In what was by far the biggest, most hotly contested Ballito Pro Skate Jam to date, it was Kalvyn MacMillan (35) who put on the winning display, earning himself first-place in the Men\u2019s Division. Capetonian Janine Louw (24) brought some impressive skills to win the Women\u2019s Division, while local skater Ezra Vosloo take first prize in the U16 Boy\u2019s Division. Hosted at the Ballito Bowl in KwaDukuza on Saturday, 1 July, the 2023 Ballito Pro Skate Jam welcomed some of the country\u2019s biggest skaters in this high-stakes competition that is now a regular feature on The Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival calendar.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019d like to extend huge congratulations to all this year\u2019s Ballito Pro Skate Jam winners, and to all the 2023 contestants who put on an unbelievably impressive performance,\u201d said Markus M\u00fcseler, Old School Productions event\u2019s organiser. \u201cThis is the third edition of the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, and the support of our sponsors and the high standard of South African skating has seen this become one of the dominant skating events on the calendar. We\u2019re looking forward to growing this even further next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Paul Canning, O\u2019Neill Brand Director and event organiser, commented: \u201cOn behalf of Volcom, we\u2019re stoked to be a part of such a cool event that forms part of the Ballito Pro. It\u2019s awesome to see how it\u2019s grown \u2013 it just gets bigger and better every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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He said they were excited to welcome new sponsors Hot Wheels Skate who came on board for the third edition of the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, joining Volcom, Fallen Footwear, and Groundswell Skate and Surf.<\/p>\n
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\u201cPersonally, I love to see the support the Ballito Pro Skate Jam gets from the local Ballito community. This is one event that everyone looks forward to and it\u2019s an event we want to see growing from year to year,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
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Umhlanga\u2019s Kalvyn MacMillan, the Men\u2019s Division winner, is no stranger to the Ballito Pro Skate Jam, having won the 2021 edition and placed second last year. Commenting on the competition he said:<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy first two runs weren\u2019t great \u2013 I fell in both. But managed to pull myself together in my final run. Looking forward to next year as well! This was definitely the biggest bowl contest they\u2019ve had with guys coming from Joburg, Cape Town, and all around South Africa so the competition was a lot a lot tougher \u2013 the bar was raised on all platforms and guys came out swinging! It was really fun, very challenging but that\u2019s what you want. The turnout from the Ballito people supporting was also great.\u201d<\/p>\n
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He extended thanks to all the sponsors for making the event such a success: \u201cWe\u2019re always happy to have this contest, it was an all-around good day and I\u2019m really looking forward to next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Cape Town\u2019s Janine Louw flew out to experience the Durban skate scene and the Ballito Pro Skate Jam for the first time.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe Ballito Pro is such a prestigious event that has significantly contributed to the local community and the South African surf and skate scene. Its recent addition, the Ballito Bowl Skate Competition, holds immense potential to further this legacy,\u201d said Louw.<\/p>\n
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She is one of the female skaters who has been championing the growth and recognition of female skaters as athletes. She hopes that, through this win, she can inspire incoming female athletes to join the sport.<\/p>\n
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Winner of the U16 Boy\u2019s Division, Ezra Vosloo (12) described it as \u2018the best day of the year!\u2019. Speaking after the event, Ezra\u2019s dad, Brode, said the youngster\u2019s goal was to win the U16 event and re-qualify for the Open event, but he enjoyed some great competition along the way. \u201cIt\u2019s great to see skaters like Warrick Edgar from the Western Cape coming up to compete. There aren\u2019t many skate competitions in the year, so there\u2019s a lot of pressure on the one event to attain your goals. We live in Ballito very near the bowl so Ezra\u2019s there most afternoons \u2013 it\u2019s his sport of choice!\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Ballito Pro Skate Jam 2023 Results<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Open Men\u2019s Division <\/strong><\/p>\n 1st: Kalvyn MacMillan<\/p>\n 2nd: Khule Ngubane<\/p>\n 3rd: Damian Bramley<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Women\u2019s Division<\/strong><\/p>\n 1st: Janine Louw<\/p>\n 2nd: Bexx Sneddon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n U16 Boy\u2019s Division<\/strong><\/p>\n 1st: Ezra Vosloo<\/p>\n 2nd: Warrick Edgar<\/p>\n 3rd: Caleb Ambrose<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The globe\u2019s longest-running surfing contest is accompanied by the epic 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival! Bringing the best in entertainment, retail, and beachside fun, this year\u2019s festival programme from 27 June to 9 July will be centred on sustainability, inclusivity, and growth, following the theme Konke KuLuhlaza<\/em> – Everything is Blue. Alongside the surfing, skating, and biking action, visitors can look forward to:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss any of the action at the 2023 Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival and be part of the change.\u00a0 #konkekuluhlaza #everythingisblue<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To find out more about The Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill festival programme, visit:<\/strong><\/p>\n Website: www.theballitopro.com<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theballitopro\/<\/a><\/p>\n Twitter: www.twitter.com\/TheBallitoPro<\/a><\/p>\n Instagram: www.instagram.com\/TheBallitoPro<\/a><\/p>\n\n