9 June 2006

With just four weeks until the six-star World Qualifying Series Mister Price Pro at Durban's North Beach, Australia has rocked the entry list with a record 72 surfers entered into next month's event.

Rated alongside the US as a surfing superpower, the Aussie contingent have made their presence felt a month early and are just five competitors short of the South African entry, which has weighed in with a healthy 77 competitors.

Six Aussie winners
Looking back at the 37-year history of this event, formerly known as the Gunston 500, Australia have triumphed six times, with winners including former world champion Mark Occhilupo (1985), one of the world's most renowned power surfers Gary Elkerton (1993) , and four-times world champion Mark Richards (1979-1982).

Last year's most improved surfer, world number 32 Phil MacDonald (Canberra, Aus) currently heads up the Australian contingent and is accompanied, by world number 29 Nathan Hedge (Brisbane, Aus).

The South African contingent follows in the highly accomplished footsteps of World Championship Tour (WCT) veteran and current world number 14, Greg Emslie (East London).

Two excellent results
Emslie has previously posted two excellent results at the event, finishing fifth in 2000 and third in 2003. He is joined by fellow WCT competitors Travis Logie (Durban) and David Weare (Durban).

Logie made his mark at the Mr Price Pro in 2000, when he finished equal-third and was the first South African to reach the finals since Shaun Tomson's six-year reign (1973-1978).

North America has posted 36 entries so far, but due to the WCT event in Mexico, none of their WCT Surfers have entered.

European challenge
Europe's entries currently stand at 24, and include world number 32 Mikey Picon (Capbreton, France). Picon is France's sole representative on the WCT and, with endorsements from seven-times World Champion Kelly Slater, is set to inspire a nation of WCT competitors from the European continent.

In total, 170 men and 50 women have entered the R1-Million event, which stands as the richest surfing competition (open to all surfers), on the African continent.

The Mr Price Pro takes place from 30 June to 9 July and includes a Mens, Womens and Pro Junior Divisions.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

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