JBay Winterfest coming up

Jeffreys Bay - with 8 days to go before the start of the JBay Winterfest, the town of Jeffreys Bay is gearing up for an influx of tourism, athletes, music fans and holiday-makers. The ASP World Tour surfers have started arriving in South Africa, and the stage is already set for an epic Winterfest.

The JBay Open ASP World Tour surfing event is the anchor of the Winterfest, and with the world's top surfers gracing the waves of Suprtubes for the first time since 2011, it promises to be an exciting event. For more on the JBay Open go here www.jbaywinterfest.com/open-of-surfing/

The Oakley X-Over Challenge is an exciting addition to the Winterfest, with top sportmen and celebrities competing in a multi-discipline cross-over challenge during the Winterfest. Comprising surfing, mountain biking and golf disciplines, the invite-only event will see the likes of Jordy Smith, Ryan Sandes, Greg Minnaar, Butch James, Ruan De Smidt, Raynard Tissink, David Miller and Kevin Evans to name a few, competing for the Inaugural Oakley X-Over Challenge trophy. For more on the Oakley X-Over Challenge go here www.jbaywinterfest.com/oakley-x-over-challenge/    

The Music Festival is what a lot of people are coming for, and it promises to be a big party, with some of the best bands in the country headlining. We can expect to see A King, Van Coke Cartel, Taxi Violence, DJ Naalderkoker and Jack Parow amongst other performing at the 1500-capacity Jolly Dolphin. Ticket sales have been brisk but there are still tickets available -www.jbaywinterfest.com/music-fest/

The VW Rally is set to take place on the streets of JBay on the 11 and 12 July, and promises to bring high speed adrenalin action to JBay. For more on this exciting event go herewww.jbaywinterfest.com/vw-rally/

Steve Pike will be running his famous Wavescape Swell Courses during the Winterfest, and there are limited numbers for this event. The Wavescape Swell Course uses video and graphics to take you on a journey into the deepest ocean storms to observe how waves form, how swell moves through the sea and what happens when it arrives at the coast. It is set to be held in JBay on the evening of 16 July, and tickets can be bought here  www.quicket.co.za/events/5530-spike-swell-course-jeffreys-bay-1/

The JBay Mountain Bike open is another dynamic event that forms part of the Winterfest. The track has been purpose-built for the event, there are a number of tunnels and constructed berms and bridges, and the route promises to be a fast one. For more information and to enter go herewww.jbaywinterfest.com/mtb-open/

Swimmers prepared to brave chilly water over long distances can compete in the JBay Winterfest Cold Water Swim Classic. There will be both a 7.5km and a 2.5km open water swim. For more information go to the event page www.jbaywinterfest.com/cold-water-classic/

One of the big attractions at the JBay Winterfest is the Downhill Sokkie Jol. This is a skate course punctuated with a series of obstacles including cones, ramps and kickers, and the fastest time through the course wins. Some of the prizes on offer at the Core Downhill Sokkie Jol are Highest Jump, Best Disco Dress, Downhill Race Winner, Worst Wipeout and Longest Slide. All the Sokkie Jol details can be found here www.jbaywinterfest.com/downhill-sokkie-jol/

"The JBay Winterfest 2014 is ready to go," said festival organiser Koffie Jacobs. "It has been a challenge putting it all together, but the town of Jeffreys Bay and all the individual event stakeholders have worked together closely over the last few months, with the common goal of putting Jeffreys Bay back on the map."

The Winterfest has a very active FaceBook Fan Page www.jbaywinterfest.com/