Ben Esterhuyse (Cape Town) © Kody McGregor
Port Alfred — The Rip Curl GromSearch presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel, supported by Sea Harvest, continued to build momentum at East Beach as part of the broader Port Alfred Easter Festival programme.
The Rip Curl GromSearch, in its fourth year in Port Alfred, sits at the heart of the festival’s surf offering. Small but clean and contestable conditions at East Beach provided a workable canvas throughout the day, allowing surfers to settle into rhythm and post solid scores.
Leading performers included Ben Esterhuyse, Loghann Tilsley, Carl Wiersma, Leah Lepront, Kai Stubbs, Louise Lepront, Tasia Belyaeva, and Jasmine Venter, all registering some of the highest scores of the round as the draw tightened heading into finals day.
Kai Stubbs (Scarborough) © Kody McGregor
The U12 and U14 divisions will run through to completion tomorrow. The Premier U16 and U18 division finals are scheduled for Monday, setting up a strong close to the contest window.
Finals conditions are expected to improve, which should lift performance levels across all divisions.
The Premier U16 Girls and Boys divisions carry added weight, with winners earning a place in the Rip Curl GromSearch International Final, along with a R20,000 travel fund.
In addition to the main event, an Expression Session will run during the contest window, giving competitors the opportunity to showcase progressive surfing. Cash prizes will be awarded to standout performers, adding an extra layer of excitement for both competitors and spectators.
Channel Islands Surfboards South Africa has also come on board to elevate the stakes, awarding a custom Channel Islands surfboard valued at R13,000 to the surfer who delivers a standout performance and makes a significant impact during the event.
The day’s surfing can be found here: Open Plan Pictures
