South Africans earn three podiums at Ballito Pro Junior
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 8, 2026
Ballito Junior setup
South Africa left the Ballito Pro Junior with three podium finishes after a stop-start weekend at Willard Beach in Ballito that opened under heavy surf and ended with the finals in place. The O’Neill SMTH Shapes Rookie Rippers launched the Ballito Pro Festival, and junior surfers from the U12 through U18 divisions had to work through a compressed schedule when competition was interrupted on the opening day because of massive surf. The event restarted on the second day after conditions improved, and organizers also reduced heat times from 20 minutes to 15 minutes to keep the program moving and to help prepare athletes for the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in early September. The shorter heats gave every wave more value and left less room for slow starts or wasted opportunities. Ry Colepeper delivered one of the event’s standout moments with a perfect 10-point wave score. Danielle Powis said the competition showed the strength of South Africa’s junior surfing pipeline and backed the decision to put safety first on day one.
Ballito Junior finals
Ryan Kainalo won the men’s title at the Ballito Pro Junior with a 14.87 total in the final and claimed his third title at the event by beating reigning world junior champion Dane Henry. Kainalo handled the biggest stage of the weekend after the opening-day disruption and turned in the cleanest final score of the men’s draw. Charli Hately took the women’s title after a last-minute wave lifted her past Louise Lepront, 10.90 to 9.83. Lepront reached her first Ballito Pro Junior final and pushed the title race to the end before settling for second. The finals brought a clear finish to an event that had already forced the surfers to adjust to changing surf and a tighter schedule. Kainalo’s 14.87 stood as the mark that settled the men’s final, while Hately’s late scoring wave delivered the women’s crown at the close of the event. Both results came after a weekend that asked the field to stay patient, stay composed and make the most of short windows in the water.
South Africa podiums
South Africa’s podium presence came through Louise Lepront, Kieran Murphy and Emily Jenkinson, who each finished inside the top three at the event. Lepront’s runner-up finish moved her to No. 1 in the WSL Africa Junior rankings, while Simon Winter rose to the top of the WSL Africa Junior men’s rankings. That gave the weekend extra weight for the home region, with South Africa earning three podium finishes and adding ranking momentum on both sides of the draw. Murphy and Jenkinson each finished third, and Lepront’s second place showed how close the South African contingent came to turning strong local support into outright titles. Powis pointed to that depth when she said the event highlighted the strength of the country’s junior surfing pipeline. The results also matched the tone of the event itself. The field faced a safety-first start, a weather break and shortened heats, then produced finals that still gave the junior ranks a sharp test. South Africa answered with podiums, rankings gains and a strong showing across the age groups that lined up from U12 through U18.
