao Chianca. Toledo won his opening round heat to go straight through to the Round of 16, while Ferreira and Chianca had to face the elimination round, overcoming Matthew McGillivray (SA) and Joel Vaughan (AUS), respectively. Current World No. 6 Griffin Colapinto (US), No. 7 Jack Robinson (AUS), and No. 8 Barron Mamiya (HAW) are also through to the next round and will be ones to watch in the Final 5 battle after their respective heat wins on Sunday. Colapinto and Mamiya fought through the Elimination Round to dispatch Alejo Muniz (BRA) and Seth Moniz (HAW), respectively, while Robinson got the early win in the Opening Round with a strong 14.83 two-wave total (out of a possible 20). SA's madman Matthew McGillivray (SA) dropped into Jeffreys Bay in style, skydiving from 7,500 feet in his wetsuit and rash vest, ready to paddle out for his opening round heat. McGillivray, a former CTer, is known for his extreme sports hobbies outside surfing, such as skydiving and base jumping. Unfortunately, Italo Ferreira (BRA) eliminated McGillivray from the competition in Heat 3 of the elimination round. — World Surf League
The Herald
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Supertubes awaits world's best surfers at Corona Cero Open J-Bay
'It's like a soulful feeling when you arrive in this town. The wave is a wonder of the world, the community, the energy, there's no place like J-Bay, and no place I'd rather call home. "Being in the Yellow Leader jersey is one thing, but being in yellow at home is a whole bigger thing. It's been a long time since I've been in this position at home, so hopefully I can go out there and perform.' There will be more South Africans in the lineup this year, with local event wildcards awarded to Sarah Baum (SA) and Luke Thompson (SA) as the highest-placed Africans on the Challenger Series rankings. Baum is no stranger to J-Bay and could play spoiler in the race to the WSL Final 5. In 2023, she achieved a fifth-place finish as a wildcard and in 2024 won the J-Bay Classic Specialty, showcasing her skills on the walls of Supertubes. Thompson is fresh off his first-ever Challenger Series victory at the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill. The 21-year-old is the first South African to win the Ballito Pro since Jordy Smith in 2017, and is looking forward to his matchup with Smith and Crosby Colapinto (US) in the opening round. SA's former Championship Tour surfer and Jeffreys Bay local, Matthew McGillivray, will also be back in the event as a local wildcard and will bring his wealth of local knowledge and CT experience to the fore. The J-Bay Surf Fest, the 10-day winter festival that runs alongside the Corona Cero Open J-Bay, will provide endless entertainment for spectators and visitors to Jeffreys Bay. The live music concerts at the ParkOff Music Festival will be a highlight, spanning two weekends. The Fan Park offers nonstop sports coverage, with plenty of food and drink options available. For the more adventurous, there are mountain biking, trail running, funduro, and fishing competitions open to all. For more visit and Women's matchups HEAT 1: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs Luana Silva (BRA) HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs Erin Brooks (CAN) vs Sarah Baum (SA) HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs Tyler Wright (AUS) vs Francisca Veselko (POR) HEAT 4: Caitlin Simmers (US) vs Caroline Marks (US) vs Lakey Peterson (US) Men's matchups HEAT 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs Jake Marshall (US) vs Seth Moniz (HAW) HEAT 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs Alejo Muniz (BRA) HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) vs Connor O'Leary (JPN) vs Matthew McGillivray (SA) HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (SA) vs Crosby Colapinto (US) vs Luke Thompson (SA) HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs Cole Houshmand (US) vs Marco Mignot (FRA) HEAT 6: Griffin Colapinto (US) vs Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs Rio Waida (INA) HEAT 7: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs Joao Chianca (BRA) HEAT 8: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs Alan Cleland (MEX) — World Surf League
IOL News
10-07-2025
- 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 South African
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
No DNA, just RSA: South African Luke Thompson wins Balito Pro
South Africa's Luke Thompson secured victory in the Balito Pro this weekend. The 21-year old now jumps to no.2 in the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series (CS) rankings, pushing him ever-closer to a full-time WSL Championship Tour berth in 2026. Luke Thompson has been a bright CS contender for the last three years. But the Balito Pro – his maiden victory on tour – signifies a major breakthrough for the South African surfer. Better still, his top-notch performance secured him a wild card to this week's J-Bay Open Championship Tour (CT) event in front of his home fans. South African surfer Luke Thompson has added a few kilos of muscle since his grom days, and is now a real weapon in the water. Image: WSL Moreover, the timing of Luke Thompson's performance couldn't be better, as the WSL reforms its tour policies. Currently, the bottom half of the Championship Tour (CT) face something called the mid-season cut. Essentially, this relegates 32 top-notch surfers down a division to the Challenger Series (CS). It's due to this (somewhat) unpopular rule that you often get such high caliber of competition in the second-tier CS. Fellow South African Matt McGillivray surfed for five years on the CT, only to be abruptly cut at Margaret River earlier this year. This sent him down to the CS, along with the likes of Aussie George Pittar, Jacob Wilcox, Liam O'Brien and Olympic gold medalist Kauli Vast from France. With a single event win, Luke Thompson jumps 43 positions in the WSL CS rankings, proving how competitive it is. Image: WSL The point being that with 80 hungry hot shots, CS surfing is insanely cutthroat. And the gravitas of Luke Thompson winning a CS event at age 21 must not be underestimated. South African Adin Masencamp won the Balito Pro back in 2021. And Jordy Smith won it back in 2017. Better still, WSL rule changes for 2026 mean there will no longer be a mid-season cut on the CT. So, any hopefuls – like South Africa's Luke Thompson and Matt McGillivray – who qualify for the CT this season, get to surf the entire compliment of events in 2026. The top ten ranked men automatically gain entry into the CT next year. FIVE REMAINING CS EVENTS Catch South Africa's surfing GOAT in action at J-Bay from this Friday 11 July 2025. Image: File There are five CS events left between now and next March to decide who moves up to the CT in 2026: Jul 26 – Aug 3 – US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California – US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California Sep 29 – Oct 5 – Ericeira Pro in Ericeira, Portugal – Ericeira Pro in Ericeira, Portugal Oct 11 – 19 – Saquarema Pro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Saquarema Pro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Jan 28 – Feb 8 – Pipe Challenger in Oahu, Hawaii – Pipe Challenger in Oahu, Hawaii Mar 8 – 15 – Newcastle Surfest in Newcastle, Australia Just a reminder that the J-Bay Open event window opens this Friday 11 July 2025. Based on conditions, tour organisers will decide the best days to run the event. South Africa's Jordy Smith, who is pushing for his first world title, is currently ranked no.1 in the world, albeit by a slim margin. Even if you're not a surf fan, Smith surfing in the yellow jersey in front of his home crowd promises to be one of the South African sporting events of the year. So, get out there and support the Big Bru! Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
In-state safety prospect commits to Tennessee football
Tennessee added a prospect to its 2026 football recruiting class. Three-star safety Luke Thompson committed to the Vols on Saturday. "Committed," Thompson announced. "Go Vols!" The 6-foot, 176-pound prospect is an in-state commitment from Franklin High School in Franklin, Tennessee. 247Sports ranks Thompson as the No. 48 athlete in the class and No. 19 player in Tennessee. Advertisement Thompson unofficially visited Tennessee for the UTEP game on Nov. 23, 2024. He received a scholarship offer from the Vols on an unofficial visit April 5. Thompson's first official visit was on June 6. Tennessee was the lone Power Four school to offer him a scholarship. Other FBS programs to offer Thompson a scholarship are Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, Air Force, Army, Navy, UConn and Miami University. The Vols have 10 commitments in their 2026 football recruiting class: quarterback Faizon Brandon, wide receiver Tyreek King, tight end Carson Sneed, offensive lineman Gabriel Osenda, wide receiver Tyran Evans, linebacker Braylon Outlaw, defensive lineman C.J. Edwards, defensive lineman Zach Groves, safety K.J. McClain and Thompson. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 in-state safety prospect commits to Tennessee
