by SFT | Mar 13, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
The brands and organisations supporting the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup at East Beach.
East Beach becomes the centre of competitive surfing during the Port Alfred Easter Festival. The beach hosts both the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup.
Across four days, the shoreline welcomes rising junior surfers as well as experienced competitors. As a result, East Beach turns into a focused contest arena and an important gathering point for the South African surf community.
Events of this level rely on strong partnerships. Therefore, the organisers extend sincere thanks to the businesses and organisations whose support makes the surf contests possible.
Core Event Partners
At the centre of the event stands The Royal St Andrews Hotel. Their involvement helps anchor the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup at East Beach. In addition, their continued support strengthens the connection between the festival, the ocean and the town that hosts the event.
Alongside them is Rip Curl South Africa. The brand’s long commitment to competitive surfing ensures the event delivers genuine high-performance action in the water.
Through the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup, Rip Curl provides an important contest platform. Consequently, both emerging junior surfers and established competitors benefit from a professionally run environment.
For the full story, Port Alfred Easter Festival Partners
by SFT | Mar 13, 2026 | St Francis
Press Release
For Immediate Release
13 March 2026
Luke Thompson Reaches the Championship Tour
© Kody McGregor
South African surfer Luke Thompson has qualified for the World Surf League Championship Tour, completing one of the most demanding journeys in professional surfing. The achievement places Thompson among the small group of South African surfers who have earned a place on surfing’s biggest competitive stage.
For surfers coming out of South Africa, the road to the Championship Tour requires years of travel, persistence, and consistent results. The global system is competitive and unforgiving. However, those who remain committed to the process can eventually reach the top tier of the sport.
Thompson’s qualification reflects exactly that journey. Season after season, he built momentum through international competition before delivering the performances required to move into the Championship Tour field.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I could remember,” said Thompson when the announcement came through. “It’s wild. Never did I think that surfing would get me to this point in life; it’s given me everything, and I’m so grateful for it. I can’t believe that I get to spend a year on the CT, and hopefully more.”
For the full story – Luke Thompson Qualification
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