The first event in the Rip Curl GromSearch series 2024 will take place over February 16 – 18. At this stage, all entries are full, and the entries are now closed. To be placed on the waiting list for this competition, competitors are asked to please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Please include the division you would like to surf and your 2024 membership card. Only pay the entry fee if advised to do so. The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie is the first event in this ever-popular junior series, with the rest of...

The first event in the Rip Curl GromSearch series 2024 will take place over February 16 – 18. At this stage, all entries are full, and the entries are now closed. To be placed on the waiting list for this competition, competitors are asked to please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Please include the division you would like to surf and your 2024 membership card. Only pay the entry fee if advised to do so. The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie is the first event in this ever-popular junior series, with the rest of...

Ryan Schoon © Louis Wulff The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie kicked off at Long Beach this morning with some excellent waves underneath an early morning drizzle. By mid-morning, the sun was out, and the action was non-stop. Some top performances from Ryan Schoon, Cooper Smith, Levi Epenetos and Matt Canning in the U18 division set the tone for the morning, with Schoon amassing the top points for the opening U18 round. The waves were predominantly left-handers in the early morning high tide, with the occasional right-handers coming through as well. The goofy-footers were in their element,...

Ryan Schoon © Louis Wulff The Rip Curl GromSearch Kommetjie kicked off at Long Beach this morning with some excellent waves underneath an early morning drizzle. By mid-morning, the sun was out, and the action was non-stop. Some top performances from Ryan Schoon, Cooper Smith, Levi Epenetos and Matt Canning in the U18 division set the tone for the morning, with Schoon amassing the top points for the opening U18 round. The waves were predominantly left-handers in the early morning high tide, with the occasional right-handers coming through as well. The goofy-footers were in their element,...

  Port Alfred - The prizes have been announced for the two RIP CURL Tournaments, the Rip Curl GromSearch and the Rip Curl Cup, both presented by the Royal St Andrews Hotel. Both events will take place at East Beach in Port Alfred over the Easter Weekend during the Port Alfred Easter Festival.  Rip Curl GromSearch presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred is the second in a five-event series on our shores. The first event of the year was held in Kommetjie and was a great success, and the third competition will be at Nahoon Reef in East...

Port Alfred – Surfing South Africa has opened entries for the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred and the Rip Curl Cup Port Alfred. These events will take place during the Easter Weekend – March 29 – April 1 2024 and are part of the Port Alfred Easter Festival presented by Sunshine Coast Port Alfred Tourism. The Rip Curl GromSearch is a junior event with U12, U14, U16, and U18 Boys and Girls divisions. It is contest number two of a five-event series, and entries can be found HERE. The Rip Curl Cup is an Open Speciality Event; with surfers of all ages invited to...

Port Alfred – Surfing South Africa has opened entries for the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred and the Rip Curl Cup Port Alfred. These events will take place during the Easter Weekend – March 29 – April 1 2024 and are part of the Port Alfred Easter Festival presented by Sunshine Coast Port Alfred Tourism. The Rip Curl GromSearch is a junior event with U12, U14, U16, and U18 Boys and Girls divisions. It is contest number two of a five-event series, and entries can be found HERE. The Rip Curl Cup is an Open Speciality Event; with surfers of all ages invited to...

The Rip Curl Cup is an Open Speciality Surfing Event during the Port Alfred Easter Festival. It is presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel and is supported by Sea Harvest. The Rosehill SUPERSPAR has made a significant contribution to this event by sponsoring the Rosehill SUPERSPAR Expression Session during the Rip Curl Cup. This exciting addition to the contest, with two prizes of R2,5k each for The Best Air and the Best Move, has elevated the total prize money to an impressive R80k for the Rip Curl Cup and R110k in total for the two surfing tournaments.  Stacked Lineup Of Entries...

The Rip Curl Cup is an Open Speciality Surfing Event during the Port Alfred Easter Festival. It is presented by The Royal St Andrews Hotel and is supported by Sea Harvest. The Rosehill SUPERSPAR has made a significant contribution to this event by sponsoring the Rosehill SUPERSPAR Expression Session during the Rip Curl Cup. This exciting addition to the contest, with two prizes of R2,5k each for The Best Air and the Best Move, has elevated the total prize money to an impressive R80k for the Rip Curl Cup and R110k in total for the two surfing tournaments.  Stacked Lineup Of Entries...

Port Alfred - Just days before the Port Alfred Easter Festival kicks off, here is an update on what is in store over those first few days. The Port Alfred Easter Festival is presented by Sunshine Coast Port Alfred Tourism. Thursday 28th Surfing: Opening Function There will be an opening function at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. This function is open to all surfers, bodyboarders, media, parents, and anyone who wants to attend. The speakers will be Surfing South Africa Vice President Anne Wright, Royal St Andrews Hotel MD Justin Bekker, Bodyboarding...

Port Alfred - Just days before the Port Alfred Easter Festival kicks off, here is an update on what is in store over those first few days. The Port Alfred Easter Festival is presented by Sunshine Coast Port Alfred Tourism. Thursday 28th Surfing: Opening Function There will be an opening function at the Royal St Andrews Hotel on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. This function is open to all surfers, bodyboarders, media, parents, and anyone who wants to attend. The speakers will be Surfing South Africa Vice President Anne Wright, Royal St Andrews Hotel MD Justin Bekker, Bodyboarding...

The Rip Curl GromSearch and the Rip Curl Cup, presented by the Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest, are two of the anchor events of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, along with the Bands At The Beach Music Fest. These events will occur in Port Alfred over Easter, 29 March - 1 April. What are these competitions? The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred is the second in a five-event series at premier venues along our coastline. The first contest took place in Kommetjie and Witsands in Cape Town earlier this year, and the event to follow the Port Alfred competition will be held at...

The Rip Curl GromSearch and the Rip Curl Cup, presented by the Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest, are two of the anchor events of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, along with the Bands At The Beach Music Fest. These events will occur in Port Alfred over Easter, 29 March - 1 April. What are these competitions? The Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred is the second in a five-event series at premier venues along our coastline. The first contest took place in Kommetjie and Witsands in Cape Town earlier this year, and the event to follow the Port Alfred competition will be held at...

Rip Curl GromSearch and Rip Curl Cup presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and Sea Harvest - Promising Forecast Kai Stubbs, 2023 Rip Curl GromSearch © Louis Wulff Port Alfred - The town is already buzzing, and the surfers have started arriving for an epic four days of surfing at East Beach in Port Alfred. The swell has been predominantly from the east, and the practice sessions have all been going down on the West Beach wedges over the last few days, with some solid sets coming through. That's all going to change, with a fresh southwest swell approaching, promising ideal conditions...

Rip Curl GromSearch and Rip Curl Cup presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and Sea Harvest - Promising Forecast Kai Stubbs, 2023 Rip Curl GromSearch © Louis Wulff Port Alfred - The town is already buzzing, and the surfers have started arriving for an epic four days of surfing at East Beach in Port Alfred. The swell has been predominantly from the east, and the practice sessions have all been going down on the West Beach wedges over the last few days, with some solid sets coming through. That's all going to change, with a fresh southwest swell approaching, promising ideal conditions...

Rip Curl surfer Ben Esterhuyse on fire at the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred @ Louis Wulff   Epic waves and red-hot surfing encapsulated the opening day of surfing at East Beach for the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred, a junior Surfing South Africa surfing tournament presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest. Today, we also saw the start of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, a multi-sports and cultural Festival based around the Kowie River, where surfing competitions are anchor events. To set the scene, we saw a gathering of the country's top surfers at the Royal...

Rip Curl surfer Ben Esterhuyse on fire at the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred @ Louis Wulff   Epic waves and red-hot surfing encapsulated the opening day of surfing at East Beach for the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred, a junior Surfing South Africa surfing tournament presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest. Today, we also saw the start of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, a multi-sports and cultural Festival based around the Kowie River, where surfing competitions are anchor events. To set the scene, we saw a gathering of the country's top surfers at the Royal...

Exciting Second Day At Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel Josh Malherbe © Louis Wulff East Beach, Port Alfred – It was an exciting day of surfing for contestants in the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred, presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest, with two to three-foot onshore conditions proving challenging but highly contestable.  Up-and-coming grom Slayde Shooter (CSF) was the top surfer of the day, easily winning his U12 and U14 heats. He also accumulated the highest heat total (14.33)  for his performance in the U12...

Exciting Second Day At Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel Josh Malherbe © Louis Wulff East Beach, Port Alfred – It was an exciting day of surfing for contestants in the Rip Curl GromSearch Port Alfred, presented by Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest, with two to three-foot onshore conditions proving challenging but highly contestable.  Up-and-coming grom Slayde Shooter (CSF) was the top surfer of the day, easily winning his U12 and U14 heats. He also accumulated the highest heat total (14.33)  for his performance in the U12...

Daniel Emslie and Louise Lepront win the Rip Curl Cup, and Lepront wins the Rip Curl GromSearch title, along with Josh Malherbe Louise Lepront takes the double in Port Alfred © Justin Bekker  East Beach, Port Alfred - A decrease in swell and a wind switch to offshore southwest made for some small but clean and highly contestable conditions for the final day of surfing in the Rip GromSearch and the Rip Curl Cup. Both events were presented by the Royal St Andrews Hotel and supported by Sea Harvest. The competitions were the anchor events of the Port Alfred Easter Festival...