WCT BILLABONG PRO _ J BAY

On this planet there are certain waves that define what kind of surfer you are. Some guys go by “Pipe specialist,” while an even more select few are referred to as “good at J-Bay.” For over four decades now, the best right-hand pointbreak in the world, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, has been one of surfing’s most defining proving grounds. Once again, it will be a momentous affair. Often sited as the turning point of the ASP World Tour season, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, has the capacity to make or break a world title run.

“Kelly’s obviously the man to beat out there,” says Taj Burrow. “At J-Bay last year he had four wins already, but things are a little bit different this year, and that makes things really interesting as we head down the back stretch of the tour.

With its wide-open, racetrack walls, and cavernous tube sections, J-Bay is an elite surfer’s dream line-up. Think of the names that have carved themselves a place on the historic walls: Shaun Tomson, Mark Occhilupo, Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson, and Taj Burrow, some of the best surfers to step on a board in the last 30 years.

During Easter week in 1964 a group of six Cape Town surfers pulled up to the dunes and rocky point of Jeffreys Bay and rode “Supertubes,” for the first time. They knew they’d found something good, but probably never imagined how good. 45 years later there’s over $340,000 in prize money at stake, but more importantly, there’s a chance to have your name etched among legends and be known as “good at J-Bay.”

World’s best surfers head for Jeffreys Bay in July 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 2011 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 2011 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.