SURFING NEWS - The official competition window for the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) Stop No. 10, the Corona Cero Open J-Bay, opens today, Friday 11 July, and runs through to Sunday 20 July.
The world’s best surfers have arrived in Jeffreys Bay, home of one of the world’s best right-hand point breaks, and the forecast looks promising for a potential start today and in the coming days.
This week, the top 22 men and top 10 women have been warming up at Supertubes and enjoying the run of swell that preceded the start of Stop No. 10 on the CT.
World no. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS) will be wearing the yellow leader jersey for the first time this year when she paddles out in the women’s opening round against Erin Brooks (CAN) and event wildcard Sarah Baum (RSA).
“The yellow jersey gives me the belief that I can do it and to keep going,” said Picklum. “At the end of the day, we don’t just want the yellow jersey, we want the big trophy at the end of the year. Every place brings new challenges, and I’m ready for that. I’m just trying to settle in here in J-Bay and get this campaign going.”
Two-time J-Bay winner and current world no. 1, Jordy Smith (RSA), will be one of the favourites to take out this event in front of friends and family.
Smith won back-to-back J-Bay titles in 2010 and 2011, and was the first surfer in the CT at J-Bay to earn a perfect heat score of 20 points (out of a possible 20) in 2017. The 37-year-old will wear the yellow leader jersey in J-Bay, thanks to his two CT wins and consistent results throughout the season.
“This is the best part of my year,” said Smith. “It’s like a soulful feeling when you arrive in this town. The wave is a wonder of the world, the community, the energy - there’s no place like J-Bay, and no place I’d rather call home. Being in the yellow leader jersey is one thing, but being in yellow at home is a whole bigger thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position at home, so hopefully I can go out there and perform.”
South Africa’s triple wildcard threat
There will be more South Africans in the line-up this year, with local event wildcards awarded to Baum (RSA) and Luke Thompson (RSA) as the highest-placed Africans on the Challenger Series rankings.
Baum is no stranger to J-Bay and could play spoiler in the race to the WSL Final 5. In 2023, she achieved a fifth-place finish as a wildcard, and in 2024 she won the J-Bay Classic Specialty, showcasing her skills on the walls of Supertubes.
Thompson is fresh off his first-ever Challenger Series victory at the Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill. The 21-year-old is the first South African to win the Ballito Pro since Jordy Smith in 2017, and is looking forward to his match-up with Smith and Crosby Colapinto (USA) in the opening round.
South Africa’s former Championship Tour surfer and Jeffreys Bay local, Matthew McGillivray, will also be back in the event as a local wildcard and will bring his wealth of local knowledge and CT experience to the fore.
J-Bay Surf Festival to keep crowds entertained
The J-Bay Surf Fest, the 10-day winter festival that runs alongside the Corona Cero Open J-Bay, will provide endless entertainment for spectators and visitors to Jeffreys Bay.
The live music concerts at the ParkOff Music Festival will be a highlight, spanning two weekends.
The Fan Park offers nonstop sports coverage, with plenty of food and drink options available. For the more adventurous, there are mountain biking, trail running, funduro and fishing competitions open to all.
Corona Cero Open J-Bay women’s opening round match-ups:
Heat 1: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
Heat 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN) vs. Sarah Baum (RSA)
Heat 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Francisca Veselko (POR)
Heat 4: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)
Corona Cero Open J-Bay men’s opening round match-ups:
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
Heat 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 3: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA) vs. Luke Thompson (RSA)
Heat 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Marco Mignot (FRA)
Heat 6: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Rio Waida (INA)
Heat 7: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
Heat 8: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)
Matthew McGillivray of South Africa, Molly Picklum of Australia, Jordy Smith of South Africa, Sarah Baum of South Africa and Luke Thompson of South Africa during the press conference prior to the commencement of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay on Thursday 10 July. Photo: Kody McGregor/World Surf League
Lakey Peterson of the United States participates in the rising tides program before the commencement of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay.
Photo: Kody McGregor/World Surf League
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