JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Monday, July 13, 2009) – The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will commence this morning at 7:30am in clean three-to-five (1.5 metre) surf at South Africa’s iconic pointbreak.

Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay has seen the ASP Top 45 survive through four consecutive lay days, but today’s improved conditions will have the world’s best surfers in the water.

“We’ve got the ning of what could turn into a really good day of waves out there this morning and we’ll be getting underway at 7:30am,” Mike Parsons, Billabong Pro Contest Director, said. “Recent swell projections have prompted us to activate the new competition format so we can make the most of the conditions on offer, but we will not be running the dual-heat tem today.”

The new ASP competition format will see man-on-man, elimination heats from the outset of competition this morning, resulting in a day of dramatic match-ups.

First up this morning with be 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie Tim Boal (FRA), 26, up against compatriot Michael Picon (FRA), 30.

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be web LIVE via www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay can also be followed via your mobile phone. Anyone with a 3G or GPRS enabled phone can log onto asptogo.com from their mobile browser. Content is updated real time as per the web – event status, results, live scores, news, photos and video highlights along with ASP World Tour ratings tables.

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BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Tim Boal (FRA) vs. Michael Picon (FRA)
Heat 2: Jay Thompson (AUS) vs. Nathaniel Curran (USA)
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 5: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 6: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Torrey Meister (HAW)
Heat 7: Dustin Barca (HAW) vs. Sean Holmes (ZAF)
Heat 8: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) vs. Ryan Payne (ZAF)
Heat 9: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Devyn Mattheys (ZAF)
Heat 10: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Heath Joske (AUS)
Heat 11: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Greg Emslie (ZAF)
Heat 12: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. David Weare (ZAF)
Heat 13: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 14: Jihad Khodr (BRA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 15: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Drew Courtney (AUS)

BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 2: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. TBA
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBA
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBA
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 6: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 7: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 10: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 11: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBA
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 14: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 15: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 16: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. TBA

original story from ASP

JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Thursday, July 9, 2009) – A lay day has been called for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, with only small two-to-three foot (1 metre) surf coming in through the fabled pointbreak.

Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay may have called a lay day for the opening day of the waiting period, but between requalification campaigns, ASP World Title races, free surfs and format decisions, there is plenty going on around the event site today.

“We’ve called Billabong Pro J-Bay competition off for the day and we’re on hold until 10:30am for a possible 11am start for the VonZipper Trials,” Mike Parsons, Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Contest Director, said. “We’re expecting some swell late Sunday and Monday/Tuesday look promising. At present, the competition format is still undecided. We’ll be back tomorrow morning at 7am to assess the conditions.

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay has the option to run either the traditional or new competition formats, as well as utilize the overlapping heats tem for either. Event organizers will determine which format they will use in accordance with the conditions.

Surfline, official surf foreer for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, are calling for the current SW groundswell to dissipate throughout the day before a smaller scale WSW to SW swell settles in over the coming days.

Regardless of the conditions, the world’s best surfers have got their respective game faces on as they prepare two do battle at Jeffreys.

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BALLITO, KwaZulu-Natal – South Africa’s hopes of crowning a 2009 Mr Price Pro Ballito champion lie firmly in the hands of three talented KwaZulu- Natal South Coast surfers, all of whom advanced into the final 16 surfers during the ASP WQS 6-Star event this morning.

Gavin Roberts (Scottburgh), ASP WQS campaigner Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) and former ASP South African Pro Junior Champion Klee Strachan (Winkelspruit) are the last remaining South African surfers in this year’s ASP WQS 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito and will fly the flag high, as they take on some of the world’s finest over the weekend.

Netting their collective best ever results at both the Mr Price Pro Ballito and on the ASP WQS tour, the three surfers have proven sensational in everything from powerful three meter (8-10ft) barrels to punchy one meter (3ft) beach break conditions seen at this event, holding equal ninth place positions as they advance into the Round of 16.

Roberts continued his relaxed, yet polished form during his Round of 24 match-up, earning just enough to advance in second place behind today’s top scorer Alejo Muniz (BRA) 15.33 (out of 20.00).

Roberts’ powerful turns off one of the last waves of the heat were awarded with a 7.67 (out of 10), the South Coaster edging out Jean da Silva (Bra) thanks to Alejo Muniz, who pulled off one of the last good waves of the heat allowing the South African the opportunity to solidify his second place with a heat score of 13.20 (out of 20.00).

“There’s no pressure on me, every heat is like a free surf and it seems to be working so I’m going to keep on doing it and hopefully make the final,” said Roberts. This is the furthest I have made it at the Mr Price Pro and it’s the most points I’ve ever got in a WQS event before. It’s kind of funny after doing the tour for three years, I finally quit and now I’m getting more points than ever!”

Palmboom and Strachan took a similarly relaxed approach to their heats, the pair of youngsters advancing convincingly in first place.

Palmboom opened up strong with a 6.33 (out of 10.00) on his first wave and then backed it up on a running left to score a 7.17 (out of 10.00), taking a convincing heat win over one of Australia’s finest young surfers Matt Wilkinson (Aus) and yesterday’s standout William Cardosa (Bra).

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