Latest news with #TheBallitoPro
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.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
The Ballito Pro: A celebration of surf culture and entertainment
There will be daily beach recreational activities and entertainment at Willard Beach at the Ballito Pro The 56th edition of The Ballito Pro has kicked off with sport, entertainment and vibrant lifestyle events. Presented by O'Neill, this year's festival programme which runs until July 6 in the coastal town of KwaDukuza, will give festival goers an opportunity to watch the world's best surfers in action as well as enjoy a host of entertainment. The international surf and lifestyle event is taking place at Willard Beach. Each day of the festival, Willard Beach will host a vibrant mix of beach recreational entertainment offering something for every member of the family from beach activities, fashion shows, children's activities, and interactive competitions. The Starfit Fitness Festival will include various fitness and dance sessions at La Montagne Hotel & Resort.
IOL News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Ocean conservation takes centre stage at Ballito Pro 2025
Conservation will take centre stage at The Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill, with this year seeing the launch of a comprehensive recycling and education campaign in partnership with Litter4Tokens. Image: Supplied. THE Ballito Pro, presented by O'Neill, is set to make waves—in more ways than one—this year as ocean conservation takes a central stage through an innovative recycling and education campaign spearheaded by Litter4Tokens. From June 30 to July 9, the 10-day surfing event will not only showcase some of the world's top surfers, but will also engage spectators in a robust initiative aimed at environmental responsibility. This effort is supported by major sponsors, including Petco, the President Stimulus Fund, and Brownie Points. Bottles filled with nurdles which have been collected from a Durban beach. Image: Supplied. 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 At the heart of this initiative is a dedicated recycling station positioned at the Lifesaving Hut on Ballito Beach. Litter4Tokens will manage a comprehensive waste collection process, where materials gathered from branded bins set up within contest areas will be sorted, weighed, and documented using the innovative Litterhub app. With more than 20 collectors roving the event site daily, spectators will have their recyclables efficiently removed and diverted from landfills. Organisers say that last year's campaign yielded impressive results, with a staggering 694 bags of recyclable material collected, equating to over 1,157 kg in weight. While the figures highlight the need for continued environmental vigilance, they also expose a grim reality: approximately 472 kg of waste still ended up in landfills. However, 3.56 kg of nurdles—tiny plastic pellets notorious for environmental damage—were successfully extracted from the beach. All collected materials will be carefully logged using the Litterhub app, ensuring transparent data collection and allowing for real-time reporting on waste management efforts. The financial impact of this recycling initiative is equally substantial. Recycling rebates earned during the event will fund the collection of 1,000 bags of ocean-bound waste, providing support to community members through R39 worth of resources for personal protective equipment, wages, and training. This approach embodies the dual aim of the campaign: promoting environmental sustainability whilst engendering economic resilience within local communities. This year Litter4Tokens celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has achieved remarkable feats, preventing over 3.92 million bags of ocean-bound waste and empowering a staggering 982,000 individuals. Furthermore, the project has engaged 2,432 collectors across 22 collection points throughout South Africa and averages an impressive 72,000 bags of sorted waste monthly. Highlighting its commitment to environmental education, Litter4Tokens launched the National Nurdle Clean-up Campaign at the Ballito Pro in 2019. This movement has educated more than 79,000 people and contributed to the removal of over 34 kg of nurdles from coastal environments. Clare Swithenbank-Bowman, the campaign's founder, has innovatively developed the Litterhub app—an unprecedented tool globally for tracking recycling data from collection to processing. Beyond visibility, the app provides sponsors with detailed reporting, enhancing transparency and mitigating the risks of greenwashing. Amid its ongoing efforts, Litter4Tokens has garnered international recognition, with the organisation nominated for the Earthshot Prize in Cape Town in 2024. Continually striving for innovation, Swithenbank-Bowman and her team invite event attendees to participate in the National Mermaid Tear Catcher campaign, where volunteers can actively engage in sieving sand to collect nurdles—often described as 'Mermaid Tears.' Participation comes with enticing major prizes and offers individuals the opportunity to contribute to the greater environmental cause. Since the alarming discovery of a 45-ton nurdle spill in Durban Harbour in 2019, Swithenbank-Bowman has been an advocate for reclassifying nurdles as hazardous materials under international shipping codes. She believes that as long as nurdles continue to escape into the ocean, spills like those witnessed during the 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka will remain a looming threat. 'We believe that prevention is better than cure, as once they are in the ocean and the environment, it is too late,' she stated, stressing the need for stringent regulations. With an estimated 230,000 tonnes of nurdles entering the ocean annually and 23 billion released daily in the EU alone, as reported by the Plastic Soup Foundation, the need for proactive measures has never been more pressing. Throughout the Ballito Pro 2025, waste diversion, recycling rates, and nurdle collection will be closely monitored, culminating in a comprehensive sustainability report that will detail the campaign's impact and transparency initiatives. The future of marine ecosystems hinges on vigilant community action and collaboration. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up online or visit the Litter4Tokens tent on the beach for sorting and educational outreach opportunities. For additional information or inquiries, interested individuals may reach out via email at clare@
