Leah Lindell, a 10-year-old girl, survived a shark attack that bit off her hand. Her hand has been reattached by a team of surgeons at Tampa General Hospital. At a news conference Thursday, Leah described what happened the day on the beach with her family. The shark was a bull shark. Leah’s mother, Nadia, could not believe her daughter’s resolve in the moments after the attack. Leah was treated at the scene and airlifted to the hospital. Leah is recovering.
The stage is set for the return of the JBay Surf Fest, running from 11 – 20 July 2025. Hosted in Jeffreys Bay, the ten-day surf festival will combine world-class surfing with a packed schedule of music, sport, off-road biking, martial arts, comedy and family-friendly activities.
At the heart of the festival is the Corona Cero Open JBay, the only African stop on the World Surf League Championship Tour. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the town, with the festival estimated to inject R100 million into the local economy.
Festival Director Ari Kraak says this year’s programme will be the most inclusive yet, combining premium ticketed experiences with free public entertainment and strong community involvement.
CORONA CERO OPEN JBAY
Dates: 11 to 20 July
Venue: Supertubes
Organiser: World Surf League
Contact: africa@worldsurfleague.com
The world’s top professional surfers will compete at Supertubes, one of the most perfect right hand point breaks on the planet. Spectators can enjoy watching world class surfing from a world class beach and a vibrant fan park featuring food stalls, merchandise and live event screening.
PARK OFF MUSIC FESTIVAL
Dates: 11 to 13 July and 19 to 20 July
Venue: Supertubes Park
Contact: info@jbaysurffest.co.za
Entry: Paid tickets required
The beachfront music experience features headliners such as Zakes Bantwini, Dean Fuel, Dino Moran, Cinimin, TribalNeed and Niskerone. The Park Off delivers top tier production, sound, lighting, food and DJ sets across two weekends.
COMEDY NIGHT
Date: 14 July
Venue: Supertubes Park
Contact: info@jbaysurffest.co.za
Comedy heavyweights Rob van Vuuren, Kagiso KG Mokgadi, Robby Collins and Emilio Tobias bring the laughs to Jeffreys Bay for one unforgettable night under the stars.
FUNDURO OFF ROAD BIKE EVENT
Date: 12 July
Venue: Papiesfontein
Organiser: Slake Adventures
Contact: slakeadventures@gmail.com
Riders of all ages and skill levels will tackle intermediate and pro loops including a scenic 20 kilometre route.
JIU JITSU TAKEDOWN TOURNAMENT
Dates: 19 to 20 July
Venue: Mentors Country Estate
Contact: jits@jbaysurffest.co.za
South Africa’s premier Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament will see national competitors contest ADCC rules with prize money exceeding R100 000. Hosted by The Pound BJJ and staged at Mentors Country Estate, the event is a standout in the martial arts calendar.
JBAY MTB CLASSIC AND TRAIL RUN
Date: 19 July
Venue: Mentors Country Estate
Organiser: Mountain Events
Contact: tanya@mountainevents.co.za
The MTB Classic and Trail Run returns with scenic coastal routes through fynbos and estate singletrack. Runners can choose from 5 and 10 kilometre routes, while mountain bikers face a mix of technical and family friendly courses.
WINTER SKINS FISHING COMPETITION
Date: 19 July
Venue: Kabeljous River Mouth
Organiser: Winter Skins Committee
Contact: fishingoose@gmail.com
Anglers will compete in this long standing catch and release competition, with hourly prizes and top honours for heaviest fish. Open to juniors and seniors, the fishing event provides laid back fun and family atmosphere.
TOUCH RUGBY AND VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE part of the JBay Surf Fest 2025
Date: 19 July
Venue: Main Beach
Contact: info@jbaysurffest.co.za
Community teams will battle it out on the sand in beach volleyball and touch rugby, supported by DJ music, food stalls and a festive beach crowd.
FAN PARK AND ACTIVATIONS
Dates: 11 to 20 July
Venue: Supertubes Park
Open daily to the public, the Fan Park offers surf lessons, product activations, WSL screenings, kids activities, Springbok rugby broadcasts, local vendors and craft stalls. Entry is free and all ages are welcome.
Although the field narrowed, it was another great day of surfing at Willard Beach for Day Two of the O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers junior event, with awesome waves rolling through in glassy, windless conditions.
The waves at Willard Beach are a perfect canvas for these young surfers to display their skills and prowess to the Surfing South Africa judges.
Young Ethan Schermbrucker put other contestants on notice in the third heat of the day with a scintillating performance, earning him 16.83 out of a possible 20 points for his U12 Boys Quarterfinal heat.
The U18 Boys Quarterfinals saw some of the best male junior surfers in the country battle it out, with Josh Malherbe, David Emslie, Ben Esterhuyse, Levi Epenetos and Clayton Turrell all winning their respective heats. It’s interesting to note that Malherbe was the only natural footer, with all the other heat winners being goofy footers in the predominantly right-breaking waves of Willard Beach.
Field Narrowed
Another goofy-footer, Loghan Tilsley, put on a fine performance in his U16 Boys quarters, with the highest heat total of the round of 14.00 points. Other surfers to excel in this division included Ashton Sangster and the two St Francis Bay surfers Jesse Moulang and David Moussouris.
The lunchtime high tide put a slight wobble on the conditions, but with the wind forgetting to blow on the north coast, the conditions remained highly contestable throughout the day, offering consistent great rides throughout the day’s competition.
Another Schermbrucker, young Emma, also surfed exceptionally well in her U14 Girls Semifinal to advance through to the finals. Coco Ho, Wanyu Chen and Maya Malherbe will join her in the finals tomorrow.
The forecast for tomorrow is promising, with a fine day predicted along with some clean swell lines. The call is for the event to start with the U18 Girls Quarterfinals at 7:30 sharp. Please keep an eye on the schedule on LIVEHEATS to check for any changes.
The O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers is the first surf event to take place as part of the Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill Festival. For more information, visit
Click HERE for the full Ballito Pro festival calendar.
Willard Beach is a high-performance, predominantly right-breaking wave that provides the perfect canvas for competitors to impress the Surfing South Africa judging panel and win valuable rating points and prize money. The judging criteria comprise speed, power and flow, and judges are always looking for combination moves and progressive surfing techniques.
The Rookie Rippers comprises U12, U14, U16, and U18 Girls and Boys divisions, with all divisions competing for contest results, prizes, and rankings on the SAST. The Rookie Rippers contest is a premier SAST event, with 1,000 points awarded to the winners and prize money in line with all premier events.
Humansdorp – Since starting in August 2024, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport (DoT) has reached the halfway point in its R218-million project. This to rehabilitate the 26.5km MR00391 route between Humansdorp and Hankey.
To date, resealing work has been successfully completed on Main Street in Humansdorp, the Park Road entrance from the St Francis side, and the 2.1 km stretch of road leading to the SPCA. In addition, significant progress has been made on the R330 between Humansdorp and Hankey. The road’s base layer was strengthened using in-situ foamed-bitumen recycling. Thereafter, this was followed by the application of an asphalt overlay and a 20 mm Cape seal.
Next phase
The next phase of the project will include the upgrade of sidewalks along Main street in Humansdorp. This will involve paving the first two meters from the curb and planting trees along the sidewalks. Further, this will enhance the visual appeal of the street. It will promote a greener, more welcoming environment.
“We kindly ask the community to help care for these new trees,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman. “Furthermore, while our project team will monitor the trees weekly. Also, the community’s support in preventing damage and helping maintain them will be greatly appreciated.”
The remaining work includes:
Continuing foamed-bitumen recycling on the rural sections towards Hankey
Applying final asphalt and Cape seal layers on all rehabilitated sections
Carrying out special maintenance on stormwater culverts, side drains, and headwalls
Restoring all road signs, kilometer markers, and lane markings once the surface has fully cured.
“This rehabilitation project is a vital investment in the long-term safety, mobility, and economic growth of our region.” said Bornman. “We are proud to work alongside the Department of Transport to improve key infrastructure and enhance the daily lives of our residents.
“We thank the community for their continued patience and cooperation as the upgrades progress.”
Recent Comments