Anticipation Runs High Ahead of Mr Price Pro Ballito
2013/06/30
ASP World No. 11 Julian Wilson (AUS) looking forward to this year's Mr Price Pro Ballito that gets underway tomorrow. Photo: © Mr Price/ Cestari
Surfers from across the globe have descended on the wave rich KwaDukuza coastline, in preparation for the R2.5 Million ASP Prime Mr Price Pro Ballito that commences tomorrow, Monday July 1, 2013.
Surfers can look forward to highly contestable conditions for the start of the event, with clean half-to-one-meter waves on offer on Monday, building to excellent 1.5 -meter surf with light winds through Tuesday.
“We have favourable weather and wave conditions at this time and given that we are in the season for swell, expectations are running high for good waves all week long,” said Pierre Tostee from Mr Price. “This event has a long legacy of supporting professional surfing and combined with our Music Concerts and Beach Festival, it promises to be another unforgettable week here in Ballito.”
The Mr Price Pro Ballito will feature 83 international surfers including 13 of the Top 34 World Championship Tour names who will make their presence felt right from the first heat.
Among those names are World No. 4 Jordy Smith (ZAF), World No. 11 Julian Wilson, World No. 13 Filipe Toledo (BRA) and World No. 21 Kolohe Andino (AUS) and Brett Simpson (USA).
Two of South Africa’s most promising up-and-coming talents, Slade Prestwich and Dylan Lightfoot earned the final two wildcards into this year’s event by winning the ASP Africa Prime trials at New Pier in Durban on Saturday.
Prestwich will be carrying some serious momentum into this year’s event having recently being crowned the Volcom VQS Global Champion in Fiji.
“I had a really good feeling before the event, plus I had been surfing New Pier all week and my boards from Al Merrick were working well,” said a delighted Prestwich who will be staying in Ballito with fellow Red Bull athletes Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson and Kolohe Andino.
The pair will join the six ASP and Mr Price elected local surfers who earned wildcard entries this year’s event, including Greg Emlise (EL), Matt Bromley (CT), Steven Saywer (Jeffreys Bay), Chad Du Toit (Dbn), David Van Zyl (CT) and Micheal February (CT).
The Mr Price Pro Ballito Beach Festival boasts an array of impressive entertainment including the popular Free Music Concerts taking place at Salt Rock, featuring twenty bands over three days from July 4- 6, 2013.
With numerous beach sports, soccer leagues, fun days and extreme sports demonstrations including wakeskate, breakdance, parkour and BMX all on offer, this years festival offers something for the whole family.
And, if that weren’t enough, this year’s extravaganza will see the addition of a three day Food and Wine festival, aptly named Coastal Living Bru, running from July 2 to 4, enabling festival attendees to experience new tasty treats to keep their mouths watering.
The first call will be made at 07h00 with a possible 07h15 start.
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