Big names expected for Pro
Some of the top surfers will come down to Ballito for the qualifying series event.
This week the entries close for all the top surfers wanting to compete in the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong.
Besides all the entertainment that will be happening around the festival, there will be some big names in this town come the week of June 28 to July 5.
Top entry so far is Jeremy Flores from France, who is currently sitting in first place on the World Qualifying Series (WQS) rankings and Ballito’s beach breaks are a familiar playground for the Frenchman.
Second ranked Alex Ribeiro from Brazil has entered, along with fellow countrymen Alejo Muniz, Jadson Andre and Caio Ibelli. As proven in previous world tour events, the Brazilian surfers perform really well in sand bottom beach breaks like Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Previous event winners like Glen Hall from Ireland, American brothers Pat and Tanner Gudauskas and of course SA’s Jordy Smith will also be expected to add some flair to Ballito’s waters.
Last year, Tim Reyes from California, USA was crowned as the winner and Ballito will most probably see the 32-year-old back in action this year.
More younger guys have been making a name for themselves on the ‘QS and spectators will be treated with the radical performances of Jack Freestone (AUS), Ricardo Christie (NZ), Torrey Meister (HAW), Mason Ho (HAW) and Keanu Asing (HAW). When it comes to the South African contingent, everyone will be holding thumbs to have as many local names in the line-up as possible.
On the ‘QS rankings, Michael Febraury from Cape Town is in the best position at 58 and Umhlanga’s Beyrick de Vries is on 63.
Further down the list SA’s Dale Staples, Dylan Lightfoot and Slade Prestwich will hopefully score a spot in the Pro event.
The Ballito Pro is one of the World Surf League’s (WSL) WQS events. About 36 WQS events take place during the course of the year.
The WQS is contested by any surfer who wants to earn a spot on the World Championship Tour (WCT) and if you are one of the top 32 surfers on the ‘CT, then you have pretty much arrived.
The Ballito Pro is a big deal when it comes to points, as the winner will walk away with 10 000 points, hence the event’s status as a QS10 000.
Only 96 surfers will compete in the Ballito Pro and although any surfer can enter, the 96 will be chosen according to their WQS rankings.
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