With less than 1000 points separating the worlds top 9 surfers, the upcoming Billabong/MSF Pro at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, has turned into a crucial event in this years world title race on the Association of Surfing
Professionals (ASP), World Championship Tour (WCT).
The Gold Coasts, Luke Egan, has enjoyed his most successful start to a season in his 14 year career, to head into J-Bay as the current world no.2 ranked surfer, placed just 380 points behind ratings leader Sunny Garcia (Hawaii).
The powerful goofy-footer, has been relaxing on a photo shoot in G-Land, Indonesia, following his recent victory in Fiji and is now keen to re-focus back on the competitive circuit.
Defending champion, 18-year-old Joel Parkinson, caused a major upset when he sensationally outclassed the worlds best, by surfing his way to victory as a wildcard entrant in his first visit to Jeffrey’s Bay last year.
Fellow Gold Coast surfer Mick Fanning has also be granted a wildcard, by the event co-sponsor, The Mitchell Surfing Foundation (MSF) and the red-hot junior is more than capable of causing an upset. Billabong South Africa,
have granted their wildcard to their national champion Sean Holmes, with ASP nominating Keith Malloy of California as their wildcard.
Defending women’s champion and world no.4 Melanie Redman (Yallingup, West Australia) produced a world class performance last year, to claim her inaugural WCT victory. The natural footer, will be entering along with the
worlds top 15 female surfers, including world champion Layne Beachley (Dee Why, NSW).
NSW, Central Coast surfer, Amee Donohoe, 20, has been awarded the lone women’s wildcard into the tournament. The twenty year old, dominated the Australian junior ranks winning all major titles in 1998, including the
National Title, the Australian Championship Circuit title and the Billabong Junior Series. Donohoe, has proven that she can handle point breaks and big wave venues and was named the Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing’s rookie
of the year last year.
The legendry break of Supertubes at Jeffrey’s Bay, produces some of the world’s most high performance waves and the event is one of the favourite destinations on the ASP world tour.
The field will include world champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus), sensational Taj Burrow (West Australia), current ratings leader Garcia and last year’s runner-up Ross Williams (Hawaii). Holmes will be joined by compatriots
Greg Emslie and Paul Canning, both of whom are WCT surfers, giving South Africa’s it’s strongest representation ever at this level of competition.
Heather Clark will become the first South African woman to compete in the event after qualifying for this years WCT tour.
The Billabong/MSF Pro has an 11 day waiting period for just 5 full days of competition, from June 29th to July 9th, enabling the organisers to stage the contest in all kinds of epic conditions that Supertubes is famous for.
For live footage, commentary and point scores on go to: www.billabong.com / www.billabongpro.com
For Further Information contact:
Mandy Mckinnon: mandymac@ozemail.com.au
Live action photo’s will be available daily, through pierre@tostee.com