As many of you may already know, the World Surf League (WSL) has decided to pull their Jeffreys Bay event for the 2024 season. For our small town, this represents a significant loss of revenue for all of us in July.
While this may initially seem like a setback, it presents us with a unique opportunity to create something extraordinary and iconic for our town and community.
The Opportunity:
Imagine, with me, a surfing event like no other, set against the backdrop of one of the world's best waves and featuring the best and most influential surfers globally. However, this event would be about something other than the traditional competitive model, where winning is solely about a paycheck. Instead, it would be a celebration of surfing and surf culture in its purest form, free from the hyper-competitive lens of the WSL. Imagine an event whose underlying goal was to give back with proceeds and fundraisers being run off the back of the event for several carefully curated surf charities.
Imagine who we could invite to surf and entertain the world...
Masters Division: What if we invited previous world champs to surf in a masters division featuring legendary surfers like Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, and many more?
The Winner of this Division would be honoured with a prestigious Andy Irons J-Bay Memorial trophy in recognition of his incredible surfing over the years here in J-Bay.
Imagine watching Layne Beachly, Sally Fitzgibbons, Bianca Buitendag, and others surf J Bay again.
Open Division: To keep the event cutting-edge competitive, we could invite any WSL or ISA surfers interested in attending and use their current seeding to slot them into the women's and men's divisions.
Imagine running a trial event that allowed top South African talent to win several wild card slots for surfers like Jose Faulkner, Daniel Emslie, Sarah Baum, Anastasia Venter, etc.
Grand Masters: Why stop at Masters? We could invite Grand Master's iconic surfers such as Mark Occhilupo, Tom Carol, and Tom Curren. We might even host a Grand Ballies (Kahuna) heat with legends like Shaun Tomson, Rabbit" Bartholomew, Gerry Lopez, Tich Paul, Gavin Rudolph, and others.
Influencers Division: In today's digital age, we should focus on the power of social media and influencer-shaping surfing. Imagine an Influencers Division, bringing together the top social media influencers on Instagram, YouTube or any other social network. Imagine watching Erin Brooks (erinbrookssurf), Bethany Hamilton, bethanyhamilton or prominent YouTubers like Jamie O'Brien, Nathan Florence, Kale Broccoli, Koa Rothman, Brett Barley, and many more. Their substantial online followings would help amplify the event's impact, especially its cause.
Highline Division: Let's embrace the diverse surfing styles by introducing a Highline Division, where surfers are limited to two fins or fewer. We could even include a finless or frictionless heat, showcasing the unique talents of surfers like Mikey February, Josh Kerr, Asher Pacey, and others.
Shapers Division: Surfboard shapers are an integral part of the surfing world. Collaborating with renowned brands like Channel Islands, Mayhem, Pyzel, and Arakawa Surfboards, as well as including and profiling our local J-Bay brands like Rebel, Natural Curve, Sawyer and Fish Stix Surfboards, could add a fascinating dimension to the event.
Giving Back:
Imagine with me that this event's entire and primary focus could be giving back to surfing. Imagine curating and onboarding several designated not-for-profit organizations working in surfing, such as Surf Aid and Surfrider Foundation, Groundswell Aid, Surfers Not Street Kids, and fantastic local charities in J-Bay like Wave Point Surf, etc.
Imagine if, along with this, we also had a clear objective to get Jeffreys Bay and its beaches global protection by
Getting Jeffreys Bay designated as a World Surfing Reserve
Establishing Jeffreys Bay as a Marine Protected Area with the South African Government
Imagine an event like this taking place in Jeffreys Bay South Africa in July 2024
Roy Harley
