The continued COVID-19 pandemic is entering its Third Wave in South Africa. This concern brings with it further restrictions and limitations, which affect large gatherings such as sporting and lifestyle events.
After discussions and consultation with the KwaDukuza Municipality, the World Surf League and Surfing South Africa have elected to follow an abundance of caution approach and prioritise public health and safety.
As a result of the adjusted Level 2 lockdown measures announced by the President of South Africa on Sunday 30 May 2021, the Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill scheduled for July 2021 will be postponed to December 2021.
Organisers have made the difficult decision to move the event out of the high risk window of the impending Covid 19 Third Wave and prevent the possibility of creating “super spreader” circumstances and bringing risk to lives at large.
“KwaDukuza Municipality in consultation with various partners, taking into account the COVID-19 3rd Wave projections by experts who advise our government, have agreed to postpone the 2021 Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill event to a later date. This postponement has been done as part of responsible and responsive governance, which puts public health first. The new dates will be announced after we have surpassed the 3rd wave.
We appreciate the support and enthusiasm that has been shown by our partners, the tourism sector and our community since our announcement of the return of the Ballito Pro Event.” – Cllr. D Govender Mayor of KwaDukuza
“We are understandably disappointed to postpone the event, but it is our sincere belief that this decision is in the best interests of the competitors, officials, staff and fans. We do however look forward to hosting the event over the rescheduled dates in December.” – Paul Canning – Brand Director, O’Neill – Sector Group
“Due to the constantly evolving situation with COVID-19, the safety of our athletes, event staff, and fans remain paramount. We stand by the decision from KwaDukuza Municipality and organisers of the Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill to postpone the event until December. We look forward to returning to the shores of Ballito.” – Colin Fitch – Operations Manager, WSL Africa.
“Surfing South Africa supports the decision of the KwaDukuza Municipality and the organisers of the 2021 Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill Sporting and Lifestyle Festival to postpone the events to later in the year. We acknowledge that this decision has been taken with the safety of the public and the participants in mind. We look forward to being part of the programme later this year.” – Robin De Kock – General Manager, Surfing South Africa
The Ballito Pro Pres. By O’Neill, the world’s longest running professional surfing event, will become the premier event for South Africa and the African continent on the World Surf League (WSL) and Surfing South Africa (SSA) calendar for 2021, showcasing the best Men, Women and Junior surfing at Willard Beach in KwaDukuza.
We extend our appreciation and support to our partners, athletes, local business and the broader community, at this time and will update with more details on the rescheduled event to be held at the end of the year.
For more information, visit:
Website: www.theballitopro.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theballitopro/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheBallitoPro
Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheBallitoPro
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theballitopro
Snapchat: Username – TheBallitoPro
About Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is the official National Federation for surfing in South Africa. SSA is a member of the South African Confederation of Sport and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and is recognised as the governing body by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Surfing South Africa is responsible for the development of the sport, the hosting of National tournaments, the sanctioning of International events and the selection of National teams in all the disciplines that are part of SSA.
SSA is one of the 109 members of the International Surfing Association (ISA), the World governing body for the sport.
For more information about Surfing South Africa go to www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za or Surfing SA on Facebook
About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.