Crisp, winter conditions greeted surfers with 1.0 meter swell and a steady land breeze which is expected to pick up throughout the morning.
World number six Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS); Melanie Bartels (HAW) and a very nervous Heather Clark (Port Shepstone, ZAF) were the first heat in the water, struggling to find a solid face on the high tide.
Four heats of the women�s round of twelve will be surfed before the women�s quarterfinals are scheduled to start just after 09h00. The Men�s round of 24 takes to the water at 10h50 followed by the women�s semi finals at around 13h30.
The girls Mr Price Pro Junior final takes place as a curtain raiser to the main women�s final at 14h20, featuring the first and second place finishers from last weekend�s semi-final. They are Lailani Gryde (HAW); Karina Petroni (USA); Tammy Lee Smith (DBN, ZAF) and Rosanne Hodge (EL, ZAF).
The winner of the Mr Price Pro women�s six star World Qualifying Series event will receive a check for R24 000 ($4000) and will be stamped in the history books alongside past champions which include Australian Serena Brook (2004, 2003) Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich (2002) and Brazilian Jacqueline Silva (2001).
The Mr Price Pro is a six star rated World Qualifying Series event with R1 Million rand in prize money. Over 250 of the worlds elite surfing professionals are competing at North Beach, in the greatest surfing and beach festival on the African continent.
The Mr Price Pro is the anchor event of the ten day Vodacom Beach Africa Festival.
The Mr Price Pro/ East Coast Radio music concerts continue tonight (Saturday) with eight live bands rocking the Durban beach front.
Bruce Irons Age: 26 From: Kauai, Hawaii
Greg Emslie Age: 28 From: East London, South Africa
