World’s top 45 ranked surfers in Jeffreys Bay for Billabong Pro NOW

All of the world's top 45 ranked professional surfers will be in Jeffreys Bay from 11-22 July for the R2.1 million Billabong Pro, the only stop on the African continent for the Foster's ASP World Tour, the 10-event series of events that determines surfing's annual men's world champion.

The 23rd edition of the country's most prestigious and lucrative surfing event will showcase the spectacular surfing of multiple world champions Kelly Slater (USA) and Andy Irons (Haw), defending champion and runner-up Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow (both Australians), who share the ASP ratings lead after the first two events of 2007, and former champions Joel Parkinson (1999) and the evergreen Mark Occhilupo (1984).

Amongst the stellar cast of experienced campaigners and red-hot newcomers will be four South Africans with Ricky Basnett (Bluff) and Royden Bryson (East London) joining veteran Greg Emslie (EL) and Travis Logie (Durban) amongst the elite ASP top 45 ranked surfers on the 2007 world tour.

And who knows how the phenomenally talented Jordy Smith will fare this year? The 19 year-old Durbanite secured the best finish in the event by a South African when he reached the semi-finals in his debut appearance last year but is now vastly more experienced and is currently rated second on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS).

It doesn't stop there as another six of SA's best surfers are included in the field for the Von Zipper Wildcard Trials. They will take on six international rising stars with the top performers earning coveted wildcards into the Billabong Pro where they get to strut their stuff on the world stage against the top seeds in the first round.

The 2007 event has been extended to 12 days to enable organisers to select the best possible conditions at Supertubes, considered the planet's premier high performance point break, for the four days of competition required to determine the champion.

While the hordes of spectators will be joined by the eyes of the surfing world on the live webcast in watching their heroes going ballistic for cash and points in the fabled waves of Supertubes, those in attendance will also be able party the night away to the sounds of the country's best live music acts at the three-day J-Bay Music Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, 12-14 July.

Add scores of the world's A-list surf media, a dozen international TV crews including MTV, Fox and Fuel and webcasts on www.billabongpro.com that provide live video, scoring and commentary in four languages and the 2007 Billabong Pro J-Bay will be the centre of the surfing universe from 11-22 July this year.

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