Breaking… South African surfers set to surf on home turf in Corona Open J-Bay

This event is Stop No 9 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour that opens tomorrow, 12 July, and will run through to 21 July 21, 2022.
This event is also the second-to-last stop before the Rip Curl WSL Finals. This J-Bay competition will be pivotal in the World Title race, as only the Top 5 men and Top 5 women on the Tour rankings will be eligible to compete in the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
Supertubes will play host to the world’s best surfers throughout the next 10 days with promising swell on the way for the first half of the competition window.

JEFFREYS BAY, EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 11: Joshe Faulkner of South Africa at the press conference prior to the commencement of the Corona Open J-Bay on July 11, 2022 at Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League)

Joshe is seen here at the press Conference this morning. (Photos Credit: © WSL / Ryder) Welcoming the surfers were traditional Xhosa dancers , who dance for African Drumbeat dancers.
Joshe grew up in Pellsrus, Jeffreys Bay, a stone’s throw away from the world-class Supertubes break. After being inspired by friends coming home with trophies from local surfing competitions, Faulkner learned to surf and instantaneously fell in love with the sport. This year he is competing on the Challenger Series to try and qualify for the 2023 CT. He is realising his lifelong dream to compete at his home break in front of family and friends.
“I’m over the moon, I still can’t believe I got this wildcard,” said Faulkner. “I’m feeling amazing and ready. Let’s do this! I’ve watched this event every year since I started surfing. It’s been a childhood dream for me and I’m super stoked to get this opportunity to be competing in this event. The response has been amazing. There’s so much support from the local crew. I’m excited to put on a show for the locals.”
Matthew first competed in the Corona Open J-Bay in 2018 as a wildcard and has been dreaming of coming back ever since. “J-Bay has always been my dream event,” McGillivray said. “My family and I would come and watch the event every year. I was always so amazed by what everyone was doing, trying to get their autographs on the beach. I don’t think I even dreamed of being in the event one day, but it slowly became a reality when I got a wildcard entry back in 2018. Now we’re back and we have an amazing forecast, the setup is amazing and so many people from around the country are so excited to come to this competition.
“The forecast is looking promising, I can’t wait. Coming from Jeffreys Bay, it’s always been a dream to compete in this event. There was a big motivation for me to make the Mid-season Cut and it meant a lot to me when I made the cut. It means so much to surf at my home break in front of my home crowd and I’m really excited for this week.”
Photos of African Drumbeat dancers.