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ASP Africa surfs wave of success

South African surfing has been making waves in recent times, with the country's leading wave artists spinning magic on surf breaks all around the world. The sport is in a healthy state, both competitively and financially.

Jordy Smith's 2007 World Qualifying Series title, which he won with a record-setting points' total, is proof of the quality in South African surfing. This year, Smith will be one of four South Africans - the others are Travis Logie, Royden Bryson and Ricky Basnett - on the elite World Championship Tour.

Emphasising the healthy financial state of surfing, ASP Africa has announced that more than R2.5-million in prize-money will be on offer for surfers competing in the Tour's eight sanctioned events to be staged in South Africa during 2008.

2008 schedule
The local branch of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) recently published the 2008 ASP Africa schedule of events. Featuring four contests for Pro Juniors (20-and-under), three for men, and one for women, the events run from March to September, with the first seven scheduled for New Pier on Dairy Beach in Durban and the last event at Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape.

"2008 is shaping up as the best ASP Africa season since the inception of the circuit in 1988," says ASP Africa operations manager Colin Fitch.

"I'd really like to thank all those who support professional surfing in this region, from the sponsors through the event organisers and their staff, to ASP International, the media and, particularly, all our members."

Easter
The 2008 ASP Africa season kicks off at Easter - 21 to 23 March - with the inaugural edition of the Oakley Pro Junior. The grade two-rated, $10 000 (approximately R79 000) contest forms part of the six-event Oakley International Series, with stops in Australia, USA, Brazil, France and Japan.

Bali will host the final of the series in October, with the top two finishers from each stop on the six-event schedule settle to battle it out for the grand prize.

Next up, on 11 and 12 April, is another new addition to the calendar, the Quiksilver Pro Junior presented by Virgin Mobile in association with Resolution, which is also a grade two-rated contest for under-20 surfers, with R79 000 at stake.

Six-star event
This leads into the US$135 000 (over R1-million) Quiksilver Pro Durban presented by Virgin Mobile in association with Resolution, which runs from 13 to 20 April.

The second edition of the six-star prime-rated World Qualifying Series (WQS) event will attract many of the world's best surfers and has a massive 3 000 ratings points at stake for the winner. The quality field is restricted to 144 competitors.

The good news for local surfers is that the Quiksilver Pro Durban Trials on 13 April will include a minimum of 50% ASP Africa members competing for eight slots in the main event.

May sees the holding of the men and pro juniors in action in the Lizzard Nando's Surf Pro presented by The Weekend Witness.

The one-star WQS and grade one pro junior events offer a combined total of over R110 000 in prize-money and invaluable ratings points on the WQS and ASP Africa ranking lists.

Mr Price Pro
Next on the agenda are the Trials and the six-star men's and five-star women's events in the Mr Price Pro that run from 29 June to 6 July.

Inaugurated in 2000, after taking over the mantle from the Gunston 500 as one of the world's longest running professional surfing events, the Mr Price Pro ensures that the world's best surfers will be competing in Durban during July for the 40th consecutive year.

The season wraps up with the grade one Billabong Pro Junior International from 18 to 21 September at the Point in Jeffreys Bay.

Coveted invitations
The event, combined with the results of the Oakley, Quiksilver and Lizzard/Nando's events, will decide the 2008 ASP Africa Pro Junior champion, along with the five coveted local invitations to the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships in Australia in January 2009.

Jordy Smith and Rudy Palmboom Jnr were crowned the 2007 ASP Africa Men's and Pro Junior champions at the SA Surfing Awards in Durban in February.

ASP Africa is still seeking a second rated women's event so that a 2008 champion can be crowned in the rapidly growing female surfing category.

2008 ASP AFRICA CALENDAR