by SFT | May 20, 2026 | St Francis
Johannesburg, South Africa – The official 2026 South African BMX Freestyle Championships will take place at the highly anticipated Park Lines BMX Tournament on Saturday, 30 May at the SkyLab Skatepark in Johannesburg. The event is presented by LW Mag and Dragon Energy, in partnership with Garmin, Insta360, Monster Products, Fox, and Mongoose.
BMX Freestyle riders from across South Africa will gather to compete for the national titles. The action-packed contest will showcase the very best in creativity, progression, and technical skill as riders push the limits with a variety of tricks and stunts in pursuit of championship points and their share of the prize purse.
Park Lines will be hosted at the purpose-built, BMX-focused SkyLab Skatepark at the Jozi-X Adventure Park in Bryanston, Johannesburg. Invited riders from around the country will compete in the Pro Division, while the event will also provide a valuable platform for emerging talent to showcase their abilities in the Amateur Division.
Park Layout
The park layout features a variety of obstacles designed to inspire creative riding and technical progression. Riders will compete in qualifying heats, where judges will evaluate performances based on use of park, tricks variation, style, difficulty, and amplitude to determine which competitors advance to the Finals.
Pro Division riders will battle it out for their share of the cash prize purse, along with a Garmin Instinct 3 Smartwatch and additional prizes from the event’s official partners. In the Amateur Division, riders will compete for a brand-new Mongoose BMX along with other prizes.
Morgan O’Kennedy © Eric Palmer
The tournament will conclude with the always exciting Best Trick Competition, open to all competitors. Riders will have their chance to throw down their biggest tricks in a jam style format competition, with the winner taking home an Insta360 action camera.
Spectators are invited to experience the excitement and energy of BMX Freestyle firsthand. Fans can expect an unforgettable day as South Africa’s best athletes battle it out for national honours.
The Park Lines BMX Tournament is a Cycling South Africa and UCI-sanctioned event, endorsed by Cycling South Africa.
Park Lines organiser, Ryan van der Spuy says, “As one of our highlight events of the year, we’re excited to be back with the 2026 edition of Park Lines, and to see who with be crowned the 2026 South African BMX Freestyle Champion.
As an event created for the riders along with the focus of growth and development of the sport locally, Park Lines is a brand that has grown from strength to strength and we something we are extremely proud of. I can’t wait to see what 2026, and the future of this event holds.”
Park Lines BMX Tournament event details:
Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026.
Time: 9am onwards (Finals taking place in the afternoon).
Spectator Entrance: Free
Venue: SkyLab Skatepark, Jozi-X Adventure Park, Cnr Main Road and Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Amateur riders that would like to enter Park Lines, please email your details and credentials to info@lwmag.co.za.
#ParkLines
by SFT | May 20, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
Rip Curl South Africa is proud to announce the Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Men’s and Women’s WSL QS 2,000 events, as well as the Rip Curl Vic Bay Pro Junior Men’s and Women’s WJR 1,000 events at Victoria Bay in June. These events will form the official start of the 2026/2027 Africa Qualifying Series.
Louise Lepront in action at the Vic Bay 2025 event © Kody McGregor
Who
Rip Curl South Africa and the World Surf League (WSL) Africa will host the 2026 Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro, with support from George Municipality and George Tourism.
Additional sponsors include Bliz Eyewear, Bilt International, Yeti, The Pottery in George, and the Royal St Andrews Hotel in Port Alfred. These tournaments will attract the top surfers in the country as they bid for points, qualification and prize money.
What
The Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro will feature a WSL Africa Qualifying Series (QS) 2,000 event for men and women, alongside a Pro Junior tournament for men and women.
The event marks the official start of the 2026/2027 WSL Africa Qualifying Series season.
When
The contest takes place from June 19-21, 2026, a prime window period for excellent surf at this premier right-hand point break.
Where
The event will run at Victoria Bay on the Garden Route, one of South Africa’s most recognised high-performance surf breaks.
Victoria Bay, premier East Coast event venue © Kody McGregor
Why
The Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro continues the momentum generated by the recent Rip Curl contests in Port Alfred, where both events reached maximum capacity and enjoyed excellent surf conditions throughout the competition period.
The addition of the Pro Junior divisions and a dedicated broadcast across the full event window will further increase exposure for the surfers, the event, and the Garden Route region.
WSL Africa Regional Director Tasha Mentasti said the event continues to play an important role in the regional surfing calendar.
“WSL Africa is excited to return to the iconic Garden Route for the 2026 Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro, marking our second consecutive year hosting this event in one of South Africa’s most celebrated surf destinations,” said Mentasti.
“As the official start of the 2026/2027 Africa Qualifying Series, the Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro plays a key role in setting the tone for the season ahead.
“Thanks to the investment and support from Rip Curl South Africa, we’ve been able to elevate the event further this year by adding a Pro Junior division and delivering a dedicated broadcast across the full duration of the competition.
“This not only enhances opportunities for emerging talent but also significantly increases the visibility of the event and the region.
“It is particularly rewarding to work alongside partners who understand the broader impact of these regional qualifiers.
“Events like the Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro bring meaningful economic and social benefits to small coastal towns, especially during the quieter winter months, while continuing to grow the sport at both a grassroots and professional level.”
ends./
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Complimentary high-resolution images are available for media outlets.
For Rip Curl media enquiries and photo requests, please get in touch with Craig Jarvis:
e. craig@truthcollective.co.za
t. 082 376 4443
by SFT | May 20, 2026 | St Francis
The Thyspunt Alliance is urging Kouga residents and interested parties to submit formal objections to the proposed Thyspunt nuclear power station before the extended deadline of 29 May 2026.
The current public participation process forms part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Phase linked to the Eskom Nuclear Power Plant Draft Scoping Report (2026).
Public Comment Process Open
Residents now have an opportunity to raise concerns before the project moves further through the environmental approval process.
According to the alliance, members of the public should first register as Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) before lodging objections through the official channels.
Registration requests can be sent to Nuclear-PP-EIA@wsp.com.
Participants should include:
- Full name
- Contact details
- Physical address
- Interest in the project, where applicable
Key Issues Raised By The Alliance
The alliance states that objections should clearly reference the Eskom Nuclear Power Plant Draft Scoping Report (2026) and contain a formal statement of objection.
Furthermore, the organisation has highlighted several areas of concern linked to the proposed development site between Oyster Bay and Cape St Francis near Jeffreys Bay.
Suggested grounds for objection include:
- Biodiversity sensitivity
- Heritage protection concerns
- Climate risk
- Socioeconomic impacts
- Emergency planning and PAZ issues
- Inadequate or outdated data
- Failure to assess renewable energy alternatives
In addition, objectors may request that Thyspunt be rejected as a nuclear site or that a full reassessment process be conducted.
Official Documents Available
Once registered, participants can access the Draft Scoping Report and supporting documents through the WSP public documents portal.
The alliance also encourages residents to request written confirmation of their submission by adding the following line to their email:
“Please confirm receipt of this submission and my registration as an Interested and Affected Party.”
The supplied information notes that late submissions may not be included in the final process.
Campaign Continues
The Thyspunt Alliance was established to oppose the construction of a nuclear power station at Thyspunt in the Kouga district.
Meanwhile, the organisation continues to call for public support for its ongoing campaign and legal fund.
by SFT | May 20, 2026 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis
Photo Barry Culligan
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After three weeks away in Indonesia, I owe St Francis Today readers a proper apology.
The newsletters largely ground to a halt while I was travelling, and many regular readers quite rightly noticed. A number of people got in touch asking what was going on, and others were understandably frustrated by the silence after years of consistent publishing.
The simple answer is that I took a proper break for the first time in a very long time. Between travel, unreliable connections, long road missions and a complete shift away from normal routine, the wheels came off the usual publishing schedule.
That said, St Francis Today is now fully back up and running.
The inbox is overflowing, the notebook is filling up again, and there is plenty happening around the village, from coastal developments and local projects to business, events, community stories and general small-town chaos.
Thank you to everyone who checked in, stayed patient and continued reading.
It is good to be back.
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Read more: Days and Nights at Lakey Peak
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