Welcome to the Winter Fest

KLM Mayor ( Mr B Koerat)

What a tremendous honour and pleasure it is for me to welcome back the world’s top surfers to Jeffreys Bay this July.

Their absence over the past three years was sorely felt by the Kouga region as a whole. We are grateful for the effort made by our local surfing fraternity, the new sponsor and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) to bring back the World Championship Tour (WCT) to Kouga.

Renamed the “J’Bay Open of Surfing”, the event is the star attraction of the 2014 J’Bay Winter Fest.

Now in its second year, the J’Bay Winter Fest was launched in 2013 to fill the tourism gap left by the demise of the Billabong Pro. It is a tribute to the organisers of the J’Bay Winter Fest that the WCT now returns as part of the very festival that was created to keep Kouga’s economy alive over the quiet winter months.

On behalf of the Kouga Council, I wish to salute the organisers of the J’Bay Winter Fest for their initiative. Please know that you have our full support. We look forward to working together and growing the festival into the hottest winter sports event in South Africa.    

A warm welcome goes to all participants and spectators. The J’Bay Winter Fest aims to offer something for the whole family. It is our hope that mom, dad, grandparents and all young people will support and participate in the extensive sports line-up.

Please also make use of your time here to visit the tourist attractions in our hinterland. The citrus trees in the Gamtoos area are heavy with fruit and are beautiful to behold. Our tourism offices will be able to provide information on activities and attractions in this area.