Monday, July 5, 2010
3:29 AM | 
Posted by
Robin |
World’s best surfers head for Jeffreys Bay in July 2010 as Billabong Pro goes green!!!
The world’s top 45 ranked professional surfers will be heading for the renowned waves of Jeffreys Bay in July for the 24th edition of the Billabong Pro, Stop No.5 of 10 on the 2010 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour and the first South African surfing event to make a concerted effort to reduce its impact on climate change.
Supertubes, the 300 meter stretch of coastline universally acknowledged as one of the planet’s top 10 high performance surf breaks, will again be the venue for what has become Africa’s most prestigious and lucrative surfing tournament.
Scheduled for 15-25 July, the 11-day window period allows organizers to select the best possible conditions to guarantee spectacular action during the three days of competition required to determine the champion.
Billabong is taking another step on its environmental sustainability journey by utilizing the immense interest in the event to heighten awareness of local and global surf communities to the challenge of climate change, and how we all need to become part of the solution
"At the 2010 Billabong Pro it’s not just the waves at Supers that will be green, we will be making sure our event is too,” says Peter Nicholson, Marketing Manager for Billabong South Africa. “Together with our partners Cleaner Climate we’ve calculated our carbon footprint and have identified and implemented numerous green initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the event.”
These initiatives include using renewable energy, biodegradable food and beverage containers and paper not plastic bags along with waste and wetsuit recycling. The remaining emissions will be offset using Kyoto compliant carbon credits to ensure that the 2010 Billabong Pro is a low carbon, climate friendly event.
“I always look forward to J-Bay,” Parkinson said recently. “There is such a good vibe surrounding the contest and on our lay days we can enjoy so many different activities. You never get bored in South Africa and when Supers is on, there is no other place I would rather be in July!”
All the action will be covered via web casts featuring live scoring, video footage with multiple camera angles, slow-motion replays, video on demand highlights of previous heats and interviews accompanied by a choice of expert commentary in English, Spanish. Portuguese and French.
The eyes of the surfing world will be firmly fixed on Jeffreys Bay from 15-25 July as hundreds of thousands of surf fans worldwide log millions of page impressions while following the fortunes of their favorite surfers on www.billabongpro.com around the clock.
For those attending the Billabong Pro there is also the legendary party atmosphere in J-Bay throughout the event. The details of the live music shows and other entertainment functions are currently being compiled. Watch this space.
Compiled by:
Life's a Beach Communications
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)
2009 Joel Parkinson (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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