World’s top ranked surfers in JBay for Billabong Pro
30 June 2011
The ASP is the 11-event series of events that determines surfing’s annual men’s world-champion. Scheduled for 14-24 July, the 26th edition of the continent’s most prestigious surfing event will be staged at Supertubes, the 300 metre stretch of coastline universally acknowledged as one of the planet’s top 10 high performance surf breaks.
The event is a big tourism driver in the province and also for Nelson Mandela Bay, only 40-minutes away from Jeffreys Bay. “Our main presenting sponsor is the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency and hence there is big drive from their perspective on educating the foreign and domestic tourists and media on the activities and unique attributes to the Eastern Cape province,” said Brendan Kegal, spokesperson for Billabong South Africa.
“This year we will have a dedicated ECPTA tented area where media, guests and visitors can enquire on all sorts of activities (many of which are discounted) such a wildlife safaris, bungee jumping, animal sanctuary visits, whale watching, shark cage diving. Furthermore, the fact that we have attempted to wherever possible, work with local suppliers on all event infrastructure, scaffolding, services, transport etc is a testament to our dedication to the local community.”
Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) is also lending its marketing support to the Billabong Pro through its winter campaign which encourages locals and tourists to “feel like a kid again” in a city and province defined by its winter festivities.
“Jeffreys Bay is on Nelson Mandela Bay’s doorstep. Thousands of tourists to the Billabong will pass through our city, we want to entice them to stay here and enjoy what we have on offer here, while also experiencing the diversity of the provincial tourist experiences,” said Mandlakazi Skefile, NMBT’s chief executive. “Plus there is nothing like watching surfing to make one feel like a kid again, and both Nelson Mandela Bay and Jeffreys Bay have ideal surfing spots for either watching, learning or enjoying riding the surf.
“The calibre of world-renowned surfers coming to this years event will also serve as a massive drawcard for tourists from around the country, fingers are crossed for our local defending champion Jordy Smith, and the other magnet for the Billabong is their world-class music festival.”
The stellar field for the 2011 Billabong Pro J-Bay, arguably the most talented group of surfers ever assembled, includes 10-time and reigning ASP world Champion Kelly Slater (USA); South African superstar and defending event champion, Jordy Smith; former one-time world and event champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and previous Billabong Pro J-Bay champions Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow (both Australians).
Throw in the progressive maneuvers of Dane Reynolds (USA), the precocious talents of Owen Wright (AUS), Michel Bourez (TAH) and 2010 runner-up Adam Melling (AUS), add established stars like current ASP World Tour No 1 ranked Adriano de Souza (BRA), the Hobgood twins – 2000 world champion CJ and 2009 J-Bay runner-up Damien, along with fellow American Bobby Martinez and spectacular surfing performances are guaranteed to light up the waves at Supers.
The 36 man field also includes South Africa’s ‘uber-wildcard’ Sean Holmes (Cape Town), conqueror of both Slater and the late Andy Irons (HAW) on his way to fifth place last year. Holmes’ uncanny affinity with the waves at Supertubes has wrecked the ti=le hopes of so many of the top contenders over the years.
This year sees three days of major underground music talent coinciding with the world-class surfing action. The Billabong Pro Music Festival runs Friday to Sunday, 15 to 17 July, at the Jolly Dolphin featuring a lineup of 14 top SA bands including the likes of Aking, City Bowl Mizers, P.H.Fat, Jack Parow and the ever-popular local Hot Wasabi band fronted by the legendary Steve Walsh.
The eyes of the surfing world will be firmly fixed on Jeffreys Bay from 14-24 July as hundreds of thousands of surf fans worldwide log millions of page impressions while following the fortunes of their favourite surfers.
“All in all, The Billabong Pro J-Bay attracts several hundreds of foreign surfers, media, spectators, coaches, managers and officials, who all contribute to a positive boost to the local economy and tourism industry. This is of course, on top of the unknown thousands of locals who flock from all over the country to enjoy the surfing as well as all the associated after-parties and events,” added Kegal.
All the action will be covered via webcasts on www.billbabongpro.com featuring live 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.
The Billabong Pro J-Bay 2011 is proudly presented by ECPTA and supported by Carling Black Label, Monster Energy, Coca Cola, Amarok, Vida e Caffe, Tavcor, VonZipper and Nixon.
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