Wednesday, June 20, 2012
11:15 PM | 
Posted by
Robin |
New look on the 2012 Billabong Pro in Jeffreys Bay...
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay 2012 is just around the corner and local surfers will have the opportunity to compete in the downscaled event for the first time in over a decade.This year the contest is an ASP 6-Star event, opening up the tournament to South African surfers,who will make up the bulk of the entrants. The event organizers are expecting a full house of 144 entries into the JBay contest.
Rated seventh in the world, Jordy Smith will be retuning to his favourite wave in the world, Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay, to try and get his hat-trick of wins at this event.
“I love surfing at Jeffreys Bay,” said Jordy. “I spent so much time surfing there when I was younger, and it always feels good to come back to JBay.”
Joining Jordy will fifth-ranked John John Florence, fourth-ranked Adriano de Souza, and twenty-ninth ranked surfers Damien Hobgood and Pat Gudauskas.
The South African contingent includes the legendary Frankie Oberholzer and the nemesis that is Sean Holmes, as well as surfers like Greg Emslie, Davey Weare and Warren Dean who can also totally dominate at Supers on any given day.
There is also the young crew of surfers like Dylan Lighfoot, Jack Freestone, Beyrick De Vries, Steven Sawyer and Mikey February who are all hungry for results.
The dates for the event this year are the 10th – 15th July, and the venue is Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay.
Will Sean Holmes go all the way in the new look Billabong Pro? Photo: ASP
Rated seventh in the world, Jordy Smith will be retuning to his favourite wave in the world, Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay, to try and get his hat-trick of wins at this event.
“I love surfing at Jeffreys Bay,” said Jordy. “I spent so much time surfing there when I was younger, and it always feels good to come back to JBay.”
Jordy Smith lays down the law at Supers. Photo: ASP
Joining Jordy will fifth-ranked John John Florence, fourth-ranked Adriano de Souza, and twenty-ninth ranked surfers Damien Hobgood and Pat Gudauskas.
The South African contingent includes the legendary Frankie Oberholzer and the nemesis that is Sean Holmes, as well as surfers like Greg Emslie, Davey Weare and Warren Dean who can also totally dominate at Supers on any given day.
There is also the young crew of surfers like Dylan Lighfoot, Jack Freestone, Beyrick De Vries, Steven Sawyer and Mikey February who are all hungry for results.
The dates for the event this year are the 10th – 15th July, and the venue is Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay.
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)
2010 Jordy Smith (SA) Billabong Pro (WCT)
2011 Jordy Smith (SA) 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.
We at J-Bay Surftrips cant wait for the event to start....it will be exciting as always to see the world's top surfers rip in our backyard;)
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