Billabong Pro Jefferies Bay - The Preview

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

Mr Price Pro - Day 3 - Brazilians Throw Down

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

Mr Price Pro - Day 1 - Tubes galore at Ballito

The young Kohole Andino racked up the contest's first 10 point ride. (Photo: ASP)

BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Monday, June 4, 2011) – The ocean delivered for the opening day of competition at the ASP PRIME Mr Price Pro Ballito producing flawless barrels, two perfect 10-point rides and 10 broken surfboards at Surfers Beach, Ballito on Monday July 4, 2011.
The light northwest winds (offshore) and a two to two-and-a-half meter (6-8ft) swell held for most of the day that saw twelve heats of the Round of 96 completed, in what surfers were calling some of the best waves ever surfed on the ASP PRIME Tour.
Seventeen-year old Kolohe Andino (USA) proved master of the tube, riding deep inside a spectacular barrel to score the first PERFECT 10 of the event.
“I’m on such high right now,” Andino said, “These are some of the best waves I’ve surfed in my life!”
Sitting deeper and taking off later than any of his opponents, Andino opened up with an excellent 8.27 (out of ten) before dropping into an enormous ocean cavern, navigating through two wide sections, to come screaming out earning a perfect 10- point ride that had the crowd cheering in disbelief.
“That wave was amazing,” Andino said. “I wasn’t sure if I would make it out but I made that first section, pumped hard and made the second one. That wave was so good I was freaking out. I cannot believe I made it!”
Arriving from California on Friday evening, Andino was the first in and last out at Surfers Beach all weekend. Surfing everything from clean two-meter barrels to stormy four-meter wave faces, Andino’s commitment was duly rewarded with his victory win over fellow advancing surfer Patrick Gudauskas (USA).


Corey Lopez (USA) showed off his backhand barrel riding skills on a throaty wind affected wave, dropping straight into a four second barrel to earn the second perfect 10-point ride of the day.
“I was lucky to get that wave,” Lopez said. “It was big and gnarly, the first part was nice and open but then it got all foamy and I couldn’t see in front of me. I just closed my eyes, held my rail and came out! “
Returning to Ballito for the first time in 15 years, Lopez sailed into the next round with 14.97 (out of 20.00) ahead of second place and fellow advancing surfer Sebastian Zietz (Haw).
“It’s such a beautiful place with a great little beach community and today was some of the best waves I’ve seen on tour all year,” Lopez said. “It’s great to have waves like this at a contest.”
ASP World Title No. 12 Josh Kerr (AUS) jumped straight off an international flight into the surf, with less than four hours sleep Kerr produced an almost faultless performance to advance with an 18.43 (out of 20.00) ahead of South African surfer Brandon Jackson (ZAF).
“I was pretty excited for that heat,” Kerr said. “I had a fun free surf up the beach and then was just watching going ‘are you kidding me it’s pumping!’ I was just excited to get out there and rack up some really good scores.”
Proven big wave surfer and a well-respected member of the world’s elite 34, Kieren Perrow (AUS) showed class in the solid conditions, posting an excellent 8.70 for his double barrel ride to advance in first place over Nic Muscroft (AUS).
“As always there’s a lot of luck involved but everyone had a chance to get a good wave out there today,” Perrow said. “I got in late last night and it was amazing to wake up to perfect barrels this morning, these are some of the best waves I’ve surfed at a PRIME event in a long time.”
The South African surfers faired exceptionally well against their out-of-town opponents, with seven out of the nine surfers competing advancing into the next round.
Defending champion and current ASP World No. 5 Jordy Smith (Durban) made his intentions known in the deteriorating afternoon conditions holding off Brasilian Thiago Camaroa and Hawaiian Tonino Benson, to advance in first along with trialist Sean Holmes (Cape Town), who advanced in second.
“I knew conditions would change from the minute I arrived. Ballito seems to do that in the afternoon so I was just glad to make my heat,” Smith said. “I watched some incredible heats this morning, there was some inspiring surfing and it was good to see so many South African’s go through.”
2010 ASP Africa Champion Shaun Joubert emerged to of a seesaw battle against Hawaii’s Kiron Jabour. Joubert using the afternoon’s wind-affected waves to his advantage, by completing one of the only front side aerials of the day, to win the heat with 12.03 (out of 20.00).
As the tide turned it was American Austin Ware who picked off one of the biggest set waves of the day. Throwing himself into a wave that could have been compared to Backdoor Pipeline, Ware stalled for a perfect set-up and emerged cleanly to earn an 8.17 finishing in second behind heat winner Jay Quinn (NZL).
“I dropped in and the wave was so steep,” Ware said. “I just saw it opening up enough to get through and I came out, so I was pretty stoked.”
Hawaii’s Granger Larsen threw some Hawaiian might behind his open face hacks and risky closeout re-entry, securing a narrow heat win over local star Rudy Palmboom with 12.63 to 12.17 (out of 20.00).
The only Irish surfer in the event Glen Hall produced a pleasing combination of barrel rides and backhand snaps to win his heat over Royden Bryson (ZAF).
The competition was called off after heat 12 due to deteriorating conditions. The next call will be made at 06h30 for a possible 07h00 start as organisers look to make the most of the early conditions. For all the updates visit www.mrpricepro.com
MR PRICE PRO BALLITO RESULTS
Mr Price Pro Ballito Trials Results:
Heat 1: Frankie Obherholzer (ZAF) 13.50; Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 8.50; Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 7.84; Allan Johns (ZAF) 5.00
Heat 2: Sean Holmes (ZAF) 14.00; Casey Grant (ZAF) 10.30; Kyle Lane (ZAF) 8.83; Chad Du Toit (ZAF) 7.17
Final: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 13.17; Sean Holmes (ZAF) 12.33; Frankie Oberholzer (ZAF) 7.60; Casey Grant (ZAF) 4.73
Mr Price Pro Ballito Round of 96 Results:
Heat 1: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 14.16; Hodei Collazo (EUK) 9.24; Greg Emslie (ZAF) 8.26; Brett Simpson (USA) 4.24
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.43; Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 10.70; Andre Silva (BRA) 8.17; Dion Atkinson (AUS) 6.77
Heat 3: Kolohe Andino (USA) 18.27; Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.67; Billy Stairmand (NZL) 4.57; Felipe Luel (BRA) 00.00
Heat 4: Junior Faria (BRA) 10.34; Dale Staples (ZAF) 9.73; CJ Hobgood (USA) 8.93; Bernando Miranda (BRA) 6.36
Heat 5: Glenn Hall (IRL) 14.60; Royden Bryson (ZAF) 9.00; David Weare (ZAF) 8.33; Marco Fernandez (BRA) 7.57
Heat 6: Pablo Paulino (BRA) 11.17; Jesse Mendes (BRA) 6.10; Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 6.03; Eric Geiselman (USA) 2.07
Heat 7: Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.63; Rudy Palmboom (ZAF) 12.17; Gabe Kling (USA) 9.07; Jihad Khodr (BRA) 8.24
Heat 8: Kierren Perrow (AUS) 14.70; Nic Muscroft (AUS ) 13.74; Lincoln Taylor (USA)10.14; Davey Brand (ZAF) 7.57
Heat 9: Jay Quinn (NZL) 14.93; Austin Ware (USA) 13.00; Heitor Alves (BRA) 10.10; Romain Cloitre (FRA) 9.57
Heat 10: Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 12.03; Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.93; Adam Melling (AUS) 8.06; Mason Ho (HAW) 3.17
Heat 11: Cory Lopez (USA) 14.97; Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 13.06; Jeronimo Vargas (BRA) 11.30; Frederick Patacchia (HAW) 6.86
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (RSA) 11.36; Sean Holmes (ZAF) 10.06; Thiago Camarao (BRA) 8.63; Tonino Benson (HAW) 6.26
Upcoming Round of 96 Mr Price Pro Match ups:
Heat 13: Adrian Buchan (AUS); Kai Barger (HAW); Adam Robertson (AUS); Wildcard
Heat 14: Tom Whittaker (AUS); Tanner Gudauskas (HAW); Alain Riou (PYF); Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
Heat 15: Julian Wilson (AUS); Tim Boal (FRA); Stu Kennedy (AUS); Mitchel Coleborn (AUS)
Heat 16: Jadson Andre (BRA); Marc Lacomare (FRA); Blake Thornton (AUS); Brendon Gibbens (RSA)
Heat 17: Gabriel Medina (BRA); Masatoshi Ohno (JPN); Heath Josek (AUS); Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 18: Dusty Payne (HAW); Richard Christie (NZL); Joan Duru (FRA); Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 19: William Cardosa (BRA); Travis Logie (ZAF); Richard Santos (BRA); Jano Belo (BRA)
Heat 20: Matt Wilkinson (AUS); Nathaniel Curran (USA); Jonothan Gonzalez (CNY); Steven Sawyer (ZAF)
Heat 21: Tiago Pires (PRT); Aritz Aranburu (EUK); Dylan Graves (PRI); Klee Strachan (ZAF);
Heat 22: Alejo Muniz (BRA); John John Florence (HAW); Pedro Henrique (BRA); Felix Messias (BRA)
Heat 23: Yadin Nicol (AUS); Kai Otton (AUS); Davey Cathels (AUS); Jean De Silva (BRA);
Heat 24: Damien Hobgood (USA); Nat Young (USA); Shaun Cansdell (AUS); Adrian Toyon (REU)

Mr Price Pro - the Wildcards are ready for the World

Greg "Foot" Emslie will give the foreigners a tough time in his heats. (Photo: ASP)

BALLITO, Kwa-Zulu Natal / South Africa (Tuesday, June 7, 2011) – Six talented South African surfers have been granted wildcard entries into the prestigious R1.7 Million ASP PRIME Mr Price Pro Ballito from July 4-10, 2011.
Greg Emslie (East London), Davey Brand (Cape Town) and Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) will make their way into the event courtesy of Mr Price wildcards while Klee Strachan (Winklespruit), Brendon Gibbens (Cape Town) and David Weare (Durban) will take on the worlds’ best courtesy of ASP Africa wildcards.
Slotted directly into the round of 96, these six surfers will take on the event’s top seeds right from their first heat where they will be guaranteed a minimum of R5000 (US$ 750) should they bow out early and an enormous R270 000 (US$40,000) should they win the entire event!
The Mr Price Pro Ballito’s exclusive 96-man field means only the top ranked surfers on the ASP World Rankings qualify for a place in the main event, making a wildcard entry invaluable for non ASP World ranked surfers.
ASP World Tour retiree Greg Emslie, who flew the South African flag for a record nine years at the elite level, knows just how exceptional an opportunity like this one is. The powerful natural-footer (left-foot forward stance) will have the hopes of South Africa on his shoulders as the most experienced of this year’s wildcard deck.
“I can’t wait,” Emslie said. “To have the chance to compete against the top surfers in the world is always special. I feel I am surfing better and more progressive than ever now that I am retired and I look forward to taking on the internationals in a few weeks time.”
Another skilled international campaigner is David Weare. Weare competed at elite level for two years in 2006 and 2009 and although now retired from international competition, Weare remains a fierce competitor capable of causing any number of upsets at this year’s event.
“I'm super excited to have made it into this event,” Weare said. “It'll be good to see all the crew again and get to surf against them again. I'm still a competitor at heart so I'll definitely be giving it my all at this event!”
Young, up-and-coming talent Davey Brand, 18, will attract plenty of attention when he hits the water for his first heat. Captaining the South African team to the ISA Quiksilver World Games to Peru recently where he placed third in the U18 division, Brand welcomes the opportunity to put his skills to the test against some of the ASP World Title Tour surfers.
“I am so gratefully for this opportunity,” Brand said.” I’m taking it on with a nothing to loose everything to gain attitude and will give it everything I’ve got to make it as far as I can in the competition.”
A total of seven South African surfers have also qualified for the main event via their ASP World ranking. They include World No. 2 Jordy Smith (RSA), former ASP World Tour campaigner Travis Logie (Dbn), Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay), former ASP World Tour campaigner Royden Bryson (Cape Town), Brandon Jackson (Durban North), Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) and Dale Staples (St Francis Bay).
Eight South African surfers will compete in the trials for the remaining two spots into the main event. The trialists are Beyrick De Vries (Umhlanga), Chad Du Toit (Dbn), Kyle Lane (Umhlanga), Frankie Obherhozer (Scottburgh), Mathew Bromley (Cape Town), Alan Johns (Ballito), Sean Holmes (CT) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay).
The eight trialists will compete in two, four man heats with the top two from each heat advancing into a four-man final. First and second place finalists will advance into the main event.
The Mr Price Pro Ballito includes an action packed beach festival including beach entertainment; extreme sports, dedicated children’s programmes and a lifestyle and retail area provide plenty of daytime fun. The ever-popular Mr Price Pro Music concerts will take place on the evening of 8 and 9 July at Salt Rock at no cost to festivalgoers.
For more information log on to www.mrpricepro.com or like us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/mrpricepro.

Casey Grant is one noticeable surfer missing from the line up. (Photo: ZigZag)

 I have to be honest, I am very surprised not to see Casey Grant in the Wild Card comp. He came second last year to Jordy Smith and was certainly one of the stand out surfers during the event. There has been no media or comment about this, but surely one of the ASP Africa wild cards should have gone to him? Not to say any of the chosen surfers are not deserving, but last years runner up, come on! I would love to hear your thoughts on this...

King Kelly Returns for the Quik Pro

So after much deliberation and debate, the world has its answer, Kelly Slater will be returning to the World Tour for the season opener at the Quiksilver Pro. Of course they are his sponsor, so it makes sense they would want him to surf, but I cant shake the feeling that Kelly still wants another title. The man simply cannot stand seeing anyone else with what he considers his title.

The man still has it, Kelly warming up on the Goldy (Photo: ASP)

The ASP Press release:

GOLD COAST, Queensland/Australia (Wednesday, February 23, 2011) – The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover is just a few short days away from commencing and the opening event of the season will be headlined by none other than reigning 10-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 39.
The iconic natural-footer utilized the off-season to recharge in his adopted homes of Hawaii and California, working on equipment and taking advantage of the winter swell season.
“I’ve been hanging in Hawaii and getting boards sorted out in California and having down time,” Slater said. “Surfing myself out most of January was fun.”
Historically coy about his annual plans, Slater maintains that his agenda for 2011 is still undecided, but is motivated to open the season up in high-performance righthand pointbreak of Snapper Rocks.
“The waves at Snapper wake me up enough for motivation but I’d love to get another win at the Quiksilver Pro,” Slater said. “Either a great way to go out or to start another campaign! I can’t honestly answer that (my plans for the year) right now. I’ve thought about doing a farewell aloha tour and saying bye to the tour and I’ve thought about retiring after this event for real.”
The ASP Top 34 comprises the best surfers on the planet and Slater is conscious of the increased level of talent in 2011. Utilizing a variety of varying world-class venues, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast could see the world’s best contest anything from Snapper Rocks to Duranbah.
“It will depend on where the waves show up,” Slater said. “If we’re at the beach break, guys like Julian (Wilson) and Josh (Kerr) will be most dangerous. The points bring out the best tubes and carving typically, but everyone surfs well at snapper. Should be good to watch.”
Slater will face Kai Otton (AUS), 31, and one of the event wildcards in the opening round of competition.

Expect more of this from King Kelly (Photo: ASP)

 Joel Parkinson (AUS), 29, finished last season 24th in the ASP World Title rankings, following a near career-ending injury that saw the stylish natural-footer sit out the bulk of the season.
“I guess the benefit now is that I’m hungry – not only to compete, but just to surf,” Parkinson said. “That’s one of the key things with surfing on the tour, you’ve got to not only stay hungry to surf throughout a whole event, you’ve got to stay hungry over the course of a whole year. The way I’m feeling at the moment, I’m going to paddle out for my last heat of the year at Pipe even hungrier than I was when I paddled out for my first heat at Snapper. That’s how I’m feeling, that’s how hungry I am to surf right now. And the thing now is that I’ve got three kids, so it’s not like I can go surfing five times a day. I’ve got to pick and choose my windows to surf in and I have to make the most of them.”
A perennial ASP World Title contender, the Australian has yet to secure his inaugural crown despite several near misses.
“It’s a big year for me for sure.” Parkinson said. “I turn 30 pretty soon. After what’s happened over the past couple of years, after the injuries and disappointments, if I can surf every event this year at 100% fitness, I’d consider that a victory in itself. And if I can do that I’m confident I’m going to be challenging. But I don’t dwell on what’s happened to me. I’ve learned to just worry about the 30 minutes of the next heat in front of me. It doesn’t even matter who I’m surfing against, doesn’t matter what happened last year, doesn’t matter that I’m turning 30. It’s all about those next 30 minutes. Then it’s all about stringing a lot of good 30 minutes together.”
With his sights set on the 2011 ASP World Title, Parkinson is well aware of the roadblocks that exist in the form of his fellow elite campaigners.
“I think Jordy (Smith) will be a lot more mature in the way he surfs heats, just on the back of the confidence he’ll take from last year,” Smith said. “He’s an amazing surfer and he put together a really good season last year. And Mick’s surfing on the trip we just did blew me away. You can see he’s been working pretty hard on big airs and stuff the judges will really notice.”
Parkinson will battle the South American duo of Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, and Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, in Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, 2011 ASP World Title rookie, has long been touted as one of the most progressive surfers in the world and his 11th hour qualification heroics from Hawaii last winter cemented his position amongst the world’s elite this season.
“It feels really rewarding to have qualified,” Wilson said. “I’ve always had my dreams set on making the World Tour and now I’ve accomplished it. There’s only one place to be if you have a dream of chasing world titles.”
The young natural-footer from Australia’s Sunshine Coast is easing into his first full year on tour, and is excited about opening the season at Snapper Rocks.
“It’s very cliché but my goal this season is to take it one heat at a time, enjoy where I’m at and surf some amazing waves with only one other guy out,” Wilson said. “Snapper is such a fun wave and is my favourite event of the year. I grew up surfing the points at Noosa (two hours North) and even though they’re not always as good, I seem to feel at home in those kind of waves.”
Wilson will take on Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, and Heitor Alves (BRA), 28, in the opening heat of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
Dane Reynolds (USA), 25, who finished the 2010 ASP World Title season in 4th, has withdrawn from the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee as a result of an injury he had suffered in Hawaii in early December. He started rehab the week after surgery, and is expecting be back in the water sometime in mid to late March. Cory Lopez (USA), 33, will be serving as his replacement at the event.
The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will run from February 26 through March 9, 2011 and will be webcast LIVE via http://www.quiksilverpro.com
Running in conjunction with the men’s event will be Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, the opening event in the ASP Women’s World Title season.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Bobby Martinez (USA), Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), TBA
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), TBA
Heat 7: Owen Wright (AUS), Taylor Knox (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Brett Simpson (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 11: Chris Davidson (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 12: Jadson Andre (BRA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Tiago Pires (PRT)

The future of SA Surfing - the good, the bad and the ugly

Some people might wonder what the hell I am talking about here? There are more surfers than ever in SA, the shops do alright, surf lessons are booming and all in all everyone wants to be a surfer. This in itself might be the problem. The growing popularity of our lifestyle is bringing more and more people into the lineup, but at the same time these new surfers are not being groomed and taught by the older more experienced surfers in the lineup. They are not being taught the basics, the guy on your inside has priority, don't paddle around someone on your outside, if you are a kook stay away from the main peak with your mini-Malibu until you have learn't how to actually make the drop on a fast 4ft wave. Remember this point as I move on...

Want more of this?

Professional surfing in SA is on a one way ticket to the grave! I hear the choruses of, "Thats rubbish!" wafting out like the pong from the sewerage factory on the N2 as I drive by, but unfortunately my point is valid. Yes, we have Jordy Smith, the world number 2, but what comes after? We only have 3 other surfers in the World Tour top 100, Travis Logie, Lord Royden Bryson, Brandon Jackson and Dale Staples, who gets a prime seading thanks to his 3rd place in the 2010 Junior rankings. Four guys out of 100 of the top surfers in the world, is that really how good we are? The new ASP system is also designed to make it harder for surfers to crack the WCT field, so how long will it be before Jordy has support on the premier tour?

No reason this cant be a local club contest!

How do we go about changing this status quo? Logic says that like the Brazilians, Australians and Americans, who dominate the world tour, we need strong local junior tours and a very strong local tour for our surfers to learn how to compete on the world tour. We need our guys and girls to surf competitive heats as much as possible, we need them to earn money for their accomplishments and we need them to be sponsored properly so that they can afford to actually go out there and attack the world tour. Unfortunately, our local surf tour, the PST, has pretty much ceased to exist. Of the 3 major WQS competitions we had in South Africa, only one remains and we have one WCT in Jbay. This leaves South African surfers with woefully little opportunity to gain experience, points and prize money to gain enough leverage to get on tour. Our local surf brands simply don't have the money to support multiple campaigns and we desperately need to gain more corporate support for the sport. Where does this leave us?

South African surfing needs an overhaul. My solution is simple, we need to start at the bottom and work our way up. First step to getting SA surfing back on track is the rebirth of club surfing in our country. Why are the Australians dominating world surfing? Because they have the strongest Club system on the planet and this rolls through to the provincial, national and professional tours. Growing up in the Eastern Cape we had a couple of surf clubs we could join and this was the same for all the major surfing towns. I got taught by the older guys, I got abused as a grommet, earned my spot in the local line up and had a really good time throughout. Our surf history is peppered with great stories, moments and events from the inter club rivalries of the seventies and eighties. Our greatest surfers such as Sean Thompson, Martin Potter and many more grew up in the club scenes of their day. This is where they learnt to surf (Take note of the first paragraph of this commentary), grew their competitive strategies, were supported by the fellow club members and ultimately found their stride as professional surfers.

The groms need surf clubs!

This is not just a statement on my part. Myself and a couple of other concerned surfers, namely Robby MacDonald, Dutchie and our local surfers have started the process. This past Saturday we had the first West Coast Boardriders versus Llandudno Surf Club competition. Eight guys from each club surfed in heats till Royden, representing Llandudno, eventually won, with the West Coast guys taking the club win. Everyone who came had fun, everyone who came wants to do it again. The process has started. Tasha Mentasti, from Surfing SA, was there representing and backed up my feelings on this matter - without club surfing, SA professional surfing will die.

Dutchie and the boys from the West have started their club.

So here is my challenge to you all, as surfers, parents of surfers and marketing directors of brands in and out of surfing. Get together with your mates at your local beach, form a club, get hold of Tasha (Surfing South Africa) and get your local club off the ground. If you are a member of a current club that is still running, register with SSA. if you have a brand that benefits from surfing in any way, get behind your local guys and support club surfing. The goal? To create a strong and enjoyable club surfing culture in South Africa, supporting grass roots surfing and development. We can make surfing competitions fun again, while strengthening our representation in World Surfing. Get this off of the ground and I promise Llandudno Surf Club will host the reborn SA Club Surfing Champs in 2012. I guarantee it. I will make it happen if I have to spill blood to make it happen. Get involved and we can not only save surfing in SA, but we can make it better!