Surfer: Louise Lepront © WSL/Masurel
PORT ALFRED, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Thursday, April 2, 2026) – The season finale for the World Surf League (WSL) Africa Regional Qualifying Series (QS), the Royal St Andrews Rip Curl Cup QS 4,000 for men and QS 2,000 for women will headline the Port Alfred Easter Festival this weekend at East Beach, Port Alfred.
A solid forecast is tracking favourably towards Port Alfred. East Beach has proven to produce consistent and reliable surf, providing the best conditions for this high-stakes competition.
As the final event for the 2025/2026 QS season in Africa, it’s not just the regional QS title that’s on the line, but also the Challenger Series qualification spots for the 2026 season. The top four men and top two women after this event will earn their ticket to the Challenger Series, the ultimate qualification path to the Championship Tour.
Deep Competitive Field
The QS 4,000 will feature a deep competitive field of 50 men, and the QS 2,000 will see 21 women battling it out over two days of competition. Adin Masencamp (RSA) and Sarah Baum (RSA) are currently leading the rankings going into this weekend.
Masencamp claimed the top spot after his fifth-place finish at the Pro Taghazout Bay QS 4,000 last week. With Luke Thompson (RSA) qualifying for the Championship Tour, the Challenger Series qualification spots will be tightly contested by Connor Slijpen (RSA), Beyrick de Vries (NLD), Daniel Emslie (RSA) and the rest of the top ten men, with just a few hundred points separating them
Baum Number One
Baum is still in the No.1 spot after winning the eThekwini Surf Pro and finishing third at the Ballito Open. The battle will be on for the second Challenger Series spot between Jessie van Niekerk (RSA), Louise Lepront(RSA), Natasha van Greunen (RSA) and Anastasia Venter (RSA).
The competition is set to start on Sunday, April 5, following the Surfing South Africa junior competition, the Rip Curl GromSearch Series on Friday and Saturday.
Royal Alfred Marina Expression Session
This year, the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup will also feature the Royal Alfred Marina Expression, with a R10k prize pool.
“We are proud to be associated with the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup and the Port Alfred Easter Festival,” said Claire Wright of the Royal Alfred Marina. “Events like this bring real energy to the town and highlight the unique coastal lifestyle that makes Port Alfred so special. The Expression Session adds an exciting, progressive element to the event, and we are delighted to support it. We wish all competitors an excellent contest.”
The Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup is proudly supported by Royal St Andrews Hotel, Spa & Conference Centre, Rip Curl and Surfing South Africa, as well as the Royal Alfred Marina.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeagwue.com.
Watch Live
The Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup will be broadcast live on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app.
Read More:
Surfers Locked In For The Rip Curl GromSearch presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel, Port Alfred
