by SFT | Jan 6, 2026 | St Francis
The not-quite-victorious Team Pam Golding at the Pam Golding Quadrathlon
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Ballies and Billy’s are over. So is the Sporty Surfski, the Pam Golding Quadrathlon, even better this year with a SUP leg replacing the cycling leg, our big brochure handouts, New Year’s Eve jols (we enjoyed the Pig & R), the Port to Grannies swim, which seemed longer to me than last season, and Father Christmas climbing our office wall.
Also coming to an end are surfski downwinds to Walskipper, Huletts and Seals, surfing sessions, Raffy paddling out to sea from the rocks, diving for oysters, braais, canal cruises, umpteen musicians, full shops and especially coffee shops, and traffic.
Plus, our successful cycling club’s Rock Quiz fundraiser at the Links.
Our town is emptying again. Cars loaded with bicycles and surfboards stream past our office, heading back to lives elsewhere.
The season’s weather was mainly good, and we had some surf too, although it was a bit crowded at times.
All our holiday rentals performed very well, with plenty of enquiries from renters wanting to buy their own “holiday home by the sea”.
Our town is relatively sleepy for nearly 50 weeks of the year, then goes off the charts for two.
Clearly, a lot of fun was had, although some parents of teenagers are probably heading home for a well-deserved rest.
Thankfully, there were no serious incidents that I am aware of. No fires, floods, serious burglaries, drownings, or jetski accidents.
Just a few motorbikes ruining our MTB tracks.
The winning team at the Pam Golding Quadrathlon: the Canal Road Ballies
So much fun, but quite chaotic, the Pam Golding Quadrathlon, every year since 2005
Paddlers, Malibu’s, SUP’s (and swimmers and runners) at the Pam Golding Quadrathlon
Ten-year-old Gemma Goedhals completed all four legs, winning Pam Golding beach bats for being the fastest girl U14.
by SFT | Jan 4, 2026 | St Francis
The annual and very popular Chokka Trail Run will be in its 10th year in 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we are including a multi-day race on Saturday 8 August and Sunday 9 August 2026 while the traditional ultra marathon, marathon, half marathon and 10km races will take place on the Sunday.
Further to this, the long weekend provides the perfect opportunity for a full Chokka Adventure Festival, hosted by the Cape St Francis Resort. The festival offers an exciting programme for both runners and non-runners and will include a market, food festival, after party, and activities such as whale watching, deep sea & chokka fishing, canal and river cruises.
The multi-day race is designed for runners wanting to experience the famous Sand River without doing the marathon or ultra. They can choose between the Experience (28km with 13km of dune field on Saturday and the usual 23km on Sunday) or the Lite (12km with a 4km of dune field on Saturday and the normal 10km on Sunday), all starting and finishing at the Dune Ridge Country House.
Sunday’s distances will all start and finish at the Cape St Francis Resort, with prize giving and the after party in aid of the Kromme Enviro Trust late afternoon.
Online entries
Entries are open from 20 January on EntryNinja.
Programme
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Friday 7th August |
Saturday 8th August |
Sunday 9th August |
Monday 10th August (Public Holiday) |
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Chokka Adventure Festival |
Chokka Adventure Festival |
Chokka Adventure Festival |
Chokka Adventure Festival |
| 15:00 – 18:00 |
Late registration, number collection and bag drop: CSF Resort |
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| 18:00 – 20:00 |
Runners Long Table Cape St Francis Resort |
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| 07:00 – 07:45 |
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Late registration and number collection Experience & Lite: Dune Ridge Country House |
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| 07h45 |
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Race Briefing: 28km/12km |
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| 08:00 |
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Race starts |
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| 08:00 – 14:00 |
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Refreshments and Bar: Dune Ridge Country House |
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| 14:00 – 18:00 |
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Chokka Market, Food & Live Music: Cape St Francis Resort |
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| 18:00 – 20:00 |
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Runners Long Table: Cape St Francis Resort |
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| 06:30 |
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62km & 42km: Number and tracker collection |
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| 06:45 |
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62km & 42km: Race briefing
Number collection: 23km |
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| 07:00 |
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62km & 42km: Race starts |
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| 07:15 |
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23km: race briefing
10km: Number collection |
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| 07:30 |
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23km: race starts |
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| 07:45 |
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10km: Race Briefing |
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| 08:00 |
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10km: Race starts |
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| 16:00 |
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1km & 3km Kids Race Registration
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| 16:30 |
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1km & 3km Kids Race Starts |
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| 17:00
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Prize Giving @ The Deck – Joe Fish |
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| 17:00 till late |
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Chokka Trail After Party in aid of Kromme Enviro Trust |
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Entry fees
Early bird entries are available till 1 May 2026 and registration at the venue might result in a penalty fee. Full details will be on EntryNinja.
Accommodation
Contact Anita Lennox on reservations@capestfrancisresort.co.za to book your stay of 3 nights but pay for 2 deal.
Beneficiary
The beneficiary of the Chokka Trail Run is the Beach Clean-up Project. The race is organized by St Francis Sport and hosted by the Cape St Francis Resort.
Contact
Esti Stewart 073 825 0835
Eric Stewart 082 394 7363
Barry Tonkin 082 602 2604
email chokkatrail@gmail.com
Order:
Chokka Experience: Day 1 plus 23km
Chokka Lite: Day 1 plus 10km
Chokka Trail Run:
10km
Half Marathon
Marathon
Ultra Marathon
by SFT | Jan 4, 2026 | Action Sports, St Francis
All photos by Gail Petrie
Flash Float
by SFT | Dec 23, 2025 | St Francis
Understanding what the flags mean, and why they matter, helps keep everyone safer at the beach.
What Crossed Flags Actually Mean
When bathing flags or beacons are crossed, it does not mean the beach is closed. Crossed flags indicate that lifeguards are unable to identify a safe swimming area at that time. This is usually due to unsafe sea conditions such as rip currents, rough surf, shifting sandbanks, or poor visibility.
The beach itself remains open, and members of the public are still free to access it. However, anyone entering the water under crossed-flag conditions does so entirely at their own risk. Lifeguards remain on duty during these periods. Their role shifts to monitoring sea conditions, maintaining a visible presence, and providing safety awareness until conditions improve and a safe swimming zone can be established again.
It is not possible to close an entire beach or require beachgoers to leave. The crossed flags are a clear warning, not a restriction.
Why Informal Swimming Areas Are a Concern
Recently, some members of the public have begun using informal or “pop-up” swimming areas outside of designated zones. These areas are not planned, assessed, or approved by Kouga Local Municipality and are not covered by lifeguard patrols.
Lifeguard resources are limited and are carefully prioritised for beaches with the highest bather numbers and risk levels. Deploying lifeguards to unplanned areas places additional strain on these resources and may unintentionally create a false sense of safety where none exists.
For everyone’s safety, swimmers are strongly encouraged to use only designated, lifeguard-patrolled swimming areas and to follow all safety signage and instructions at all times.
by SFT | Dec 23, 2025 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis
© Richard Arderne
St Francis Bay does not need an introduction. If you live here, you already know how it works. The wind, the water, the way the bay looks calm right up until it decides it isn’t.
Manuel Perestrelo passed by in 1575 and named the area Bahia de Sao Francisco. That detail tends to surface occasionally, usually in trivia form. It changes nothing about the fact that this stretch of coast has always felt more permanent than most of what has happened around it since.
Before the Movie, Before the Noise
Some things arrived quietly
The Seal Point Lighthouse was already standing long before anyone cared about waves. Construction started in 1875, the light came on in 1878, and it has been doing its job ever since. It does not ask for attention. It just keeps watch. Most days, it barely enters the conversation. That feels about right.
In 1963, a small crew of surfers walked into the bay and found Bruce’s. That story has been told often enough that it no longer needs embellishment. The wave was there, it did what it does, and everything that followed came later. Three years later, The Endless Summer came out, and the rest is surf history that locals have heard a thousand times.
Bruce’s is still Bruce’s. Some days it is generous. Some days it is not. Nothing about that has changed.
Life Between Sets
Canals, routines and familiar characters
Away from the water, the bay settled into itself. The canals became part of the daily rhythm. Boats moved when they moved. People waved when they felt like it.
Groups like FOSTER have quietly carried their share of the load over the years. Environmental work, community pressure, behind-the-scenes effort. It has never been glamorous, but it has mattered.
The Bit That Actually Matters Right Now
Sand, structure and the long view
This is the part worth paying attention to. The groyne project now underway is one of the most consequential developments to have happened to St Francis Bay in decades. It is already changing how the shoreline behaves. Sand is doing things it has not done for a long time. Banks are forming. Beaches are holding.
It is not a talking-point project. It is a results project. In time, it will probably be taken for granted, which is usually how you know something worked.
Same Place, Slightly Better Equipped
Still recognisable
From Perestrelo’s passing mention in 1575, to a lighthouse built out of necessity, to a wave found on foot, St Francis Bay has never chased relevance. It has simply carried on.
Now it is doing the same thing with better coastal defences and a clearer long-term plan. The bay still behaves like the bay. It just has a bit more support now.
And that, for most locals, is more than enough.
Have a great holiday, see you in 2026.
—
The editor
by SFT | Dec 23, 2025 | Photo Of The Day, St Francis
image by Elzabe Boshoff
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