Press Release | The 2026 O'Neill Cold Water Junior Classic presented by Sea Harvest and supported by Lifestyle Surf Shop Event Overview

O’Neill Cold Water Junior Classic presented by Sea Harvest and supported by Lifestyle Surfshop gets 2026 SAST Season going in true mobile style

The O’Neill Cold Water Junior Classic presented by Sea Harvest and supported by Lifestyle Surf Shop took place on February 20th to 22nd and officially launched the 2026 Surfing South Africa SA Junior Surf Tour (SAST) season.

Organisers Surfing South Africa used a unique mobile format which saw over 100 surfers from all parts of the country chasing the best Cape Peninsula waves over three days of competition.

Day one featured the first rounds of the U18 Boys and Girls and U16 Boys Divisions who competed in 2-3 foot fast and punchy surf at Van Riebeeckstrand in Melkbosstrand on the West Coast of the Cape Peninsula.

Day two saw competitors surfing Witsands Beach in Kommetjie. This popular Southern Peninsula venue provided a picturesque setting and clean 2–3ft surf with light winds and brilliant sunshine.

On Finals day, uncontestable conditions up the West Coast and at the Atlantic surf spots in the Peninsula saw the contest making its way to False Bay and specifically Muizenberg, one of South Africa’s most famous surfing beaches. Calm conditions and 3-4 foot sets provided multiple peaks and both left- and right-hand opportunities for the contestants who were aiming for a prize purse totalling R55000. Despite a dropping swell and outgoing tide, Muizenberg came to the party, delivering the best conditions over the three days, providing a fitting stage for the conclusion of this SA Junior Surf Tour contest.

The winners of the U18 Boys and Girls Divisions were National Junior team members, Ben Esterhuyse of Camps Bay and Emily Jenkinson of Constantia. Not only did they claim an equal share of the R35000 prize purse but they also each won R10000 courtesy of Muizenberg based Lifestyle Surf Shop

Carl Wiersma of Port Alfred and Emma Schermbrucker of Kommejie won the U16 Boys and Girls titles, Lazaro de Bruyn of Sedgefield and Ella Van Der Made of Dolphin Beach in KZN won the U14 Boys and Girls Finals while Cody Painter of Kommetjie and Adriana Canning of La Lucia in KZN won the U12 Boys and Girls Gold medals.

There were a number of special awards presented at the event. The Expression Session winners were Josh Malherbe of East London (Boys Division) and Louise Le Pront of Scottburgh (Girls Division).They won R1000 each.

Lifestyle Surf Shop introduced the O’Neill Top Wave Accumulator Award, for the surfer who posted the highest combined heat scores across the event. This went to Ben Esterhuyse, who’s consistent; high-performance surfing across two divisions made him one of the standout athletes of the weekend. Esterhuyse took home an O’Neill Hyperfreak Fire 4/3mm wetsuit valued at R8 999.00 for his efforts.

Not only were 10 champions crowned at the contest but SSA took the opportunity to present the 2025 SAST Series Winners with trophies, certificates and prizes at a vibrant Opening Function at Imhoff’s Farm in Kommetjie on Thursday February 19th .

The 2026 O’Neill Cold Water Junior Classic presented by Sea Harvest and supported by Lifestyle Surf Shop set a high-performance benchmark for the year ahead and Danielle Powis, General Manager of Surfing South Africa, believes that it was a great start to the 2026 SSA contest season

“I loved the stress and pressure that came with choosing the best conditions each day. The mobile venue format is great for mental strength and testing preparation and routine. The athletes who were able to maintain composure while adapting to changing conditions and venues were the true standouts at this event.”

Next stop on the SAST is in Durban from 20 – 21 March 2026. Watch the SSA website for the entry forms https://surfingsouthafrica.co.za/

About Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is the official National Federation for the sport of 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 National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. (DSAC).
Surfing South Africa is responsible for the development of the sport, the hosting of National tournaments, the sanctioning of all International and National events and the selection of National teams in all the disciplines that are part of SSA. SSA is a member of the African Surfing Confederation (ASC), Union of the Indian Oceans Surfing Federations (UIOSF) and the International Surfing Association (ISA), the World governing body for the sport.