Billabong Pro

ASP WCT Mens Event
Supertubes, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
12 – 22 July 2006

Live Webcast  |  Scores/Results/Photos/Videos etc

VZ Wildcard Trials gives SA surfers chance to compete in Billabong Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 July, 2006 : - - Von Zipper Sunglasses will again sponsor the VZ Wildcard Trials that determine the recipients of the three wildcards who join the world’s top 45 rated surfers in the 2006 Billabong Pro World Championship Tour (WCT) event at Jeffreys Bay in starting on Wednesday 12 July.

The 12 trialists are made up of six South Africans who have been nominated by Von Zipper and six international rising stars, most of whom will be competing at Jeffreys Bay for the first time.

“We’re elated at being able to give SA’s top surfers the chance to get some big match practice against the world’s best at Supertubes,” explains Von Zipper marketing manager David Allan, adding “It’s an invaluable opportunity for the SA surfing community to shine on the world stage.”

The VZ Wildcard Trials will be staged on the first day of competition for the Billabong Pro, which is scheduled to run from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 22 July. The 11 day waiting period enables contest director Mike Parsons (California) to choose the best possible conditions for running the event, which requires four full contest days to decide the winner. 

The format for this year’s trials sees three 25 minute heats of four surfers with just the winner of each heat receiving a coveted wildcard that will enable him to test his mettle against the world’s best in the legendary waves of Supertubes. Each of the heats will include two locals and two internationals.

The six VZ nominated SA trialists include Durbanites Warwick ‘Wok’ Wright, Jordy Smith and Shane Thorne along with J-Bay locals Sean Holmes and brothers Ryan and Shaun Payne (St Francis Bay). 

Wright, the 2002 ISA world junior champ, Smith, who won the 2003 ISA U16 world champ Jordy Smith and Shaun Payne are all campaigning on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) this year where they are currently ranked 36th, 76th and 101st respectively.

Thorne is the reigning ASP Africa Pro Surf Tour (PST) champion and the 1996 winner of the J-Bay event when it was still a WQS event while Ryan Payne and Holmes are acknowledged standouts at the event venue of ‘Supertubes’, with Holmes considered one of the world tour’s most dangerous wildcards after eliminating three-time world champion Andy Irons (Hawaii) from the Billabong Pro in both 2002 and 2003.

The SA contingent will be up against the likes of event debutants Wade Goodall (Aus), Sterling Spencer (USA), Laurie Towner (Aus), the current leader of the Australian Pro Junior series, and 2005 ASP world junior champ Pablo Paulino from Brazil. Previous trialists James Wood (Aus), the 2004 ISA U18 champ, and Tiago Pires (Port), winner of a 6 star rated WQS event, complete a formidable international line-up. 

The three VZ wildcard recipients stand to earn a minimum of USA $4 000 (approx R28 000) and invaluable experience even if they are eliminated in round two of the Billabong Pro. Under the WCT format the winners of round one heats progress directly to round three while those finishing second or third in the three-man opening round heats are reseeded into round two. There they get another chance to qualify for the third round by winning a man-on-man encounter.

In the event of one or more of the top 45 withdrawing from the Billabong Pro due to illness or injury, the highest scoring second place getter in the three VZ Wildcard Trials heats will take his place. 

All the action from the Billabong Pro will be streamed live on the Internet during the event at www.billabongpro.com through webcasts that are being touted as the best ever produced for surfing events. These productions include multiple camera angles, live commentary in four languages, live scoring, replays of rides, a fan club and email messages from around the planet broadcast over the event PA system and via the web.

The Billabong Pro is the sixth of 11 events on the 2006 Foster’s men’s ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the global circuit of events that determines the annual world surfing champion. The event offers US $280 000 (approximately R2 million) in total prize-money, of which $30 000 (approx. R210 000) goes to the winner, making it the most prestigious and certainly the most lucrative surfing tournament to be staged on the African continent annually.

The Von Zipper Wildcard Trials and the Billabong Pro are proudly supported by South African Airways; Von Zipper; Kustom; Kouga Municipality; True Technologies; Blackfoot Productions; Dirk Ellis Motors; Canon; Telkom SA; Bonaqua; Malibu

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay can be viewed live on the Internet with commentary in four languages English, Spanish, Portuguese and French at www.billabongpro.com and www.aspworldtour.com during the waiting period from 12-22 July

Fosters ASP Mens World Tour Ratings After Leading Into the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay

1. Kelly Slater (USA) 4233 points
2. Andy Irons (HAW) 4140 points
3. Bobby Martinez (USA) 40008 points
4. Taj Burrow (AUS) 3650 points
4. Taylor Knox (USA) 3650 points
6. Damien Hobgood (USA) 3542 points
7. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3052 points
8. CJ Hobgood (USA) 2896 points
9. Bruce Irons (HAW) 2884 points

www.billabongpro.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Surf & music extravaganza at Billabong Pro J-Bay in July
# 2 : Billabong Pro J-Bay next stop on ASP Men's World Tour
# 3 : Irons/Slater ratings battle resumes with Billabong Pro
# 4 : Coming soon  

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Life's a Beach Communications
lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Simon Barratt
sbarratt@billabong.com.au

Mandy McKinnon (Australia)
mandy.mckinnon@bigpond.com

ASP Media: Wayne Dart
darty@aspworldtour.com

Images: Pierre Tostee
tostee@tostee.com

Karen Wilson
karenw@tostee.com

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