{"id":57521,"date":"2024-05-21T18:36:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T16:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/?p=57521"},"modified":"2024-05-21T18:36:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T16:36:04","slug":"save-the-date-for-the-milestone-2024-ballito-pro-presented-by-oneill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/more-sport\/save-the-date-for-the-milestone-2024-ballito-pro-presented-by-oneill\/","title":{"rendered":"Save the date for the milestone 2024 Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill"},"content":{"rendered":"

From 25 June to 8 July, the world\u2019s best surfers will head to KwaDukuza for the 55th Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill. Connecting local heritage with the surfing Challenger Series, the 2024 theme This is the Battlefield \u2013 Lena Inkundla Yempi <\/em>will see surfers battle it out for the top title, while spectators enjoy non-stop entertainment within the arena and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Challenger Series is the ultimate battleground for surfers vying to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT) in 2025. Returning faces and fresh threats prepare to battle at six stops across the world in hopes of turning their dreams into reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Following an all-important start on the Gold Coast and Sydney, Australia, competitors head to Stop No. 3, the Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill. The 2024 Challenger Series fields will be made up of 80 men and 48 women. The top 10 ranked men and top five ranked women will be decided when the series concludes in October in Brazil, qualifying to join the world’s best surfers on the 2025 Championship Tour. Competitors will count their four best results out of the six events.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WSL AFRICA Regional Director, Tasha Mentasti commented: \u201cAs we gear up for the landmark 55th edition of the Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill – an event with a longstanding legacy on the World Surf League calendar and a beacon of surf culture and tradition that defines a portion of our continent’s shores – WSL Africa is deeply honoured to be a part of the local surfing heritage within this naturally beautiful and wave-rich region.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOur 15-year partnership with KwaDukuza Municipality exemplifies a shared commitment to developing and elevating surfing both locally and on the African continent.\u00a0With gratitude, we anticipate yet another epic event, filled with exciting moments, fierce international competition, and the unyielding spirit of local support and community. To all the Challenger Series surfers, may the waves be in your favour, and may your performances inspire us all!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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O\u2019Neill Brand Director Paul Canning added: \u201cOn behalf of O\u2019Neill we are extremely honoured to continue our partnership as presenting sponsor of the Ballito Pro in 2024 and thank the KwaDukuza Municipality for affording us this amazing opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are excited with this year\u2019s campaign, Lena Indundla Yempi<\/em> highlighting the rich history of the battlefields in the KwaDukuza region, as well as the great rivalries and battles we will see in the water by all the athletes competing in the different events – from the youngsters in the O\u2019Neill SMTH Shapes Ballito Pro Junior and the local South African Pros competing in the QS1000 Ballito Open Presented by Flojos, to the world\u2019s best surfers coming out for the Ballito Pro. This year\u2019s Ballito Pro is really showcasing every level of the sport and we are proud to be part of this iconic event.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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KwaDukuza Municipality Mayor, Cllr O Lindi Nhaca said: \u201cKwaDukuza Municipality as the event licensee, host, and major funder, we express our gratitude for our partnership with WSL and O\u2019Neill as we commemorate the 15th anniversary as official host of this exciting event.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis year\u2019s theme Lena Inkundla Yempi<\/em> remains a true reflection of the municipality\u2019s diverse heritage, which aptly encapsulates the fighting spirit of our great warriors and liberation heroes. Our 15th-year anniversary as hosts of the event coincides with the 30th anniversary of the historic democratic transition to democracy in 1994. True to form, we want the rest of the world to join us in promoting unity of purpose, nation building and social cohesion.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cImportantly, the 55th edition of the Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill is to capture the imagination of the world by positioning KwaDukuza as a strategic tourism centre and as a recognised surfing destination. We are looking forward to hosting athletes and visitors from all walks of life on our shores, and we wish to thank our partners for their unrelenting efforts in making the Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill an event to be reckoned with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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2024 Ballito Pro Festival<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Outside of the surfing arena, there is still plenty of action happening with a full festival programme to enjoy. Visitors to the longest-running professional surfing event can look forward to great festival activities and entertainment, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Ballito Pro Music Concerts & Sunset Sessions Presented by Corona<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Retail offerings<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Battle of the DJs and dance competitions<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Extreme sports programme<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 Ballito Skate Comp Presented by Volcom & Etnies<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 iLembe Fundraiser<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Daily beach sports and recreational activities<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 After Dark Programmes and Parties<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Environmental awareness programmes and events<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0School Art Activation & showcase<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cSurfing culture is strongly linked to the region\u2019s local heritage, with the Ballito Pro running for 55 years in 2024, and celebrating 15 years of being hosted in KwaDukuza,\u201d explained Collette Bundy, The Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival Organiser. \u201cThe Ballito Pro Challenger Series is the only WSL International Challenger Series Contest on the African continent, making it a calendar highlight for South African surfers. Visitors get the chance to watch international-level surfing in the stunning KwaDukuza, while also enjoying the many Ballito Pro Festival activities, events, and entertainment. This is one not to miss!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t miss any of the action at the 2024 Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill Festival #thisisthebattlefield #lenainkudlayempi<\/span><\/p>\n

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Watch LIVE<\/span><\/strong> The Challenger Series will be broadcast LIVE on <\/span>WorldSurfLeague.com<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the free <\/span>WSL app<\/span><\/a><\/span>, and the WSL’s <\/span>YouTube channel<\/span><\/a><\/span>. Also, check out more ways to watch from the <\/span>WSL’s broadcast partners<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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To find out more about The Ballito Pro presented by O\u2019Neill festival programme, visit:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Website: www.theballitopro.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Facebook:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theballitopro\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Twitter: www.twitter.com\/TheBallitoPro<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Instagram: www.instagram.com\/TheBallitoPro<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/theballitopro<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Snapchat: Username \u2013 TheBallitoPro<\/span><\/p>\n

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From 25 June to 8 July, the world\u2019s best surfers will head to KwaDukuza for the 55th Ballito Pro Presented by O\u2019Neill. Connecting local heritage with the surfing Challenger Series, the 2024 theme This is the Battlefield \u2013 Lena Inkundla Yempi will see surfers battle it out for the top title, while spectators enjoy non-stop […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[4415],"class_list":["post-57521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-more-sport","tag-olivia-jones-communications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}