Billabong Pro 2009 WCT Surfing Event Jeffreys Bay South Africa

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Waiting Period 9 to 19 July 2009

Foster’s ASP World Tour

World’s top 45 ranked surfers in Jeffreys Bay for Billabong Pro in July

Photo:
Kelly Slater throws some spray en route to the championship win in 2008.

Past Jeffreys Bay Champions:  

1981     Shaun Tomson (SA)                Beach Hotel Classic

1982     Greg Day (Aus)                      Country Feeling Surf Classic

1983     David Barr (USA)                    Country Feeling Surf Classic

1984    Mark Occhilupo (Aus)               Country Feeling Surf Classic

1985    No event

1986    No event

1987    Grant Myrdal (SA)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1988    Mike Burness (SA)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1989    Justin Strong (SA)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1990    Marcus Brabant (Aus)              Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1991    Luke Egan (Aus)                      Dream Sequence

1991    Pierre Tostee (SA)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1992    Seth Hulley (SA)                      Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic

1993    Munga Barry (Aus)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic (WQS)

1994    Justin Strong (SA)                   Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic (WQS)

1995    Seth Hulley (SA)                      Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic (WQS)

1995     Kelly Slater (USA)                   Billabong Challenge

1996     Shane Thorne (SA)                  Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic (WQS)        

1996     Kelly Slater (USA)                   CSI / Billabong Pro (WCT)

1997     Jevon Le Roux (SA)                 Billabong/Country Feeling Surf Classic (WQS)

1998     Munga Barry (Aus)                  Billabong /MSF Pro (WCT)

1999     Joel Parkinson (Aus)                Billabong /MSF Pro (WCT) 

2000     Jake Paterson (Aus)                 Billabong /MSF Pro (WCT)

2001     Jake Paterson Aus)                  Billabong Pro (WCT)

2002     Mick Fanning (Aus)                  Billabong Pro (WCT)

2003     Kelly Slater (USA)                   Billabong Pro (WCT)

2004     Andy Irons (Haw)                    Billabong Pro (WCT)

2005     Kelly Slater (USA)                   Billabong Pro (WCT)

2006     Kelly Slater (USA)                   Billabong Pro (WCT)

2007     Mick Fanning (Aus)                   Billabong Pro (WCT)

2008     Kelly Slater (USA)                   Billabong Pro (WCT)

 Mark Occhilupo:
Twenty-one years ago as an 18 year old ‘Occy’ redefined back hand surfing with his victory over Hans Hedeman (Haw) at J-Bay in 1984. A world class field contested the tournament including then world champion Tom Carroll (Aus), Shaun Tomson (Sth Africa) and Michael Ho (Haw). At 39 ‘Occy’ will be the oldest competitor in this year’s WCT tournament.

 Cheron Kraak:  
Regarded as the unofficial Mayoress of J-Bay, Cheron is the Billabong South Africa licensee and owner of Country Feeling. The only female senior surf industry owner operator in the world, Cheron employs more than 200 people and runs the biggest business in town.  Respected and loved by surfers and the surf industry alike, Cheron was voted Eastern Cape Woman of Distinction last year and also received the ASP International Cultural Award for 2004 in recognition of the contribution the Billabong Pro J-Bay makes to the World Tour.  Cheron started the Surf Classic in the early 1980’s and it has gone on to become the most prestigious and longest running event on the South African coastline, with 2005 seeing the 21st edition and the winner’s names representing a Who’s Who of international and South African surfing.

  The Wave:
For over forty years J-Bay has lured surfers from across the globe to the legendary break of ‘Supertubes’ and its ruler straight hollow cylinders. The multiple sections of the lengthy wave grant its deserved reputation as one of the world’s best right hand point breaks. Despite freezing winds and chilly water when the Bay becomes stacked to the horizon with corduroy-like swell lines the elements become a minor factor to surfers. The break relies on a long, curving lava reef that begins as a jagged south-facing outcrop and continues for at least a mile down the inside edge of the bay. Gaps in the reef line are supplanted by sand flow from beaches to the west, occasionally altering the character of some of the sections. From the top, J-Bay consists of Magnatubes, a peaky right and semi-left, more exposed to swell than most of the stretch, yet never linking to the major lineup, instead fizzling into a small sandy bay between it and the next section; Boneyards, a quick hollow right reef that predominates on smaller days and an occasional left, begins to close out toward the start of J-Bay's splendid premier section; Supertubes, an aptly named long slabby powerful wall, drawing larger swell energy from the upper reefs and funneling it for around 200 yards, letting the skilled surfer dictate the terms of a ride without ever seeming weak or unchallenging; Impossibles, often also aptly named, a series of shallow lava beds with long deepwater holes interrupting the wave, except during times of unusual sand buildup when the whole 150-yard section can become an extended barrel; Tubes, where the wave begins to slow and ease into the final connected section of wave; the Point, a mellow, playful wall flowing down into a final closeout across weed-softened reef and Albatross, farther across the bay, which is another piece of reef featuring a quick right. Some diehard J-Bay surfers claim that Albatross operates as the end section on rare giant days.

 Billabong Pro Live webcast:
 via www.billabongpro.com each day of the event utilizing live coverage in English and Portuguese, with the event websites in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. Various camera angles, highlights and replays, weather and scoring information, direct viewer interaction, celebrity guests, interviews and more are apart of the daily webcast program.

 Legendary South African surfer and 1977 world champion Shaun Tomson will join the commentary team that includes Contest Director Mike Parsons and the affable G.T.

On behalf of

 Billabong South Africa

Tel: 042 200 2600

Email: sean.holmes@billabong.co.za

 Distributed by:

 Life's a Beach Communications

Mobile: 082 423 1964

Email lifesabeach@mweb.co.za