Latest news with #BallitoPro
The Citizen
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Winning winter break for Ashton sports teams
Ashton International College Ballito's senior college stars enjoyed a successful school holiday sports campaign. While most people were enjoying the Ballito Pro or away in the Midlands and Drakensberg, Ashton's youngsters were participating across KZN at various winter festivals. There were provincial caps and awards handed out too – read on for a snapshot of the school's recent sports activities. The Ashton girls' 1st football team competed at the Kearsney Festival and won the Plate Final after beating Trinity House 3-0 in the Plate final at the Kearsney Festival last weekend. Kitari van Straaten and Nonkosi Xaba were selected for the Girls' Tournament XI. Hockey stars Jaiden Krambeck and Kaiden Webster were part of the 16-man KZN squad – coached by Ashton 1st team head coach, Keegan Gibbon – which achieved bronze at the 2025 Regional Inter-Provincial Tournament at Michaelhouse. Sasha-Lee Smaldon and Madison Uys – captain and vice-captain of the U19 iLembe Netball team – finished third in the Telkom Netball League. Jared Scheepers represented the Sharks XV at the Reitz VKB U19 Week and was selected as the 'Best Lock'. Jessica Kock (Form 3) and her doubles partner Courtney Kemp were runners up in the girls doubles final at the recent American Express Super 8 KwaZulu-Natal tennis tournament. Emmerson van Zijl was part of the U16A girls' KZN Coastals team that went undefeated and clinched the national title at Hilton College, beating Eastern Province 4–2 in the final. KZN Coastal Hockey Achievements – July 2025. Aside from Van Zijl, a number of Ashton's senior college girls represented successful KZN Coastal teams at prestigious hockey tournaments during the July holidays. Inter-Provincial Tournaments (IPT) U14A – Gold Medalists: Amber van den Hoogen and Kimberly Johnson Amber van den Hoogen and Kimberly Johnson U16A – Gold Medalists: Emmerson van Zijl Emmerson van Zijl U16B – 9th Place (A Section): Lauren Kenny Lauren Kenny U18A – Silver Medalists: Morgan Nel and Nonkosi Xaba Morgan Nel and Nonkosi Xaba U18B – Silver Medalists (B Section): Anna-Maria Angelopoulos Regional Tournaments U14C – Gold Medalists: Aymee Tilbrook and Caylea Duncan Aymee Tilbrook and Caylea Duncan U16C – 8th Place: Madison Miller 'We are incredibly proud of each of you for your commitment, resilience and excellence on the field,' said Ashton head of media, Morgyn Prinsloo. 'Their achievements reflect not only their talent but also the spirit of Ashton. Keep inspiring us with your passion and drive – well done, girls!' KZN Action Netball Awards 2025 There were plenty of prizes for Ashton's talented netballers at the recent KZN Action Netball Awards. Michelle van Heerden collected three awards. She was awarded the Most Dedicated Player of the Year for KZN U16A Action Netball team, the Most Dedicated Player of the Year for the KZN U21 6s and Player of the Year U21 KZN side. Lauren Kenny got awarded Player of the Year KZN U16B team. Madison Uys was voted Most Promising Player of the Year for the KZN U17A team and Breakthrough Player of the Year for the KZN U21s. Sasha-Lee Smaldon was awarded Players' Player of the Year U21 KZN and Most Dedicated Player of the Year for the U21s. Ashton International College Ballito – Senior College Holiday Football Results: June 27 – July 21, 2025 Boys Soccer Kloof High u19 National Tournament TEAM RESULT OPP TEAM SCORE (Ashton – Opp) 1st Won George Campbell 5-1 1st Lost Virginia 0-5 1st Won Kearsney 4-3 1st Lost Mondeor 1-5 1st Lost DHS 1-4 Boys Soccer Kearsney 1st Team Soccer Tournament TEAM RESULT OPP TEAM SCORE (Ashton – Opp) 1st Lost Curro Hazeldean 0-2 1st Lost Durban High School 1-4 1st Lost Siyajabula 1-5 1st Lost Sutherland 1(0)-1(2) 1st Lost Maqhutshana 1(2)-1(4) Boys Soccer Neil Tovey U14 Soccer Tournament at Northwood School TEAM RESULT OPP TEAM SCORE (Ashton – Opp) 14A Lost Queensburgh 0(9)-0(10) 14A Won Kearsney 3-2 14A Lost Westville 1-5 14A Won Northwood 0(2)-0(1) 14A Won Northwood Inv 0(3)-0(2) 14A Lost Glenwood 1(3)-1(4) 14A Won Queensburgh 0-2 Girls Soccer Kearsney 1st Team Soccer Tournament TEAM RESULT OPP TEAM SCORE (Ashton – Opp) 1st Lost Danville Park 0-1 1st Drew Curro Hazeldean 1-1 1st Won Sastri College 4-0 1st (Plate semi-final) Won Crawford La Lucia 2-0 1st (Plate Final) Won Trinity House 3-0 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.
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 Citizen
07-07-2025
- 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
07-07-2025
- 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
06-07-2025
- 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!
