Enter a world of magic and mystery, in my own head, where surfing and snowboarding are considered real jobs! Amazing feats of daring and skill are performed every day - and that's just getting the footage onto film!
Media anarchist, film guru, surf addict and web video blogger!
Julian Wilson, one of many young superstars in the Film.
ON MODERN COLLECTIVE, KAI NEVILLE BROUGHT ON THE SIX MOST BRILLIANT PERFORMERS SURFING COULD MUSTER, AND THE ACADEMY APPROVED. FOR HIS NEW COLLABORATION, KAI RALLIES A DOZEN MORE SURFERS — INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL SIX — FOR LOST ATLAS, A PROJECT TO DEFY ALL NORMS AND EXPECTATIONS. A LOCATION BASED FILM SHOT IN UNDER 12 MONTHS IT WILL TAKE THE VIEWER ON A CANDID JAUNT INTO SURFING TODAY.
THIS IS POSTMODERNISM.
I am so amped for this film it is ridikulous! You can pre-order your copy from SURF EAT SLEEP
I always get a lot of raised eyebrows when I tell the International community that not only do we have snow in the deep south of Africa, but a hard core (More core in the bar maybe?) snowboard crew and our own National Champs. But believe it my guy, cause it is true! For the last 7 years I have been involved with the Quiksnow SA Snowboarding Champs and it has always been an amazing event.
This year we have been blessed with days of snowfall prior to this weekend's festivities and at this point many of us are simply hoping we will be able to get into the mountains of Lesotho to Afriski - the Southern African Snow resort. I leave from Cape Town this evening, on the mammoth 14 hour drive mission, oping to get some riding in tomorrow afternoon, prior to the trials on Friday and the finals and usual anarchic party on Saturday. So expect sporadic updates from the 3600m above sea level resort of mayhem and party! Our theGoodLife crew will be there to shoot for our Supersport Show and we will no doubt have some good footage to show you soon.
In the meantime, check out footage from my last filming trip to the highlands...
At the start of the year I was so amped that Kerr had made it back onto the tour. Lets face it, the guy is a freak when it comes to new school surfing and I was really hoping he would blow shit up. His start, however, was a little disappointing and I was wondering if I had a made a bad call. Then along came Jbay. Kerr surfed like a man possessed throughout the event and on the 2nd last day, a day many were calling one of the most progressive in contest history, he was the main reason the other guys were pushing so hard. He was punting ridik airs, throwing "Impossible" turns and just to completely mess with every other contestants heads, pulled what Occy referred to as the "Club Sandwich", a mind altering snap to inverted spin, at least I think that's what it was. It took a rampaging Mick Fanning - who ended up in 2nd place - to halt the Kerr. Watch this space, the man is going to blow up spots like France and Trestles!
While he was in Jbay, Kerr kept a video diary, check it out...
Jordy Smith, the Champ, with cohort, Laces, and Red Bull SA chief, Tristan. (Photo: ASP)
Wow! After a worrying start and lets be honest, not the best waves ever seen at a WCT, let alone Jbay, this contest ended up being one of the best ever. Surfing was taken to the next level, with eventual winner (Boy the Saffers are happy!) Jordy Smith and Josh Kerr pushingn the rest of the crew to pull out the new school moves. In the end it was Jordy and Mick, who kinda flew under the radar till beating his best mate Joel Parko in Semi 2. But, Jordy, after a bit of a wobble in Round 4, never looked like losing and dominated the last 3 rounds with amazing scores in the deteriorating waves. Mr Smith also took the Nixon Winner Takes All award for his incredible wave in Round 5, which saw one of the biggest Air reverses ever made in a heat - His Girldfriend is apparently very happy with her new $10'000 Watch. Well done Jordy, you make us proud my man!
The ASP Press Release:
JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Sunday, July 24, 2011) – Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, has taken out the 2011 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in a hard-fought Final over Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, in front of the raucous and hardy hometown crowd on the beach and hundreds of thousands watching online.
Event No. 4 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pro culminated in dramatic fashion today with “victory at sea”, three-to-four foot (1 – 1.5 metre) surf and the world’s best surfers displayed their comprehensive abilities to shred anything from yesterday’s perfection to today’s challenging conditions.
Smith continuously posted impressive scores throughout his Quarterfinal, Semfinal and Final heats, but it was his local knowledge that allowed his to select the best waves in the Final to overtake an in-form Fanning. The win was met with an eruption from those in attendance braving the harsh weather, and Smith was cheered up the beach to an emotional audience.
“It’s been an incredible week for me,” Smith said. “All the support of the people at Jeffreys Bay, Garth (Tarlow), Steve (Smith), my girlfriend Lyndall (Jarvis), my mom and dad and everyone else. It’s been a really special week for me and I’m so happy right now.”
Moving from 5th to 2nd on the ASP World Title rankings, the young South African is now firmly in the hunt and will utilize the confidence attained today to propel him through the latter half of the year.
“Mick (Fanning) has surfed amazing all week,” Smith said. “He’s always an inspiration and he’s right there with everyone in the hunt for the title. Today’s a huge win for me. Last year, it was very emotional. To back it up this year just feels really, really good. It’s huge for my confidence and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”
Fanning, who claimed the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in 2002 and 2006, appeared to find his form this morning, dusting Gold Coast flyboy Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, and Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, en route his Runner-Up finish. Today’s placing sees Fanning move from 8th to 4th on the ASP World Title Rankings.
“It was really difficult out there today,” Fanning said. “Three heats yesterday and three heats today and felt like the arms wanted to fall off. Big congratulations to Jordy (Smith) though. It was great surfing. It’s inspirational stuff and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Parkinson, 2008 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay winner, was in sensational form this year, consistently notching up high scores throughout the event before falling to a rampaging Fanning in the Semifinals.
“The conditions are a bit tedious today but every now and then there’s a good wave,” Parkinson said. “Everyone is in the same boat too – we all have to deal with it. Shame I couldn’t find the same rhythm that Mick (Fanning) did out there, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
With his Equal 3rd finish, Parkinson ascends to the frontrunner position in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, but the perennial threat remains cautious when regarding the remainder of the season.
“I don’t really think about that yet,” Parkinson said. “It’s only the fourth event of the year and I’ve been in this position before. I’m happy with my surfing and my boards and I’ll keep my eyes on the next heat.”
Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, former No. 17 on the ASP World Title rankings, led the goofy-footed assault on Jeffreys Bay throughout the event and his Equal 3rd place finish today moves the Australian up to 11th heading into the next event in Tahiti.
“I missed a good one at the start and that really let Jordy (Smith) get on top early in the heat,” Buchan said. “I always felt like I could come back but it just didn’t happen for me. It’s still an excellent result for me and I’m excited about the next few events.”
Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, 2011 ASP Dream Tour rookie, matched his best result of the year with and Equal 5th place finish. Muniz now sits well inside the cutoff for the ASP Top 34 rotation in August, and will remain a fixture at the elite level throughout the duration of the season.
“I never thought I would have good results in my rookie year,” Muniz said. “I am surfing with my heroes and to be getting through heats is what I always dreamed of as a little kid. This matches my best result this year from the Gold Coast and I’m stoked to be safe for the August cutoff.”
Muniz, along with fellow rookie Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, both finished Equal 5th at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via http://www.billabongpro.com
The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season will be the Billabong Pro Tahiti from August 20 – 31, 2011.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.60
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.83
BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.46 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.87
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.47 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.93
BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.10 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.94
QF 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.77 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.90
QF 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.83 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 8.16
QF 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.40 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 5.43
ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 10 (After Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 25700 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 24750 pts
3. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 22250 pts
4. Mick Fanning (AUS) 19500 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 18250 pts
6. Kelly Slater (USA) 16950 pts
7. Michel Bourez (PYF) 16000
8. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15000
9. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13900 pts
9. Owen Wright (AUS) 13900 pts
Every year a bunch of petrol head nutters head up to Pikes Peak in the USA and attempt to break the record for driving up the pass the fastest. Its a mental road which switches between tar and gravel. No safety barriers. These two shorts were shot so well and give you a good feeling of what the drivers go through and how hard this challenge is...
HRE Wheels sponsored drivers Rhys Millen and Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima give their rundown on what it is going to take to break the 10 minute barrier up at PPIHC 2011.
This video simply had me speechless. Walking the "tightrope" is one thing, but when you are doing it across gorges on the highest mountains on the planet, where just getting there is a life challenging experienece, it becomes something totally different. This is the world of the Highliners...
Seb says - We have been filming and sharing uniques moments together for 18 months.
It has been a great experience for me and I wanted to share some of these moments with you through a documentary.
I hope you will be inspired and send a line one day !
www.sebmontaz.com/
I seem to be watching more and more mountain biking these days - helped by the fact that films like "Life Cycles" and "Seasons" are being so well made. So here is the trailer for the new kid on the block, 3 Minute Gaps...
"3 Minute Gaps," a thrilling documentary about incredible mountain bike riders aiming to be the best. "For two years the crew of 3 MINUTE GAPS have followed the world’s best mountain bike racers around the globe documenting them as they trained, prepared, rode, ate, traveled, raced, celebrated, commiserated, and made sacrifices simply because of the weight of ambition to be the fastest. There is no truer, more accurate and intimate depiction of the hallowed worlds of the very best World Cup rider's than 3 MINUTE GAPS." www.3minutegaps.com
This past week the islands of Fiji were hit by an absolutely monster swell. A core crew of chargers from around the planet were there to charge the insane tubes on offer, including Kelly Slater, who ended up missing the Billabong Pro, in Jbay due to this surf. Some of these tubes defy description, but its those horrible wipes that really make my toes curl!
This is a pretty amazing video of Jason and his relationship with the behemoth known as Jaws. I really like the style of the edit as well as the classic voice over (Pretty sure that's the same guys as the Dirtbike movie Life Cycles.) Enjoy
Red Bull - Windsurfing world champion Jason Polakow has been on a search for the biggest, most gnarly waves until he found JAWS - which has shaped his life and become his sole obsession for the past 20 years.
Watch as Jason attacks the unbelievable waves on the North Shore of Hawaii.
LA GRANDE PLAGE, Biarritz/France (Friday, July 15, 2011) – Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, has just made ASP history as the youngest ever ASP Women’s World Champion, clinching her maiden title today at the Roxy Pro Biarritz.
“I dreamed of surfing at this level my whole life since I was a little kid and I don’t think you can ever expect or anticipate the feeling,” Moore said. “It is amazing. There is no place I would rather be right now.”
The clinching came when then-reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, dispatched of the remaining title contender Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 20, in the Semifinals of competition.
“I’m not really feeling anything right now I am just so happy,” Moore said. “It was really stressful watching that last heat and I was trying to just listen to my songs and zone out. It is kind of weird to win on the beach. I have always visualized and imagined winning the Final or a heat and coming in and winning but I’m so happy and excited. I have been thinking about this for a long time since I was a little girl and just to be here right now and being world champ is pretty crazy.”
In only her second year competing amongst the world’s best, Moore has had a stellar run, making the Finals in every event thus far and scalping three wins along the way.
“I have had this goal written on my door and it has been waiting there for a long time to be ticked off so I can’t wait to go home and cross it out,” Moore said.
2011 ASP Women’s World Tour Results:
Roxy Pro Gold Coast: WIN
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach: Runner-Up
Subaru Pro TSB Bank Women’s Surf Festival New Zealand: Runner-Up
Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic: WIN
Billabong Rio Pro: WIN
Roxy Pro Biarritz: Runner-Up
Nike US Open of Surfing: TBD
This year’s stellar run set another record for the youngster as the only ASP World Champion in history to make the Finals in every event this season, and sees Moore as the first Hawaiian ASP Women’s World Champion since Margo Oberg (HAW) in 1981.
Women's surfing has progressed mainly due to surfing like this! (Photo: ASP)
“I definitely first and foremost want to thank my little sister Cayla, thank you so much,” Moore said. “I wouldn’t be here without you. There are way too many people to thank but my Dad, he has been here every step of the way and I could not have done this without him. It is so much sweeter having him part of my team. I want to thank my sponsors Nike, Target and Red Bull I couldn’t do it without them. My family, my uncles and aunts and my grandparents.”
The next and final stop on the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title season will be the Nike US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach from August 1 – 6, 2011.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
After arriving to late on Friday to catch the round 1 action - though I did catch 3 nights of mayhem at the Music festival - it was good to catch some surfing yesterday for Round 2. As much as I have maligned him in the past, Adriano de Souza was in amazing form and if it stays small will be a serious contender for the crown. Hopefully a magical swell materializes out of nowhere, but I would not hold my breath! The latest on rounds 1 & 2 from the ASP...
JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Friday, July 15, 2011) – The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay got underway today with Round 1 completed in rippable three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at South Africa’s iconic pointbreak.
Event No. 4 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay put an end to a seven-week break in the schedule today with the world’s best putting on a high-performance surfing clinic for Round 1 of competition.
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, 2010 ASP World Runner-Up and defending event winner, was today’s star performer, netting the highest heat total of the day (a 16.87 out of a possible 20) as well as the highest single-wave score (a 9.00 out of a possible 10) en route to a Round 1 victory over last year’s event Runner-Up Adam Melling (AUS), 26, and wildcard Sean Holmes (ZAF), 33.
“Sean (Holmes) is obviously a very competent surfer at Jeffreys and Adam (Melling) was Runner-Up here last year so I definitely wasn’t taking the heat lightly,” Smith said. “They both got really good waves and I had to make do with what was left. It’s not classic J-Bay, but even when it’s like this, it’s still a pretty good wave.”
Currently ranked No. 5 on the ASP World Title rankings, Smith surfed Jeffreys Bay with unmatched comfort and power, blending solid turns with big airs.
“I don’t really feel the pressure to perform,” Smith said. “I’ve got my little program here with my friends and I’m just focusing on getting waves and surfing well. I’m happy to be through to Round 3.”
Dusty Payne (HAW), 22, into his second season amongst the elite ASP Top 34, punctuated the afternoon with a sensational performance, blasting away a fury of high-octane forehand maneuvers to dispatch Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, and Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 25, to Round 2.
“It was tricky out there this afternoon, but when the good ones come through, they’re still really rippable,” Payne said. “Fortunately, I got that good one at the beginning and that set the pace for me in the heat. Stoked to be back in Jeffreys again and hope we can get some solid surf here in the next few days.”
Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, former two-time ASP World Champion and current No. 8 on the ASP World Title Rankings, put in a blitzing performance in this morning’s clean conditions, navigating the Jeffreys Bay walls with speed, punch and bite.
“There were definitely some fun waves out there,” Fanning said. “It’s great to put the jersey back on and mix it up with the boys. Board feels good and I’m happy to be straight through to Round 3. Hope we can get some solid swell out there for the competition.”
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in his first showing at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, led the Round 1 rookie charge, posting an impressive 14.10 out of a possible 20 to best veterans Taylor Knox (USA), 40, and Damien Hobgood (USA), 31.
“It was a slow heat out there and I guess that’s how it is at J-Bay sometimes,” Wilson said. “You only get two or three opportunities to make it a good heat for yourself so you need to make sure you make the most of them. This is my first time to Jeffreys and only my third surf out there. I’ve got a really good board right now that Matt Biolis shaped specifically for J-Bay and it’s worked really well so far.”
Wilson was joined by Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, as the only rookies to advance directly into Round 3 today.
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, and Bobby Martinez (USA), 29, failed to show for today’s Round 1 of competition. Should either surfer fail to show for Round 2, they will be replaced under the new ASP ruling.
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, current leader in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, was dispatched to Round 2 today by lethal goofy-footer Kai Otton (AUS), 31. The young Brazilian will face Gabe Kling (USA), 30, when competition resumes.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via http://www.billabongpro.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.04, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6.66, Cory Lopez (USA) 6.60 Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.10, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.17, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 9.67 Heat 3: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.90, Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.00, Gabe Kling (USA) 8.13 Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.73, Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.17, Bobby Martinez (USA) 0.00 Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.87, Sean Holmes (ZAF) 14.93, Adam Melling (AUS) 14.57 Heat 6: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.77, Shaun Payne (ZAF) 7.46, Kelly Slater (USA) 0.00 Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.50, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.50, Chris Davidson (AUS) 4.73 Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.70, Owen Wright (AUS) 8.43, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 7.56 Heat 9: Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.70, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7.80, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 7.73 Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.10, Taylor Knox (USA) 10.46, Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.70 Heat 11: Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.03, Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.10, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.77 Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.66, Brett Simpson (USA) 8.87, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 7.60
Bede was caning the small waves on offer in round 2. (Photo: ASP)
JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Monday, July 18, 2011) – The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay recommenced today with the first six heats of Round 2 taking advantage of an unexpected clean pulse through the iconic pointbreak.
Event No. 4 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay plays a crucial role in both the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title as well as the requalification campaigns of the world’s best surfers before the mid-season rotation. Despite the at-times inconsistent conditions, the ASP Top 34 battled it out in sterling fashion.
Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, punctuated the day’s affairs with the highest heat total of the Round (a 15.80 out of a possible 20), lighting up the offshore-kissed righthanders with aggressive backhand surfing.
“It’s challenging out there with the inconsistency,” Buchan said. “We’re always in a tough spot when faced with less-than-stellar forecasts, and I think the guys understood that we had to get out there and battle one another. It might not be equal for all heats in a round or all rounds in a contest, but at least it’s equal between each guy in the heat.”
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, current leader in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, scored his first heat win since an emotional hometown victory in Brazil in May and looks to be recovering well from knee injury sustained during a training trip to the Maldives.
“I think with every surf I’m building momentum,” De Souza said. “I’m really happy to make this heat. I’ve been a little low during my last few surfs, but this win really builds my confidence. I’m just focusing on each heat and each event and not thinking about the title right now.”
Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, Equal 3rd finisher at Jeffreys Bay in 2010, racked up a 15.10 out of a possible 20 in a convincing win over Shaun Joubert (ZAF), 20. Joubert, who was in as a replacement for Bobby Martinez (USA), 29, exhibited some electric surfing, even putting Durbidge on the back foot at one point, but it was the powerful Australian who would eventually grab the win.
“I changed my strategy a little bit actually,” Durbidge said. “Bobby (Martinez) is a really good pointbreak surfer, he’s really strong and powerful. Shaun (Joubert) is a really good air surfer, but he hasn’t surfed at this level a whole lot so I tried to put some scores up early and put the pressure on him.”
After a slow start to the year, Durbidge has been on a roll lately and will look to maintain the form through the course of the event.
“It feels really good to get through that heat,” Durbidge said. “I haven’t had the best year so far and I was getting kind of down on myself. It was an important heat for me in terms of keeping the momentum going from Brazil.”
Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, current No. 4 on the ASP World Title rankings, was in blistering form this morning, taking down lethal wildcard Sean Holmes is a closely-fought Round 2 battle.
“It’s tricky out there today,” Burrow said. “It’s really clean, but a bit inconsistent. Sean (Holmes) is so dangerous out there. He knows the wave better than anyone and I wasn’t taking him lightly. Stoked to get through and hopefully we are able to take advantage of some swell later in the week.”
Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, who replaced Kelly Slater (USA), 39, under the new ASP ruling in today’s Round 2, surfed an intelligent heat against wildcard Shaun Payne (ZAF), 26, advancing through to Round 3 and collecting valuable ASP World Rankings points along the way.
“It’s been the weirdest week of my life,” Logie said. “I’ve been hanging around and wondering if I’m getting into the event and dealing with the rumor mill. I guess it was all worth it though. That was a huge heat for me and my campaign to get back on tour full time.”
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
When competition resumes, up first will be Damien Hobgood (USA), 32, against compatriot Taylor Knox (USA), 40, in Heat 7 of Round 2.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via http://www.billabongpro.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.33 def. Shaun Payne (ZAF) 7.30 Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.33 def. Sean Holmes (ZAF) 6.04 Heat 3: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.10 def. Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 11.06 Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.03 def. Gabe Kling (USA) 12.50 Heat 5: Owen Wright (AUS) 11.86 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.77 Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.80 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 6.50 REMAINING BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 7: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA) Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) Heat 9: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 10: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA) Heat 11: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA) Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Chris Davidson (AUS)
The world’s top 32 ranked pro surfers are either already in Jeffreys Bay or on their way to the iconic Eastern Cape coastal town where tomorrow (Thursday) the waiting period opens for the R3 million Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011, Stop No. 4 of 11 on the ASP World Tour, the series of events that determine the annual ASP World Surfing Champion.
The last minute withdrawal of Dane Reynolds, citing ongoing problems with an injury that has seen the 25 year-old Californian miss the first three events this year, has altered the seeding for Round 1 of Africa’s most prestigious surfing event with defending champion and South African surfing sensation Jordy Smith now pitted against Adam Melling (AUS) in a repeat of last year’s final where Smith clinched his maiden Elite Tour event victory.
“I’ll just take the same approach as last year,” said Smith of the upcoming match-up. “Hopefully the swell picks up a bit before we get underway and it will be a great battle.”
Scheduled for 14-24 July, the 26th edition of the Billabong Pro J-Bay will again be staged in the fabled waves at Supertubes, the 300 metre stretch of coastline universally acknowledged as one of the planet’s premier high performance point breaks.
While Reynolds’ flamboyant, cutting edge manoeuvres will be missed, the outstanding field for the event includes 10-time and reigning ASP world Champion Kelly Slater (USA), SA’s Smith, Australian former event winners Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow and current ASP No. 1 Adriano de Souza from Brazil. The established stars face an incredibly talented crop of rising stars in the likes of Owen Wright and Julian Wilson (both Australians), Michel Bourez (TAH), Alejo Muniz (BRA) and Hawaii’s Dusty Payne, all of whom will be eager to display their skills in the legendary waves of Jeffreys Bay.
Alongside Smith’s obvious credentials, the South African challenge for the Billabong Pro J-Bay title includes wildcard Sean Holmes (Cape Town). Nicknamed ‘The Nemesis’ for his extraordinary achievements in conquering the world’s best surfers at Supertubes, Holmes has reached the quarterfinals of the event on three occasions and would like nothing better to than a podium finish.
The second wildcard goes to the winner of the VonZipper Superheat, a five-man encounter held on the first day of the event featuring South African Pro Junior stars Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) and Dale Staples (St Francis Bay); international contenders Granger Larson (HAW) and reigning ASP World Junior Champion Jack Freestone (AUS), along with Shaun Payne (St Francis Bay), winner of the Xcel Pro Showdown at Supers.
The 2011 Billabong Pro Music Festival sees three days of major underground music talent running from Friday to Sunday, 15 to 17 July, at the Jolly Dolphin in Jeffreys Bay. The lineup features 14 top SA bands including Aking, City Bowl Mizers, P.H.Fat, Jack Parow and the ever-popular local Hot Wasabi band. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at any Billabong Store countrywide.
The entire event is operated using the best available ‘green’ strategies as Billabong continues its efforts to heighten awareness of local and global surf communities to the challenge of climate change, and how we all need to become part of the solution. Greening initiatives include using renewable energy, biodegradable food and beverage containers, paper instead of plastic bags and bio-diesel fuel in event vehicles where possible, alongside an event recycling program.
The estimated 384.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions generated by the event activities, including the travel by local and international participants and officials, will be reduced wherever possible. The remaining emissions will be offset using United Nations Kyoto compliant carbon credits. More about climate change and what it means to surfers can be found at www.cleanerclimate.com/billabongpro
All the action at the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011 will be covered live via webcasts on www.billbabongpro.com featuring real-time scoring, expert commentary and interviews, video footage with multiple camera angles, slow-motion replays, video on demand highlights of previous heats and online competitions with valuable prizes.
Surfline, the official surf forecasters for the Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011, predict that a contestable swell from the southwest is possible for Thursday afternoon (Thursday morning slow) and continuing Friday morning, before fading over Friday afternoon. Surf will be in the shoulder to head high range with some slightly larger sets possible.
With the entire Southern tip of Africa under the influence of an unseasonable high pressure system, warm, sunny weather and generally light northerly winds are expected. Newly appointed contest director Eric Stedman will be keen to get the opening rounds of the event underway as soon a possible so he has plenty of time to pick the best conditions for the business end of the contest.
The Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011 is proudly presented by South Africa’s adventure province Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency and further supported by Carling Black Label, Monster Energy, Coca Cola, Amarok, Vida e Caffe, Tavcor, VonZipper and Nixon.
The Billabong Pro Jbay starts it's waiting period tomorrow and the outlook is not looking great. The forecast is looking grim, with small swell and onshore North and East winds for the next week. It has been a long time since the organizers have had to surf Boneyards and other spots due to lack of waves and this will be a major disappointment after last year ran over 3 straight days with cooking Supers.
Adriano knows Jbay, but wont have the crowd behind him. (Photo: ASP)
Adriano de Souza leads the ratings going into Jbay, after what many thought was a lucky result winning the last contest in Brazil. He has done well in Jbay before and should be full of confidence, though heavy floaters are not going to win the Jbay contest. He injured himself recently and this may well lead to less than perfect surfing at Jbay.
My other guys to watch out for, especially with the small wave forecast, are as follows:
Kelly Slater - He has won more contests here than anyone and has a special relationship with the wave. Rumors are a tweeting that he may not arrive as the forecast is so bad, but we have heard this kind of thing before with Kelly and I will believe it when I see it.
Jordy Smith - The defending Champion and a man who has grown up surfing Supers. He has the crowd behind him and will be super motivated to defend his title. He has been very consistent this year and with his large bag of aerials will be a good pick if the waves are small and onshore or big and perfect.
Julian Wilson - The young gun has had a slow start to the year, but has come alive the last 2 major WQS events, winning in Portugal and making the finals in Ballito. This will have boosted his confidence and if the waves are small the kid can pull huge aerials to get the scores.
Taj Burrows - You can never discount Taj in any surf contest, but he has loads of experience at Supers and has won before. Taj always does well in Jbay and with the great start to his campaign this year he will be hungry for a win!
Mick Fanning and Joel Parko - The 2 guys from the Gold Coast have had incredible results over the years in Jbay and both are coming onto great form through the last few events. You would be a fool to leave either out of your Fantasy Surfer team.
ASP Press Release:
JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Saturday, July 9, 2011) – After nearly seven weeks since the last stop in Brazil, the ASP World Title season is poised to reignite with the upcoming Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay from July 14 – 24, 2011.
Event No. 4 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay recommences what is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing ASP World Title races in several years.
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, has had an incredible season thus far in 2011, posting back-to-back Equal 3rds before an emotional hometown victory at the last event in Brazil. The young natural-footer now sits in the leader spot in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title – the first time in history that a South American has been in this position.
“The win in Brazil was a very good feeling,” de Souza said. “To have all those people on the beach, all that energy, it was a magical moment. I’ve always worked very hard to achieve my objectives. I know that still the ASP World Title Race has many thing s to happen this year. My situation may be temporary. I believe that this moment is important for the Brazil as a whole though.”
Wasting little time during the post-Brazil break, de Souza spent his time training in Sumatra and the Maldives before a knee injury cut his time short.
“The diagnosis is a hyperextension in the right knee with contusion in a medial collateral ligament,” de Souza said. “The rehabilitation has consisted of kinesiotherapy combined with muscle strengthening. It feels much better. I’ve been surfing and it still hurts a little. I am hoping it will continue to improve until J-Bay.”
Despite reaching the Quarterfinals of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay on three separate occasions (2007, 2008, 2010), de Souza has never managed to advance through it – something he hopes to remedy this season.
“I’ve been going the J-Bay since I was a kid and I’ve always liked the place,” de Souza said. “I’ve always performed pretty well here and I hope the consistency continues this season. I believe that I must always be striving for the best result possible, but I have to think step-by-step, stage-by-stage, to be consistent and to have good performances to reach these results.”
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, winner of the second stop of 2011 at Bells Beach, currently sits in the No. 2 spot in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title. Parkinson’s April victory in Bells Beach marked the first in 18 months for the stylish natural-footer, and planted him firmly back in the race for this year’s title.
“For sure the win has been a confidence boost, but in saying that, I felt pretty confident going into Bells,” Parkinson said. “I knew at that stage that I was injury free, and that I’d been doing all the right things with my surfing and my preparation. But with the good waves we got and the whole feel of the contest on its anniversary, it was fun more than anything else.”
Parkinson’s last dance with the iconic walls of Jeffreys Bay came in 2008, where he claimed an impressive second victory at the spot (10 years after his original) and cemented his reputation as one of the great all-time surfers at the venue.
“It’s such a good flow and timing wave I reckon,” Parkinson said. “When your timing’s right out there, there’s no better feeling in the world. When a wave goes according to plan out there, it’s a better feeling than riding pretty well any other wave anywhere in the world. And for me personally, I just love being in J-Bay. I’ve got a lot of good friends there and the place has got a vibe about it like nowhere else on tour.”
Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, current No. 9 on the ASP World Title rankings, is leading the charge for the emerging European contingent on tour this season.
“My goal this year is to finish in the Top 10,” Pires said.” I feel good about my surfing and more consistent than last year, but I’ve let myself slip up during the last two events. You really need to be focused and positive in order to get a good result, but sometimes that isn’t easy to accomplish. I think it’s all part of a big learning process.”
Although stumbling in his opening two seasons at Jeffreys Bay, Pires posted a career-best Equal 9th in 2010, and will look to improve upon it in this year’s installment.
“Jeffreys Bay used to be kind of tough to me out there, but in the last few years I’ve grown more confident out there,” Pires said. “I feel very good about it now and I love the wave. I can’t wait.”
The Round 1 draw will be finalized upon the completion of the ASP Prime Mr Price Pro Ballito.
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be webcast LIVE via http://www.billabongpro.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
Its been 10 long years since the first X-Fighters was held in the glorious city of Madrid, Spain. There have been many winners in the past but who will win in 2011?
Pat Gudauskas flew under some people's radar to earn a well deserved victory at the Mr Price Pro (Photo: ASP)
The Mr Price Pro is done and dusted and what a comp it was. I was lucky enough to witness the action for the last 2 days and it was amazing. Friday saw some of the biggest tubes ever ridden in a contest and the action continued on Saturday. My standout for the event was definately John John Florence, but I have to tip my hat to Pat Gudauskas, who surfed solidly all event to end up with the win.
BALLITO, KwaZulu Natal/South Africa (Saturday, July 9, 2011) – Patrick Gudauskas, 25, (San Clemente, California, USA) kept the ASP Prime Mr Price Pro Ballito crown in the family, earning the first ASP PRIME victory of his career by defeating John John Florence, 18, (HAW) in the final at Surfers Beach today.
Just two years after his brother Tanner won the event in 2009, Gudauskas stamped the family name on the 2011 edition of the Mr Price Pro Ballito, defeating Florence by 11.84 to 8.03 (out of 20.00) rocketing from World No. 27 to World No. 15 on the ASP World Rankings.
“This is crazy! I’m so psyched right now,” Gudauskas said. “This is definitely the best event I’ve ever competed in and maybe the best one I’ve ever watched. It has been flawless for a whole week and we’re all psyched to be in Ballito.”
Stringing together a powerful combination of lip bashes and critical floaters on the tapering Ballito walls, Gudauskas took the lead with a 7.17 (out of ten) before landing a massive air-drop floater to seal his victory off just a 4.67.
“I just got lucky in the final,” Gudauskas said, “John John was the man to beat at this event and it was a tough heat. I went for turns while he was looking for barrels and I think he would have ‘smoked’ me, had he found one!”
Gudauskas’s achievement marks one for the record books, the Gudauskas brothers becoming the second pair of siblings to win Mr Price Pro after the Irons Brothers, late 3X ASP World Champion Andy and Bruce (HAW), did so in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
“It’s crazy, people were asking me about that all week and I knew it would be a difficult task to defend Tanner’s title,” Gudauskas said. “Somehow I pulled it off and the fact that Andy and Bruce did it, makes it even more special.”
John John Florence was my surfer of the event. (Photo: ASP)
Florence proved a crowd favourite as the standout barrel rider of the event. Netting the day’s highest heat score a 19.40 (out of 20.00) for a pair of cavernous ‘Backdoor’ style barrels during the quarterfinals, Florence stormed into the final where unfortunately the barrels dried up, ending the young Hawaiian’s hopes of lifting this year’s trophy.
“It was really hard, the wind came up and I was tired but I’m really stoked for Pat,” Florence said. “This morning was so fun, the waves were perfect and clean and there were a lot of barrels. I just kept getting lucky and getting into the good ones, it was a lot of fun.”
Florence’s performance comes just weeks after capturing a third place finish at the ASP PRIME in Portugal and sees the youngster move up to World No. 39 on the rankings.
“I’ve had a great run lately and I’ll be looking to do a few more contest and hopefully get a few more results.”
Jordy Smith was surfing rock solid and just lost out on a repeat Final. (Photo: ASP)
Defending champion South African Jordy Smith, 23 (Dbn, ZAF) reached the semifinals placing equal third, advancing from World No. 5 to World No. 2 on the ASP World Rankings.
“It was a bunch of fun but it’s just a pity there weren’t any waves in that heat,” Smith said. “You win some and you lose some and it’s still a great result that I will be looking to take into the next event in Jeffreys Bay.”
Suffering one of the slower heats of the day, Smith waited for the set waves and was quickly out-scored by Gudauskas. The American got to work further down the line slotting into barrel after barrel to take the lead with 5.23 and 6.33 rides.
With less than three minutes remaining, Smith had no choice but to take off on a smaller right-hander, working it for all it was worth to post a 6.33. Falling just short of the required score, the timer blew over for South Africa’s 2011 Mr Price Pro title hopes.
Julian Wilson, 22, (AUS) showed great consistency adding an equal third today, to his recent ASP Prime victory in Portugal and climbs to World No. 16 on the rankings.
Wilson was narrowly defeated by Florence in their semifinal decider that saw Florence slot into a fantastic 8.33 barrel to take an early lead. Wilson clawed his way back with fast, on-the-lip maneuvers coming ever so close to taking the lead until Florence shut him down with just a 2.87 off the final wave, to advance into the final.
“I’m definitely happy with my result,” Wilson said. “That little bit of wind came up and it was hard to come out of the barrel. John John was by far the standout of this whole contest and that was pretty much like surfing a Final. He’s the one to beat at this event for sure and I hope he goes all the way.”
Brazilian Jesse Mendes, 18, (BRA) posted the only perfect-10 ride of the day during his Quarterfinal clash against Smith. The Brazilian talent slotting into a dredging Ballito cavern disappearing for several seconds but without a second high scoring ride was relegated to an equal fifth place finish.
The Mr Price Pro Ballito enjoyed flawless waves throughout the week and will go down in South African surfing history as some of the best waves ever surfed in competition.
For more information, photos and highlights log on to www.mrpricepro.com Final Results:
1 – Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.84 2 – John John Florence (HAW) 8.03 Semifinal
SF 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.70 def. Jordy Smith(ZAF) 11.56 SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 11.20 def. Julian Wilson(AUS) 10.83 Quarterfinals:
QF 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 17.10 def. Junior Faria (BRA) 13.76 QF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.07 def. Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.73 QF 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.03 def. Heath Joske (AUS) 8.87pts QF 4: John John Florence (HAW) 19.40 def. Blake Thornton (AUS) 9.34pts
Flying out of Cape Town this morning at some ridik hour, I could hardly have expected what awaited me in the sleepy coastal town of Ballito, just north of Durban. I had literally just walked onto the beach as the whole crowd started screaming, swung my camera onto the ocean and caught, John John Florence, as he caught one of the heaviest tubes I have ever watched. It was mental! My picture below, with the ASP photogs angle below. I just wish I had got there earlier to see Jordy's heat, as he apparently got 2 of these beast tubes. Looking forward to the final day tomorrow and hopefully a repeat of Jordy's victory...
The front angle of John John Florence's amazing tube (Photo: Captain Kai)
BALLITO, KwaZulu Natal/South Africa (Friday, July 8, 2011) – The ASP Prime Mr Price Pro Ballito is set to go down in history, as Surfers Beach once again delivered flawless two-point-five-meter (8ft) barrels that had surfers calling some of the best waves ever surfed in, or out of competition.
Two rounds of 12 (non-elimination and elimination) were completed with the winners of the non- elimination round advancing directly into the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight surfers battled through the repo charge rounds for four remaining spots in this year’s competition.
Defending champion and current ASP World No. 5 Jordy Smith (Durban) showed exactly why he is a world title contender. Dusting off an old 6’4 ‘gun’ (big wave surfboard) that his dad brought down for him the day before, Smith rode two of the heaviest barrels of the day, advancing into the quarterfinals in first place.
“I knew that one wave was a pretty heavy wave and I thought either I’ll get a massive score or I’ll get a massive beat down and as it turned out I got both,” Smith said.
Smith posted the highest individual wave of the day, a 9.80 (out of ten) for a throaty, set wave barrel, bursting through the suicidal closeout section to advance in first place ahead of Kieren Perrow (AUS) and Shaun Joubert (RSA).
“We weren’t really battling each other out there, we were battling the ocean trying to find those perfect waves,” Smith said. “It is definitely difficult but when you get a good one, it is worth it. I’m stoked to advance straight into the quarterfinals but I wouldn’t have minded getting a few more 9.8’s either.”
Pipeline specialist John John Florence (HAW) was right at home in the double-overhead surf, armed with one of his tried and tested ‘Pipe’ quiver, the 18-year-old netted the day’s highest heat total of 18.43 (out of 20.00) to earn his place into the quarterfinals.
“It’s a lot like the barrels at Backdoor (right hand waves at Pipeline), it’s big and round and maybe a little bit faster and longer,” Florence said. “I came here a few years ago and it got pretty big so I brought my Pipe boards and I’m happy I did.”
Air-dropping into an enormous barrel, disappearing for several seconds, Florence emerged cleanly to post a 9.50 (out of ten) taking the win over Kai Otton (AUS) and Jano Belo (BRA).
“I was paddling back out when I saw that wave standup and I just air dropped straight into it, the waves are amazing and I cant wait to get back out there.”
ASP World No. 27 Patrick Gudauskas (USA) looked perfectly in-tune with his equipment posting a faultless performance against proven big wave surfer Kieren Perrow (AUS).
“These waves are just unbelievable, it’s one of the most enjoyable events I’ve surfed in so I’m frothing,” Gudauskas said. “I knew this wave had some juice and I’m riding a step-up designed for a more hollow, powerful wave so I’m lucky I packed it.”
Landing a critically late air-drop, Gudauskas slotted stylishly into an expansive cavern to top Perrow’s 9.27 with a 9.40 (both out of ten) and advanced into the quarterfinals where he will take on Brazil’s Junior Faria when the competition resumes.
“Kieren is one of my favourite barrel riders and when I saw his nine-point ride I was stressing,” Gudauskas said. “I knew I needed a good one and luckily I stuck that drop, the wave stood up and I came flying out.”
Junior Faria (BRA) found his feet in some of the toughest conditions of the morning, tucking into a rare double barrel opener for a 9.33, to advance into the quarterfinals ahead of Gudauskas and Jesse Mendes (BRA).
“It’s really heavy, you cant just choose any wave to get scores because you’re going to take a long time to come back, even with the skis,” Faria said. “It’s a matter of finding one good wave in thirty minutes.”
Heath Joske (AUS) completed a dream heat, riding another of the day’s standout barrels to advance with a near-perfect 9.23 ahead of Wilson (AUS) and Blake Thornton (AUS).
“The waves are absolutely pumping,” Joske said. “These are waves surfers dream of surfing! You cant ask for better conditions, its amazing.”
ASP World No. 30 Julian Wilson (AUS) could hardly contain his excitement when he laid eyes upon the ocean this morning. Holding nothing back Wilson made his way through repo charge round defeating Jano Belo (BRA) for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“I came over with 12 boards because I’m here for three weeks and I didn’t want to run out, “ Wilson said. “I think that’s why I was so excited this morning because I had the right equipment. The waves were phenomenal! I saw some of the best waves of my life this morning, I saw one that was like 8ft Kirra (Australia) so I’m so stoked I came to this event.”
Fresh off a victory in Portugal, Wilson’s new found form could see the ASP World Tour rookie prove unstoppable in Ballito tomorrow.
“I had a tough start to the year and things just feel like they are clicking together now,” Wilson said. “I’ve been putting in the hard work and trying to figure out what works and it feels like I’ve found my groove. It’s awesome confidence to take to JBay.”
Also advancing into the quarterfinals were Jesse Mendes who advanced ahead of Shaun Joubert (AUS) and Blake Thornton (AUS) who took down Kai Otton (AUS).
With another great day of surf expected tomorrow, organisers are hoping to crown the 2011 Mr Price Pro Ballito Champion by midday. The action will get underway at 08H00 and will see a Legends Exhibition featuring South African surfing icons such as Shaun Tomson, Gavin Rudolph, Jonathan Paarman and others paddle out before the final. The call will be made at 07h30.
-ends RESULTS Non-Elimination Round of 12:
Heat 1: Junior Faria (BRA) 12.83; Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.44; Jesse Mendes(BRA) 5.20pts Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.97; Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 5.03; Kieren Perrow(AUS) 4.40pts Heat 3: Heath Joske (AUS) 15.40; Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.24; Blake Thornton(AUS) 10.20 Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 18.43; Kai Otton( AUS) 15.23; Jano Belo(BRA) 2.00 Elimination Round of 12
Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.90 def Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.44 Heat 2: Jesse Mendes (BRA) 13.50 def Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 12.26 Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.53 def Jano Belo (BRA) 9.00 Heat 4: Blake Thornton (AUS) 8.37 def Kai Otton (AUS) 7.84 Upcoming Heats Quarterfinals
QF 1: Junior Faria (BRA) vs Patrick Gudauskas (USA) QF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs Jesse Mendes (BRA) QF 3: Heath Joske (AUS) vs Julian Wilson (AUS) QF 4: John John Florence (HAW) vs Blake Thornton (AUS)
Junior Faria putting it on the rail in big conditions. (Photo: ASP)
BALLITO, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (Wednesday, July 6, 2011) – Waves in excess of three-meters poured through the Surfers Beach lineup, sending surfers scrambling for their big wave boards on day three of the ASP PRIME Mr Price Pro Ballito.
As mountains of water exploded along the shallow sand bank it was the Brasilian contingent that shone the brightest, with eight out of the ten competing advancing through the round of 48 today.
Multiple ASP World Junior Champion Pablo Paulino (BRA) lead the South American charge posting the day’s highest heat score of 16.86 (out of 20.00), to advance in first place ahead of Nic Muscroft (AUS).
“The waves were really heavy out there today,” Paulino said. “I tried to stay in tune with what conditions were doing and I was lucky to find that barrel.”
Surfing off a low centre of gravity, driving plenty of power through his legs, Paulino combined flashy fins-free turns with a clean barrel ride to post the highest wave score of the day, an 8.93 (out of 10.00).
Aerial maestro and World Ranked No. 17 Gabriel Medina (BRA) earned his second convincing heat win of the event, his impressive top-to-bottom attack notching a massive 16.00 heat total that left his opponents in a combinational situation (needing two scores to beat him).
“There were no air sections out there today so I just tried to find the best waves and pack some power into my turns,” Medina said. “I think the judges were looking for commitment out there so I tried to show them that today.”
Picking off two of the biggest set waves, Medina’s risky free-surf approach was well received by both the judges and the crowd.
Junior Faria (BRA) took the third of the day’s victories for Brasil, riding just three waves to advance off a pair of six-point rides. Brandon Jackson (ZAF) finished in second place, the pair eliminating early event standout Kolohe Andino (USA) and Hodei Collazo (EUK) from the event.
Wiggolly Dantas, Jesse Mendes, Jano Belo and Messias Felix joined their fellow countrymen in the next round by advancing in second places respectively.
Tour veteran and proven big-wave surfer Kieren Perrow (AUS) opened his account with a stand-up barrel ride, lightning-snap and closeout re-entry to post an excellent 8.38 for a first place finish over Jesse Mendes (BRA), Granger Larsen (HAW) and Royden Bryson (ZAF).
“There were some really good waves out there and if you got a good one you had to make the most of it,” Perrow said. “It’s fun when it’s like this! It’s really powerful, very good for turns and there’s the odd tube ride so you really can’t ask for much more.”
ASP World No. 30 Julian Wilson (AUS) took a strategic approach to his round of 48 heat putting scores on the scoreboard early. Committing to every last maneuver, Wilson advanced in first ahead of Blake Thornton (AUS), the pair-eliminating trialist Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) from the event.
“Right before my heat I saw some waves peeling a little deeper so I went out early to make sure I could paddle all the way down to the inside and it worked out,” Wilson said. “It’s so fun having a lot of swell, there’s no hassling and its kind of victory at sea out there.”
Defending Champion Jordy Smith (Durban) dominated his round of 48 heat with just two rides. Posting a 6.17 and a 5.67 (out of ten) Smith defeated Kiron Jabour (HAW), Austin Ware (USA) and Corey Lopez (USA).
“I was looking to get a quick start and I just wanted to wait for those really good ones,” Smith said. “It’s a gamble but there are some great rides when you get them and it’s a lot of fun.”
Fellow South African Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) revealed his affinity for large surf linking together beautiful open faced carves to seal victory over second place and fellow advancing South African Sean Holmes (CT).
“We go around the world surfing one foot waves so it’s good to surf a bit of juice,” Joubert said. “I am a bit more comfortable when it’s bigger, all our waves in South Africa have some power so it’s definitely what I prefer.”
American Patrick Gudauskas rode one of the best barrels of the morning, dropping straight into a gaping tube to snatch the lead with a 7.50 and following up with a 6.33, to take the win over Wiggolly Dantas (BRA).
John John Florence (HAW) and Kai Otton (AUS) put on a show towards the end of the day exchanging great rides with Florence topping Otton 15.40 to 14.86.
The action looks set to continue tomorrow with more large surf on the way. For more information log on to www.mrpricepro.com. The next call is 07h00 tomorrow morning. Mr Price Pro Ballito ROUND OF 48 RESULTS
Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.83; Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 10.66; Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.20; Dale Staples (ZAF) 5.27 Heat 2: Junior Faria (BRA) 12.67; Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 9.20; Kolohe Andino (USA) 7.53; Hodei Collazo (EUK) 7.33 Heat 3: Pablo Paulino (BRA) 16.86; Nic Muscroft (AUS) 13.90; Glenn Hall (IRL) 10.37; Rudy Palmboom (ZAF) 9.27 Heat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.16; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 10.47; Granger Larsen (HAW) 9.17; Royden Bryson (ZAF) 4.70 Heat 5: Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 11.34; Sean Holmes (ZAF)
11.00; Jay Quinn (NZL) 6.20; Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 4.53 Heat 6: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.84; Kiron Jabour (HAW) 10.40; Austin Ware (USA) 5.27; Corey Lopez (HAW) 2.37 Heat 7: Maxime Huscenot (REU) 11.37; Brendon Gibbons (ZAF) 9.10; Stu Kennedy (AUS) 7.83; Adam Robertson (AUS) 2.33 Heat 8: Julian Wilson (ZAF) 14.16; Blake Thornton (AUS) 8.37; Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 7.60; Alain Riou (PYF) 7.00 Heat 9: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.00; Jano Belo (BRA) 8.60; David Van Zyl (ZAF) 6.03; Joan Duru (FRA) 5.80 Heat 10: Richard Christie (NZL) 13.27; Heath Joske (AUS) 12.17; William Cardoso (BRA) 9.84; Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 6.53 Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW) 15.40; Kai Otton (AUS) 14.86; Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.53; Damien HObgood (USA) 8.90 Heat 12: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 12.27; Felix Messias (BRA) 11.47; Adrian Toyon (REU) 10.33; Dave Cathels (AUS) 7.93
The good people of JBay have decided to bring the community together and support charities by making their very own Beach Babes Calendar. Local businesses and of course the local hotties got together to make the 2012 Calendar. Our man in Jbay, Troy Wells, from BooTown Media was on the project and sent us all the information. See details below, as well as some behind the scenes photos from the making of the Calendar. Troy has promised us a video soon...
Beautiful girls and a magical place.
Love those Jbay Sunrises.
The Jbay 2012 Beach Babes Calendar that captures the beautiful beach settings of Jeffreys Bay as well as local talent on each page has it's official launch on the 13th July 2011 at the Mexican Restaurant. The Launch is set to explode with a performance by Cape Town band Black South Easter, followed by DJ Mike Marshal rocking the house as well as many prizes to be won.The calendars will also be up for grabs, with an opportunity to meet the babes that feature in the calendar.There will be a cover charge, which will add to the funds raised for pet rescue. The shoot day of the calendar was on the 22nd may and saw local business and individuals come together to show or donate there skills and support. Samuel Beck Hairdressers – hair stylists, Roast Jeffreys bay – catering, Marika de Groot – Make up, The Crayon Room – Photography and to all our volunteers and girls that gave there time and support thanks.
A special thank you to our sponsor’s:
The Greek Restaurant
Funky Town Flash Packers La Caribe
Lombardini Game Farm
Ubuntu Bricks
Property SA Info
Isabeau Joubert
The Mexican Restaurant
Lift up a life – Jump start
Blood Scan Africa
Jbay Print
The waves continue to come for the Mr price Pro at Ballito. After an amazing first day, the waves were not as perfect for Day 2, but still very contestable. Sean Holmes continued his climb up the rounds and will now meet SA's top surfer, Jordy Smith, in Round 3. This could be a very interesting battle! There is a large contingent of SA surfers still in the comp and lets hope that trend continues. Day 3 has started and the swell is pulsing.
Julian Wilson shralping all comers. (Photo: ASP)
BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Tuesday, June 5, 2011) – The action continued on day two of the ASP PRIME Mr Price Pro Ballito, with the remaining 48 surfers in the round of 96 showing their class in the wind-affected waves at Surfers Beach today.
After a powerful north-easterly wind forced organisers to delay the start of competition until 10h30, the event enjoyed five hours of high performance surfing with the round of 96 completed as a new cold front moved over the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Brasilian wunderkind Gabriel Medina lived up his reputation as a future world-beater, producing the day’s standout performance by topping the scoreboard with a 16.43 (out of 20.00) to advance in first place ahead of Heathe Joske (AUS).
Scalping victory on the ASP PRIME tour in Santa Catarina, Brasil earlier this year, Medina impressed the judges with both his barrel riding skills and powerful open-faced turns, posting a 7.17 (out of 10.00) followed by the highest wave score of the day, an 8.83.
“I’m stoked to get through, I got two good rides and I’m happy for that,” Medina said.
‘Portuguese tiger’ Tiago Pires found his rhythm early in the heat and despite arriving late last night, showed no signs of jetlag casually extending his lead over his closest rival Klee Strachan (ZAF), to advance in first place with a pair of seven-point rides .
“I’ve been really stressed at contests lately so I tried to stay calm and find my rhythm out there,” Pires said. “This is a really powerful wave, and there is a lot of talent at this event so it’s going to be a very exciting next few days.”
ASP World No. 30 Julian Wilson (AUS) stamped his authority over fellow countrymen Stuart Kennedy and Mitch Coleborn, adapting to the changing conditions by replacing aerials for lighting fast top to bottom surfing that saw him advance with 14.07 to Kennedy’s 12.77.
“The wind was perfect for airs in the heat before mine but conditions changed in my heat, so I had to change my strategy,” Wilson said. “Mitch and Stuart are really good surfers so I wanted to go out there and find the best waves. I was really nervous for some reason, so it was good to wash the nerves out.”
Adam Robertson (AUS) washed away his nerves with a series of sweeping turns, finishing with a critical floater that showed impressive commitment earning him the heat win with a 7.83 (out of ten) top wave score.
Robertson advanced ahead of trialist winner and north coast talent Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) eliminating Adrian Buchan (AUS) and Kai Barger (HAW) form the event.
De Vries revealed his intimate knowledge of the North Coast, sniffing out a rare barrel before punting a massive closeout re-entry to join a total of ten South African surfers who have advanced into the round of 48.
“I think the real highlight of this event for me so far was beating my super hero Sean (Holmes) in the trials yesterday,” De Vries said. “I used to watch him take down Andy Irons (three time ASP World Champion) in Jeffreys Bay, so to beat him was just amazing.”
Brendon Gibbens (Cape Town) and David Van Zyl (Dbn) were the final two advancing surfers from South Africa today.
Gibbens showed great form to take second behind barrel master Blake Thornton (AUS) who dominated the heat from the get go, posting a 7.67 opener.
“It was round one of a Prime so it was pretty nerve-wracking,” Gibbens said. “Conditions cleaned up a little in my heat and I was stoked to make it.”
David Van Zyl earned his place into the event as the first alternate replacing Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY), whose flight was cancelled out of Tahiti yesterday.
Van Zyl advanced in second behind heat winner Matt Wilkinson (AUS), the pair eliminating Steven Sawyer (ZAF) and Nathaniel Curran (USA) from the event.
Former ASP World Junior Champion Maxime Huscenot (Reunion) unleashed a powerful series of top to bottom snaps and was rewarded with a 6.83 and 5.30 advancing in first place.
“Its really tricky today, yesterday saw amazing conditions and I think I got lucky in the beginning,” Huscenot said. “This is my first interview of the year because I’ve got second or lost during the first round every event so it feels great to win a heat and make it through.”
The afternoon saw exciting performances from Hawaii’s John Johns Florence (HAW) and Australian Davey Cathels (AUS), Florence winning his heat with 14.77 while Cathels went to town posting a 16.16 to charge into the next round.
The final 12 heats of the round of 96 were completed and with the cold front expected to bring more swell tomorrow, the event could get underway with the round of 48 in the morning. The next call will be made at 07h00 for a possible 07h30 start.
Mr Price Pro Ballito Round of 96 Results:
Heat 13: Adam Robertson (AUS) 13.66; Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 12.67; Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.87; Kai Barger (HAW) 9.96
Heat 14: Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 12.13; Alain Riou (PYF) 11.77; Tanner Gudauskas (HAW) 10.94; Tom Whittaker (AUS) 9.27
Heat 15: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.07; Stu Kennedy (AUS) 12.77; Tim Boal (FRA) 11.14; Mitchell Coleborn (AUS) 8.10
Heat 16: Blake Thornton (AUS) 13.17; Brendon Gibbens (RSA)10.84; Marc Lacomare (FRA) 6.67; Jadson Andre (BRA) 3.97
Heat 17: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.43; Heath Joske (AUS) 16.43; Jack Freestone (AUS) 11.67; Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 6.76
Heat 18: Joan Duru (FRA) 13.23;Richard Christie (NZL) 12.96;Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.67; Tomas Hermes (BRA) 9.03
Heat 19: William Cardosa (BRA) 12.76; Jano Belo (BRA) 10.34; Richard Santos (BRA) 6.50; Travis Logie (ZAF)6.30
Heat 20: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.77; David Van Zyl (ZAF) 10.43; Steven Sawyer (Z AF) 8.10; Nathaniel Curran (USA) 3.47
Heat 21: Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.94; Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 10.07; Klee Strachan (ZAF) 10.00; Dylan Graves (PRI) 4.13
Heat 22: John John Florence (HAW) 14.77; Felix Messias (BRA) 10.13; Alejo Muniz (BRA) 9.84; Pedro Henrique (BRA) 6.90
Heat 23: Davey Cathels (AUS) 16.16; Kai Otton (AUS) 15.50; Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.70; Jean De Silva (BRA) 2.26
Heat 24: Adrian Toyon (REU) 13.26; Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.66; Shaun Cansdell (AUS) 9.40; Nat Young (USA) 8.77
