by SFT | Aug 16, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
The South African surfing community is mourning the death of Thys Lombard, who suffered a medical emergency while competing in the Vintners Surf Classic at Jongensfontein on Friday.
Lombard, 61, from Stellenbosch, was surfing in the 26th annual Vintners Surf Classic when he collapsed unconscious in the water at Sandstrand, Jongensfontein.
Fellow surfers immediately came to his assistance, bringing him through the surf and onto the beach. CPR was started on the shoreline while emergency services were alerted.
Emergency Response at Jongensfontein
NSRI Still Bay was called to the scene, while the rescue craft Breede Rescuer, which was already on the water near the surfing competition, diverted to assist.
Two NSRI crew members swam ashore from the rescue craft and joined the CPR efforts already underway.
Additional NSRI crew, NSRI medics and Western Cape Government Health EMS paramedics also responded and continued efforts to resuscitate Lombard.
Despite extensive attempts to save him, he was declared deceased at the scene.
Police attended, and his body was taken into the care of the Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. An inquest docket has been opened.
A Familiar Face in South African Surfing
Lombard was a friend of the St Francis Today editor, a well-known within surfing circles, and was a familiar face behind the camera at major surfing events.
He also spent time photographing the JBay Open, documenting some of the world’s best surfers at Supertubes and becoming part of the wider group of photographers, surfers and characters who return to Jeffreys Bay for the event.
His death during a surfing contest has consequently been felt well beyond those gathered at Jongensfontein on Friday.
The Vintners Surf Classic has been part of the South African surfing calendar for more than two decades and brings together surfers from the country’s wine industry for a weekend of competition and camaraderie.
Our condolences go to Thys Lombard’s family and friends, as well as his fellow surfers and everyone who knew him through the South African surfing community.
The editor.
by SFT | Aug 9, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
A short but impactful day opened the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, Stop No. 7 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). A wind-affected, six-to-eight-foot swell set the scene for the opening heats of competition, as heavy barrels earned early excellence under gloomy skies.
The 11-time World Champion kicked straight back into the competitive mindset that has set him apart from all others in the history of the sport.
“It’s sort of like riding a bike, but you forget how gnarly Teahupo’o is,” Slater said. “You’ve got to just jump back on the horse out here. I won’t say I started slow, but I definitely built. Each wave was kind of bigger and better until I maxed out on that 9, and then I had a no-hander after that that was pretty clean. I think I had four or five waves, and most of my scores were building until the end. I don’t have anything to prove here, but when you put the vest on and paddle out, you need to feel like you have something to prove, especially in waves like this. I also went out there trying to be relaxed and really in the moment. When you’re not in the environment of competition all the time, it’s not easy to stay in that mindset. I felt like I kind of locked back in during that heat.”
More here –TEAHUPO’O
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: An empty wave during Heat 4 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League)
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: Oscar Berry of Australia surfs in Heat 1 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Hannah Anderson/World Surf League)
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: An empty wave during Heat 2 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League)
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: Eli Hanneman of Hawaii surfs in Heat 4 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Hannah Anderson/World Surf League)
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: Eli Hanneman of Hawaii surfs in Heat 4 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League)
TEAHUPOʻO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 8: Eimeo Czermak of French Polynesia surfs in Heat 3 of Round One at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro on August 8, 2026 at Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League)
by admin | Jul 28, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
This is St Francis Bay
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by admin | Jul 28, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
When winter starts to feel endless, there is a simple solution. Point yourself towards Mauritius, where sunshine replaces cold fronts and every day begins with the promise of warm seas, gentle breezes and absolutely nowhere you need to be.
Also, modern life has become exhausting.
Every day comes with another challenge, another notification and another expert telling you to optimise your morning routine. Count your steps. Count your calories. Drink green juice. Lift heavier things. Sleep better. Work harder.
Or…
Go to a resort in Mauritius.
Wake up whenever you feel like it. Wander to breakfast in your sandals. Have another croissant because nobody has ever returned from Mauritius wishing they had eaten less pastry.
By 11 am, order a strong cocktail. It is holiday o’clock. There are no meetings. No deadlines. No smartwatch telling you to stand up because you’ve been sitting too long. Sitting is exactly what you came for.
Move slowly to the pool. Or don’t. The beach is also an excellent place to achieve absolutely nothing. Find a lounger, apply sunscreen with great commitment, then spend the next four hours admiring the ocean, reading three pages of a novel and wondering if it is too early for lunch.
It isn’t.
Lunch should be long. Dessert should be compulsory. The seafood should be fresh. The portions should be generous. The only thing getting a workout should be the buffet.
After lunch, have a massage. Then recover from the massage with a nap. Wake up just in time for another swim, another cocktail and another spectacular sunset that asks nothing of you except to sit still and enjoy it.
Dinner is another excuse to eat far more than you planned. Try everything. Go back for seconds. Pretend calories cannot swim across the Indian Ocean.
Tomorrow you can do it all again.
You do not need to become a better version of yourself every single day. Sometimes the best version of yourself is the one lying on a beach, slightly sunburnt, completely relaxed and wondering whether to order another mojito or simply stay exactly where you are.
Mauritius has an answer.
Why not both?
by SFT | Jul 26, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
News Release
27 July 2026
When Alaïa Bay opened beneath the Swiss Alps in 2021, it challenged long-held perceptions of where world-class surfing could exist. Five years later, the iconic Swiss wavepool is hosting the first Wavepool Surf Tour event, bringing together surfers from around the world for the launch of a new international competition.
The Wavepool Surf Tour could only begin at a venue that reflects how far wavepool surfing has evolved. Set beneath the Swiss Alps, Alaïa Bay has established itself as one of the best-known destinations of the wavepool era.
Since opening in 2021, Alaïa Bay has welcomed everyone from first-time surfers to elite professionals. Built using Wavegarden Cove technology, it has become a venue for coaching, high-performance training, and international events, demonstrating the growing role wavepools now play in surfing.
Alaïa Bay, where the Wavepool Surf Tour starts.
Those qualities make Alaïa Bay the natural home of the Alaïa Surf Challenge, the first event on the Wavepool Surf Tour calendar. From 1 August, surfers will submit their best rides for judging through Surf Eye Technology, establishing the first rankings of a competition designed specifically for wavepools.
Launching the tour at Alaïa Bay also reflects the international reach of surfing today. A purpose-built surfing venue in the heart of Switzerland would once have seemed improbable. Today, it stands as one of the sport’s most distinctive destinations, illustrating how surfing has expanded beyond traditional coastlines while remaining firmly rooted in performance and community.
Wavepool Surf Tour CEO Mark Fessler at Alaïa Bay.
For decades, competitive surfing has been built around the same contest model. As the Wavepool Surf Tour’s first season gets underway at Alaïa Bay, a new competitive format is taking shape, one shaped by wavepool technology and built around accessibility, inclusivity, and performance.
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For more information, visit:
www.wavepoolsurftour.com
Alaïa Bay
https://alaia.ch/bay/
Partnership & Sponsorship Enquiries
Mark Fessler
Founder
mark@wavepoolsurftour.com
Athlete & Competition Enquiries
Clyde Martin
Co-Founder
clyde@wavepoolsurftour.com
Media Enquiries
Craig Jarvis
Head of Marketing & Communications
craig@truthcollective.co.za
FAQ’s
www.wavepoolsurftour.com/faq
About The Wavepool Surf Tour
The Wavepool Surf Tour connects surfers from wavepools around the world through a shared online competitive format built specifically for wavepool surfing. Competitors participate throughout the season from their local wavepools, with the leading performers advancing to the Wavepool World Finals, the first live event of the season.
by SFT | Jul 12, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
The early 2000s were, in retrospect, an incredible time for professional surfing. The great Andy Irons was at the top of his game, Reef launched Mick Fanning’s now-iconic beer opening sandal and Kelly Slater, who would go on to become the winningest professional surfer of all time, was the face of the Xbox video game Kelly Slater Pro Surfer wherein dreamers could slip into the skin of the titular character or Lisa Anderson, Tom Carroll, Tom Curren, Nathan Fletcher, Donavon Frankenreiter, Bruce Irons, Rob Machado, Kalani Robb or, with super special skill, Tony Hawk, Travis Pastrana, Tiki God or Surfreak and surf Bells, Kirra, G-Land, Pipeline, Jaws, Mavericks, Cortez Bank, Sebastian Inlet, Trestles, Teahupoo, Curren’s Point, Mundaka, J-Bay, and with super special skill, Wave House, Antarctica, Cosmos and the Bermuda Triangle.
Thanks to the Xbox Nostalgia X account, Kelly Slater Pro Surfer is back in a big way.
Full story on Beachgrit
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Read more: Meet Our New Editorial Assistant at St Francis Today – She’s The Real Deal
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