Author: AdminBallitoPro

A stellar lineup of the world’s best current and emerging surfers has been confirmed for the prestigious 2015 Ballito Pro presented by Billabong which runs from June 29 to 5 July at Willard Beach in Ballito on the KwaDukuza Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

When entries for the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 10,000 rated event closed last week more than 140 surfers from every corner of the globe had applied for a spot in the elite 96-man field for the third of only 11 events that will carry the highest QS ranking in 2015.

The lineup is headed by current QS rankings leader Jeremy Flores (FRA) who will be joined by 17 of the world’s top 32 ranked Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour (CT) competitors and seven of the top 10 on the QS in the battle for a share of the R3 million prize-purse and priceless rankings points in the spectacular mid-winter waves in Ballito.

Flores is one of 2015’s standout surfers, having posted three wins over CT stalwart Taj Burrow (AUS) along with victories over John John Florence (HAW) and Michel Bourez (PYF) this year. The 27 year-old from Reunion Island also finished runner-up in QS 10,000 rated events at Trestles in California and Saquarema in Brazil and will be determined to clinch his first event win at the Ballito Pro.

Jordy Smith, the current world No. 14 and 2010 Ballito champion, loves competing in his home surf and will employ his exciting repertoire of power turns and aerial manoeuvres as he attempts to become the first multiple winner of the event since Brad Gerlach (USA) clinched his second title in 1991 and just the fifth in the 47 year history of the world’s longest running pro surfing contest.

Tim Reyes (USA) will be back to defend his 2014 title, as will runner-up Matt Wilkinson (AUS) who at No.11 is the equal highest ranked CT surfer with dangerous rookie Italo Ferreira (BRA), who has already upset a host of the world’s best competitors this year.

Other former Ballito champions in contention again this year include Ricky Basnett from the Bluff (2006), the Gudauskas brothers, Tanner and Patrick, from America who won in 2009 and 2011 respectively and Ireland’s Glenn Hall (2012).

With Willard Beach capable of producing perfect ramps for above-the-lip moves, the likes of new-school rippers Kolohe Andino (USA), Jack Freestone and fellow Australian Matt Banting, Caio Ibelli (BRA), rising star Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) and South Africa’s Beyrick de Vries from nearby Umhlanga will all be challenging the established campaigners.

While Smith and de Vries are the only South Africans to qualify for the 96-man field on the strength of their 2014 rankings, Michael February (Kommetjie) and Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) are the next highest ranked QS locals, at Nos. 58 and 92 respectively, and have been allocated the two WSL Africa regional wildcards

The two sponsor’s wildcards selected by Billabong are Joshua Moniz (HAW) and Australian phenom Jack Robinson while the WSL wildcards, picked by newly appointed WSL QS Commissioner Travis Logie (Durban), are Evan Geiselman (USA) and Ryan Callinan (AUS).

The final two spots in the main event will go to the top finishers in the 32-man Ballito Pro Trials presented by Billabong which will be run at Willard Beach on Sunday 28 June. The lineup for the Trials will comprise the 16 next highest ranked entrants on the QS rankings, then the 12 next highest ranked South Africans plus two Billabong wildcards and two selected by Surfing South Africa (SSA), the country’s national controlling body for surfing.

The 16-strong field for the QS 1,000 rated Ballito Women’s Pro presented by Billabong, the first internationally rated women’s event to be staged in SA since 2009, is currently headed by Tanika Hoffman (Hout Bay) and Teal Hogg (Umhlanga). They will be up against veteran campaigner Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), who in 2000 became the only SA surfer, male or female, to claim the prestigious Triple Crown title in Hawaii and also earned ISA World Women’s Masters titles in 2008 and 2010.

The Ballito Women’s Pro presented by Billabong will run in conjunction with the Trials on Sunday 28 June. Entries close on 16 June.

The competitors in the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong will also be competing for valuable specialty prizes in the Monster Energy Expression Session presented by Zigzag and the Monster Energy Wave of the Week presented by Zigzag which will reward the respective winners with R20 000 and R25 000 each.

While the surfers ride the waves, the Ballito Pro Festival is set to turn up the heat in KwaDukuza by offering the best in beach, music and extreme sports entertainment. Locals and holiday-makers will be spoilt for choice with the week-long festival featuring an
extreme sports programme, the Coastal Living Bru Food & Wine Festival and an exciting retail area while Big Night Out and 5FM bring some of South Africa’s most talented music acts to the stage in Salt Rock.

The Ballito Pro presented by Billabong is proudly supported by the KwaDukuza Municipality, Billabong, 5FM, Monster Energy, Zigzag Surfing Magazine, World Surf League (WSL) and Surfing South Africa (SSA).

Surfing’s elite performers will return to KwaDukuza for a seventh successive year when the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong, a QS10,000 rated event on the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS), runs from 29 June to 5 July.

The third of nine events that carry the highest ranking on this year’s QS, the Ballito Pro offers a US $250 000 (approx. R3 million) prize-purse and an invaluable 10 000 points on the world rankings. It will feature a 96-man field of the world’s best surfers from every corner of the planet, all of whom are striving to qualify for a spot on next year’s WSL Championship Tour (CT).

“As the host and Licence holder of the Ballito Pro event, we as KwaDukuza are very pleased to take the event forward together with the World Surf League and our new partners,” said the Mayor of KwaDukuza, Cllr Ricardo Mthembu. “The Ballito Pro International Surf Festival event is a key economic and tourism driver for our region, and together with the communities of KwaDukuza we look forward to expediting yet another successful event come 28th June.”

Continuing the legacy of being the world’s longest running professional surfing event worldwide that started 46 years ago when Port Elizabeth teenager Gavin Rudolph won the Gunston 500 back in 1969, all aspects of the Ballito Pro will be bigger and better this year with the support of global apparel and equipment giant Billabong who have come onboard as presenting sponsor for the main event and the trials.

“Billabong is really excited to be the presenting sponsor of the 2015 Ballito Pro, said Billabong SA Group Marketing Manager, Chad D’Arcy. “It is such an iconic event and an integral part of the history of competitive surfing in South Africa. We’re looking forward to being part of another world class event on African shores.”

With more than a month to go until entries close, the entry list already includes a dozen CT surfers headed by current world No. 9, Jordy Smith, the 2010 event winner and 2013 runner-up, who is always happy to compete in his home surf, along with another 40 highly rated competitors from 15 countries.

“Yea I’m super excited to come back home and compete,” said Jordy from his home in California. “It’s my favourite time of year in KZN, so hopefully we get great waves!”

The event provides the local WSL Africa registered surfers with the priceless opportunity to earn prize-money and highly coveted rankings points in their home surf.

“It’s fantastic for South African surfing, KwaDukuza, Ballito and the WSL that we are able to host the biggest WSL QS event at this superb venue for the seventh year in a row,” says WSL Africa Operations Manager, Colin Fitch. “Ballito has become a truly world class surfing destination and I look forward to seeing 96 of the world’s best surfers put on an spectacular display of high performance surfing in Africa again this year.”

While the surfers ride the waves, the Ballito Pro Festival is set to turn up the heat in KwaDukuza offering the best in beach, music and extreme sports entertainment. Locals and holiday-makers will be spoilt for choice with an action packed programme planned for the week-long festival that includes: daily doses of beach soccer and volleyball, regular stage performances by local dancers, singers and performers and an exciting retail area.

In addition to this, the extreme sports programme is guaranteed to thrill with Freestyle Motocross displays by Monster Le Riche brothers; a Monster Surf Expression Session powered by Zig Zag and a Monster Beach Surf Movie Night. Crowd favourite, the Coastal Living Bru Food & Wine Festival, returns to La Montagne for a ‘flavoursome’ few nights, playing host to the artisan food market, a wine and coffee showcase and the return of the popular cooking competitions.

Music lovers won’t be disappointed either with 5FM taking over the music reigns, bringing some of South Africa’s most talented music acts to the stage with Crush Night Club after-parties continuing the celebrations late into the night.

Internationally rated women’s surfing returns to the shores of South Africa for the first time since 2008 with the announcement that the Ballito Women’s Pro presented by Billabong will be run at Willard Beach in KwaDukuza, just north of Durban, on Sunday 28 June.

This QS1000 rated event offers prize-money totalling R30 000 along with priceless points on both the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) rankings and the WSL Africa regional women’s rankings.

First run in Durban back in 1992 when the event was known as the Gunston 500, the women’s event established a proud tradition over the next 17 years with former winners including World Champions Layne Beachley, fellow Australian Stephanie Gilmore and Sofia Mulanovich (Peru).

Run once in Ballito, in 2008 when gigantic waves and inclement conditions forced the cancellation of the event with 32 women still in contention, South Africa’s top female surfers are ecstatic about the return of the Ballito Women’s Pro.

“I’m so excited to be competing in the Ballito Women’s Pro and it’s great for women’s surfing in South Africa to have a Qualifying Series event in our local waves,” said Tanika Hoffman, SA’s highest ranked QS surfer. “The event will be an excellent stepping stone for local up-and-coming girls to get valuable QS experience and points without having to travel too far!”

The organisers and sponsors are also elated to be involved in making top-class women’s surfing available again for both the local competitors and spectators.

“It’s a great privilege to be part of such a prestigious event,” said Vangie Boettger, Women’s Marketing & Team Manager for Billabong SA. “Internationally the standard of women’s surfing is at an all-time high and an event of this calibre will help raise the bar amongst the local South African contingent. We are excited to be part of an awesome team to bring back an International women’s competition to the South African shores.”

Organisers are hoping that the country’s top international competitor Bianca Buitendag (Victoria Bay) will compete in the event. Buitendag, ranked No. 11 after the opening three events on the 2015 WSL Women’s Championship Tour (CT), is currently competing in the Oi Rio Women’s Pro in Brazil.

Willard Beach will also host the Ballito Pro Trials presented by Billabong on Sunday 28 June, giving up to 32 men the chance to clinch the two coveted trials slots in the elite 96-man field who will contest the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong that starts the next day and runs until Sunday 5 July.

The field for the trials is made up of the next 16 highest placed surfers on the QS rankings who missed the cut for the 94 competitors in the R3 million, QS10000 main event. These 16 will be joined by the 12 highest ranked WSL Africa members plus two Billabong wildcards and two surfers to be selected by Surfing South Africa (SSA).

This gives local surfers an invaluable opportunity to earn rankings points that will enable them to qualify for higher rated events internationally and prize-money to help finance their travel costs. The recipients of the two trials slots are guaranteed a minimum of 550 points plus US $750 (about R9 000) in Round 1 of the main event

While the surfers ride the waves, the Ballito Pro Festival is set to turn up the heat in KwaDukuza by offering the best in beach, music and extreme sports entertainment. Locals and holiday-makers will be spoilt for choice with the week-long festival featuring an
extreme sports programme, the Coastal Living Bru Food & Wine Festival and an exciting retail area while 5FM brings some of South Africa’s most talented music acts to the stage.

The Ballito Pro presented by Billabong is proudly supported by the KwaDukuza Municipality, Billabong, 5FM, Monster Energy, Zigzag Surfing Magazine, World Surf League (WSL) and Surfing South Africa (SSA).