Durban surfer makes historic Ballito Pro win
Luke Thompson, 21, is making his presence felt on the surfing scene after cementing his name in history by claiming the win as the first SA champ in The Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill since Jordy Smith. The nail-biting final against George Pittar earned the Durbanite a qualification into the Corona Cero Open J-Bay event, from July 11 to 20.
FRESH from his win at the Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill on Sunday, Durban surfer Luke Thompson is already making waves in the Eastern Cape where he is preparing to take on the Corona Cero Open J-Bay event from July 11 to 20.
The 21-year-old was awarded a wildcard slot after his historic win on the North Coast where he out-manoeuvred Australian, George Pittar, in the final. Thompson, who began surfing at the age of 10 and was surfing for KZN at 12 years old, made history with his win, becoming the first South African since 2017 to be in the final at the Ballito Pro.
He is no stranger to winning, having won the Ballito Pro Junior U14 boys division in 2018 before representing SA at the Vissla ISA World Junior Champs in October that year. Following his victory in front of his home crowd, Thompson said, “It feels like a dream and I’m just waiting to wake up. I’m so proud to be South African, the support on the beach has been incredible.”
Also Read: Champions crowned at Ballito Pro Junior
The crowds had lined the beach for this momentous occasion, cheering every time Thompson paddled for a wave. Both surfers struggled to find a wave with an open face to work with, only needing a small requirement for the win.
The 21-year-old local found an opportunity under priority to crank out two turns. Pittar had a chance to fight back, but fell on his wave and the beach erupted as Thompson got the required score for the win.
“When I made the final I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I wish it was a better final, but I can’t believe it. There’s so much hard work that goes into this. The biggest thank you to my coach, I couldn’t do it without him,” said Thompson.
Hard at work already, at the pre-competition surf in Jeffreys Bay, Thompson will be joining the likes of Matthew McGillivray and Sarah Baum, who also secured the regional wildcards as the highest placed African surfers on the Challenger Series. The women’s title winner at the Ballito Pro was Basque surfer Nadia Erostarbe who stormed her way to the top after claiming victory over Portugal’s Yolanda Hopkins in the final.
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