In an unprecedented development, the World Surf League (WSL) has cancelled its Corona Open J-Bay, which was scheduled to be held in Jeffreys Bay, citing a lack of funding.
Local authorities in Jeffreys Bay have described the absence of the WSL event as damaging to the local economy, which traditionally experiences a significant boost with the arrival of tourists.
According to the Executive Mayor of Kouga Municipality, Hattingh Bornman, there have been numerous discussions at provincial and national levels over the past few years, with commitments made but ultimately left unfulfilled.
Speaking to VOC News, Jeffrey Bakker, president of Surfing South Africa, argued that blame cannot be placed solely on the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. Instead, he said the cancellation of the WSL event is tied to broader issues within the surfing community, particularly the lack of sponsorship.
“Cost is a major factor. It comes down to the long-term sustainability of the event. South Africa would compete with any other country to host such an event; our unique selling point is Jeffreys Bay Supertubes. That’s our drawcard, but much of it has to do with the economics of staging the event,” Bakker said.
Listen to the full interview here:
Photo: Pexels
