Sixty-eight of the top 96 surfers in the world have confirmed their entries into the ASP ‘Prime’ event, Mr Price Pro Ballito from June 30 – July 6.

This includes 11 of the top 34 competitors ranked on the elite ASP World Tour.

Competition for the prize purse of R2.7 million will be fierce.
World No nine Miguel Pupo of Brasil is the highest ranked competitor entered. Renowned for his lightening fast, above the lip prowess, Pupo is a proven QS performer with three major QS victories under his belt to date.
South Africa’s Jordy Smith weighs in as the second highest at World No 12. A former Mr Price Pro Ballito champion (2010), Smith has clinched three WCT and six QS victories to date and remains a firm favourite in Ballito.
Joining them are 2001 World Champion and tour veteran CJ Hobgood (USA) as well as WCT stalwarts World No18 Adam Melling (AUS), World No 33 Alejo Muniz (BRA) and two of the tour’s best back-handers World No 21 Adrian Buchan (AUS) and World No 26 Matt Wilkinson (AUS).
Current World No 2 on the WQS ratings Australian Matt Banting leads the field as the highest ranked QS surfer. Banting has won one 6Star on the QS this season, taking down veteran Nathan Hedge (AUS) with a pair of near perfect scores in Australia earlier this year.
Hedge comes in as the second highest rated surfer with a win at the 1Star and a second place at the 6Star in Australia this season.
Entries will remain open until June 3 when organisers expect all 90 places to be filled. ASP will award three wildcards to the highest ranked non-qualifying surfers in the region, while Mr Price will select two surfers of their choice. The sixth wildcard will go the winner of the trials held prior to commencement of competition on June 30, making up the 96-man field.
Renowned as one of the biggest beach festivals on the African continent, the Mr Price Pro Ballito is expecting approximately 100 000 fans to soak up the non-stop entertainment over the seven days.
Mr Price and the KwaDukuza municipality will present free music concerts at Salt Rock on July 3 and 4.
From July 1- 2, the event will also incorporate a Food and Wine festival, bringing mouth-watering flavours to the beach and build on the lifestyle event that proved to be so successful last year.