The Surfer Kids Shine at Eden Trials and Set Their Sights on the Cape Crown

2026 has been a year filled with milestones for The Surfer Kids surfing programme. There is so much to look back on and so much progress to be proud of. Our surfers have gone from strength to strength, working hard to improve their surfing and move one step closer to their competitive goals.

One of the biggest highlights came earlier this year when Avethandwa Mosikare became the first surfer in the history of The Surfer Kids programme to achieve a podium finish at an SAST (South African Surf Tour) Pro Junior event. Avethandwa finished second in the U12 Boys division at the Rip Curl GromSearch, marking a significant moment not only for him as a young athlete, but also for The Surfer Kids programme.

Avethandwa (center) with the TSK crew after claiming a 2nd place in Port Alfred.

Another major milestone came when, for the first time in The Surfer Kids Non-Profit's history, five of our surfers were selected to represent the Eden District at the 2026 Sea Harvest South African Junior Championships. Azonwabe Matyeke, Inam Falteni and Alfonzo Serfontein were selected in the U16 Boys division, while Tebogo Serfontein and Lithabo Mthetho were selected in the U14 Boys division.

The young athletes had an excellent two days at the Eden District Trials, surfing at a high level and demonstrating their competitive abilities. This is a huge milestone for our programme. To see five of our young surfers ranked among the top surfers in our region and earn the opportunity to represent Eden at a national level is something we are immensely proud of. We are incredibly proud of these young athletes and excited to see what the future holds for them.

Pictured: Alfonzo Serfontein

With the support of Bitcoin Ekasi, The Surfer Kids has committed to sending these young athletes to compete at the upcoming Sea Harvest Cape Crown SAST event in Kommetjie, Cape Town. We are excited to watch them compete against some of the best junior surfers in the country and, hopefully, achieve the results they have been working towards. The Sea Harvest Cape Crown will take place from 11–13 September at Long Beach in Kommetjie, Cape Town. We wish all five surfers the very best and look forward to seeing them represent Eden and The Surfer Kids on the national stage.

Akhona Gearing Up for the Garden Route Triathlon

Akhona Mabuto, better known as "The Orange Rocket," has kept his momentum going and has been training hard for the upcoming Garden Route Triathlon. Akhona heads into the competition with plenty of confidence after an impressive performance earlier this year at the Race2Hermanus Triathlon, where he finished 21st out of 301 athletes.

Pictured: Akhona Mabuto

For the upcoming regional competition, Akhona has set himself a clear goal of finishing on the podium in the top three. He says he is feeling confident, focused and fit, and that his body is feeling good heading into the event. We are incredibly excited for Akhona and will continue to give him all the support he needs as he prepares for race day. We wish him the very best of luck! The Garden Route Triathlon will take place on 20 September in Mossel Bay.

Update on the Diaz Beach Closure

Our local beach, Diaz Beach, where The Surfer Kids headquarters are located, was severely affected by the storms experienced in May earlier this year. The storms caused significant damage to the beach and dunes, and the resulting safety concerns have meant that Diaz Beach has remained closed.

This has presented a challenge for our programme, as we have had to adapt to the changing circumstances. The safety of our children is always our number one priority, so surf lessons at Diaz Beach have been placed on hold since the closure. Fortunately, we have been able to continue operating by taking our children to neighbouring beaches, approximately 10 minutes away. Our coaches have continued providing surf lessons and ensuring that our kids still have the opportunity to spend time in the water.

Pictured: The Surfer Kids at Diaz Beach.

While this requires a little more effort, planning and travel, we are extremely grateful to be in a position where we can continue operating our surf programme from different beaches and keep our children active in the water.

We are grateful to the Mossel Bay Municipality for the support they have shown The Surfer Kids Non-Profit over the years, and we know they are doing their utmost to resolve the situation at Diaz Beach. We look forward to the day when the beach can once again be safely enjoyed by our children and the wider community.

Looking Ahead

2026 has already given us plenty of reasons to be proud, but there is still so much more to come. From competitive surfing and national representation to triathlon and overcoming the challenges caused by the Diaz Beach closure, our young athletes continue to show us what is possible through commitment, hard work and consistency.

We are incredibly proud of every one of our kids and grateful to everyone who continues to support The Surfer Kids Non-Profit. The journey continues.