JEFFREYS BAY, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Monday, May 6, 2024) - The invitees for the inaugural World Surf League (WSL) specialty competition, the J-Bay Classic Presented by Corona, have been announced. The specialty event will take place at the iconic Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, and will host a competition window from June 14 through June 23, 2024.
WSL J-Bay Classic Invitees and Format Announced
The invitees for the WSL J-Bay Classic include a cross-section of talents from around the world. World Champions, free surfers, elite competitors, retired pros, and up-and-comers will converge at this unique event to showcase their surfing within a specialty format, as well as within a Team Division.
The main event will consist of two rounds of competition, where surfers will compete on twin fin and thruster surfboard setups, showcasing how Supertubes can be surfed on alternative and high-performance surfboards, to earn points on the leaderboard. The top four men and women will progress to Finals Day. The Team division will feature six mixed teams, each competing in a 45-minute session.
WSL J-Bay Classic Invitees
Final competitor lists subject to change
Women's Invitees:
- Alana Blanchard
- Sage Erickson
- Sally Fitzgibbons
- Stephanie Gilmore
- Coco Ho
- Sierra Kerr
Men's Invitees:
- Adriano De Souza
- Michael February
- Jack Freestone
- Mason Ho
- Sean Holmes
- Josh Kerr
- Travis Logie
- Mark Occhilupo
- James Ribbink
- Steven Sawyer
- Kelly Slater
- Owen Wright
Mark Occhilupo - WSL / Ed Sloane
Stephanie Gilmore and Mark Occhilupo Returns To Supertubes
The eight-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) has stepped away from the WSL Championship Tour (CT) in 2024 to take a break from the jersey, but will make an appearance in this special event. As the winner of the J-Bay event in 2018, Gilmore is undoubtedly one of the best to surf the Supertubes canvas.
The 1999 World Champion, Australian goofy-footer Mark ‘Occy' Occhilupo returns to the famed right-hand point break where he first grabbed the surfing world's attention. He won the 1984 Country Feeling Classic in J-Bay as a young 18-year-old with a backhand attack that was unmatched. Occy was the only goofy footer to have won an event at Supertubes until Gabriel Medina finally broke through the ceiling at the Corona Open J-Bay in 2019.
"I'm really excited to head back to Jeffreys Bay and I'm honored to be invited to the inaugural WSL J-Bay Classic," Occhilupo said. "When J-Bay gets big it's actually better to surf on your backhand. On a low tide, it gives you room to throw some big hacks. It's one of the best waves in the world for sure."
Stacked Field For Local Trials Competition A stacked field of men and women representing the WSL Africa region will compete in the local trials' competition, with one men's and one women's spot into the main event up for grabs. The local trials' winners will get the opportunity to compete against the best at Supertubes in what will surely be an unforgettable moment in their young careers.
Local Trials Invitees
Women's Invitees:
- Sarah Baum
- Sophie Bell
- Louise Lepront
- Zoe Steyn
- Jessie van Niekerk
- Faye Zoetmulder
Men's Invitees:
- Aboubakr Bouada
- Teva Bouchgua
- Eli Beukes
- Sung Min Cho
- Chad du Toit
- Max Elkington
- Daniel Emslie
- Joshe Faulkner
- Tide-Lee Ireland
- Shaun Joubert
- Dylan Lightfoot
- Thomas Lindthorst
- Surprise Maphumulo
- Jordy Maree
- Adin Masencamp
- Remi Peterson
- Slade Prestwich
- Connor Slijpen
- Luke Slijpen
- Dale Staples
- Shane Sykes
- Luke Thompson
The J-Bay Classic presented by Corona holds a competition window from Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 23.
The J-Bay Classic presented by Corona is proudly supported by Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape Provincial Government, Red Bull, Sealand, and Grit.