The brands and organisations supporting the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup at East Beach.
East Beach becomes the centre of competitive surfing during the Port Alfred Easter Festival. The beach hosts both the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup.
Across four days, the shoreline welcomes rising junior surfers as well as experienced competitors. As a result, East Beach turns into a focused contest arena and an important gathering point for the South African surf community.
Events of this level rely on strong partnerships. Therefore, the organisers extend sincere thanks to the businesses and organisations whose support makes the surf contests possible.
Core Event Partners
At the centre of the event stands The Royal St Andrews Hotel. Their involvement helps anchor the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup at East Beach. In addition, their continued support strengthens the connection between the festival, the ocean and the town that hosts the event.
Alongside them is Rip Curl South Africa. The brand’s long commitment to competitive surfing ensures the event delivers genuine high-performance action in the water.
Through the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup, Rip Curl provides an important contest platform. Consequently, both emerging junior surfers and established competitors benefit from a professionally run environment.
Supporting Junior Surfing
The surf contests are also proudly supported by Sea Harvest. The company maintains a strong connection to coastal communities and ocean-based initiatives.
Importantly, their support of the Rip Curl GromSearch plays a meaningful role in junior surfing in South Africa. Young surfers gain the opportunity to compete, develop skills and gain valuable contest experience.
For many rising surfers, the GromSearch represents a key step along the competitive pathway.
Competition Structure
The competitive framework for the events is provided by the World Surf League and Surfing South Africa.
Together, these organisations ensure the contests operate within recognised professional and national competition structures. As a result, the events meet international standards while continuing to strengthen the pathway for South African surfers.
Event Supporters
Several respected brands and partners also help bring the contests to life.
These include Eastern Cape Motors, LinkOnline, Channel Islands Surfboards, Telkom, Red Bull, Royal Alfred Marina, Multi Security Services, and Yeti.
Each partner contributes to the environment around the event. For example, their support helps with logistics, connectivity, infrastructure and the broader beach atmosphere.
Safety And Community Support
Safety remains a key priority during the surf contests. NSRI Station 11 provides essential water safety support throughout the event. Their presence ensures competitors and spectators can enjoy the ocean with confidence.
At the same time, Christian Surfers continue their long-standing involvement at surf events around the country. Their presence adds encouragement and community spirit along the shoreline.
Together, these partners help make the Port Alfred Easter Festival surf contests possible. Their support allows East Beach to host four days of competitive surfing while showcasing the strength of South Africa’s surf culture.
See more: Surf Events Format Confirmed for Port Alfred Easter Festival
