Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Celebrates International Surfing Day as Top Contenders Emerge
VICTORIA BAY, George, South Africa (Saturday, June 20, 2026) - Vic Bay turned on for International Surfing Day at the World Surf League Africa Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Qualifying Series (QS) 2,000 and Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Junior, with fun two-to-four-foot surf and light winds rolling into the point. The QS 2,000 wrapped up the men's Round of 16 and the women's Quarterfinals, while the Pro Junior Semifinalists have been decided to set up an exciting Finals Day tomorrow. The next call will be at 7:30 a.m. for a possible 7:50 a.m. start.
Sarah Baum - WSL / Kody McGregor
Top Seeds Triumph at Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro QS 2,000
Making a triumphant return to Vic Bay, top seed Sarah Baum channeled some of her best childhood memories surfing the beautiful righthand point break. Baum picked out the best waves of her heat in the Round of 16, and proceeded to dominate her Quarterfinal heat with a total of 13.67 (out of a possible 20) to move into the Semifinals
"I can't even remember when last I was here, it was probably back in my junior days," reflected Baum. "I'm channeling my inner grom, catching all the waves I can, it was such a fun heat. I forgot how fun this wave is to surf, so I'm stoked to be here. My backhand is probably my strong suit so stoked I get to surf it."
Defending event winner Natasha Van Greunen showed her big match temperament when she required a score to advance against Morocco's Ninon Mattei. As time ran out, Van Greunen utilised her priority and found the best wave of the heat, a 6.33 (out of a possible 10), to stamp her ticket to the Semifinals.
"It's always tough when you're needing a score at the end," said Van Greunen. "I'm really grateful I had priority and took the time to wait for that wave. I just wanted the opportunity, because I knew I would be able to perform on it. I've had quite a few close heats, so I know what it feels like on either side of it. I just tell myself to breathe, I've done this before, so just trust that it's going to work out."
With daylight fading quickly, it was a close battle between Zoë Steyn and Anastasia Venter in the last heat of the day. The ocean went a bit sleepy, but Steyn was in the right spot for one of the best set waves and she powered her backhand to a 6.17 to secure her Semifinal berth.
Teva Bouchgua - WSL / Kody McGregor
In the men's Round of 16, Slade Prestwich showed his affinity for a righthand pointbreak, earning the highest single wave score of the event with 9.00 (out of a possible 10) for a combination of powerful turns with his trademark flow between maneuvers. Brad Scott held onto the second position, dealing a tough blow to top seed Connor Slijpen.
"I was a bit off rhythm at the start, and just wanted to get the ball rolling," said Prestwich. "On the way back out after a small wave, all the other guys had priority, but I saw this wave and no one was going for it. I couldn't believe it! So I just turned around and went, and it was perfect, I was lucky to get it."
Morocco's Teva Bouchgua, no stranger to powerful point breaks, was happy to be back in South Africa and surf Vic Bay for the first time. Bouchgua's strong and smooth surfing gave him the edge over Max Elkington to take the win in the Round of 16.
"We had a two month break, so I'm really happy to start the season here," said Bouchgua. "It's my first time here, I love it. It's like Morocco, a long pointbreak and it's really fun. I'm happy to make it to the Quarterfinals, so we'll see what's next."
An exciting matchup unfolded between Adin Masencamp and Luke Van Wyk, with the two going back-and-forth for the lead, proving how much a spot in the Quarterfinals means to them. Masencamp claimed the win by the time the buzzer sounded with a total of 13.84.
"The see-saw battle with Luke was epic," said Masencamp. "I found the rhythm out there and I'm stoked I capitalised on the waves that I did have. It's super fun out there, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow to play the game, the chess game as we go into head-to-head heats."
Anastasia Venter - WSL / Kody McGregor
Semifinalists Decided at Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Junior
The waves continued to pump for the Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro Junior, and top seed Louise Lepront did light work of her heat to take the win ahead of Taylor Emslie. Lepront will get to surf against her younger sister Leah in the upcoming Semifinals, after Leah got the win in her heat, with Camilla Heuer in second.
Anastasia Venter was on a tear today, surfing her way into the Quarterfinals of the QS 2,000 and carrying that momentum into the Pro Junior. Venter stayed busy, building on her score and taking the lead with a great 7.00 ride. She closed out the heat on her final wave, stitching together a couple of strong turns for a 7.40.
"This is one of my favourite spots, I've surfed here for so many years," said Venter. "The heat was so fun, I was getting a little bit too excited, but I was catching some good waves and doing a lot of turns. Just three of us out there, it was very fun."
Levi Epenetos - WSL / Kody McGregor
As the waves started to slow down towards the afternoon, Nate Colby had to hold his nerve, waiting for an uncomfortably long time to find his winning wave. Colby's patience paid off, locking in an 8.17 to take the win ahead of Ben Esterhuyse.
"The swell dropped a bit, so I decided to change my board," said Colby. "I caught a wave that kind of faded on me, and then I just saw everyone else get their best waves. I knew I needed a good wave, so I decided to wait it out. I'm really lucky that one wave came through and I was in the right spot for it so I could do what I had to."
Top junior Levi Epenetos also advanced to the Semifinals, cranking up the intensity with every wave that he caught. Epenetos improved on almost every ride, finding excellence in the last few minutes to score an 8.67 and secure the win ahead of Matt Canning.
International Surfing Day Celebrated at Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro
All the elements came together for a spectacular day on the Garden Route of South Africa, which also happened to be International Surfing Day. Competitors and spectators alike enjoyed the beautiful weather and pumping waves, a day where the sport of surfing, the community, and a love for the ocean was truly celebrated.
"Surfing brings me happiness, but also a bit of stress too!" said Morocco's Lilias Tebbai. "If my mind is too busy, I go into the water to have fun, and stay happy. It's something really special, we have a connection with the ocean that's just indescribable."
The next call will be on Sunday, June 21 at 7:45 a.m. for a possible 8:05 a.m. start.
The Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro QS 2,000 and JQS 1,000 will run from June 19-21, 2026 at Victoria Bay, George.
Watch LiveThe Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro will be broadcast live from June 19-21, 2026 on WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL YouTube and the free WSL app.
The Rip Curl Vic Bay Surf Pro is proudly supported by Rip Curl, George Municipality, George Tourism, Surfing South Africa, YETI, Bliz, Bilt Surfboards, Royal St Andrews Hotel, The Pottery, Sir Juice, Betify and Harcourts.
