Mr Price Pro celebrates 40th anniversary

They say life starts at 40, and if this truly is the case then this year’s edition of the Mr Price Pro is set to be the best yet.

Founded in 1969, the event formerly known as the Gunston 500 has brought the world’s top surfers to Durban’s shores for four decades, and 2008 will be no different.

Over 200 international surfers are set to converge at New Pier Beach for the ninth edition of the Six Star Association of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Series Mr Price Pro, which kicks off from June 27 to July 6.

Marking the halfway stage on the prestigious ASP WQS (the qualifier for the top tier ASP World Tour), the Six Star rated Mr Price Pro will see tension running high as surfers contend for valuable ASP ratings points and a spot alongside the world’s Top 45 surfers at the end of the year.

The 1992 Gunston 500 Champion and 2000 ASP World Champion, Hawaiian Sunny Garcia has been granted a wildcard entry into this year’s Mr Price Pro and will be gunning for a solid result in the hope to return to top tier competition.

“I’m in training every day so I can do well on the WQS this year,” Garcia said. “It’s awesome to come back to Durban and I always look forward to surfing and hanging out with my friends here.”

Among the list of high-profile surfers, like Garcia, planning to make their mark in Durban next month are, 2006 Mr Price Pro champion Durbanite Ricky Basnett (Bluff), last year’s winner Brazilian Jihad Khodr as well as whole host of Durban’s most accomplished wave riders — ASP World Junior Champion and current world number 19 Jordy Smith, former ASP World Tour campaigner Davey Weare, former South African Champion Antonio Bortoletto and current world number 41 Travis Logie.

Former ASP World Tour campaigner and Mr Price Pro finalist Greg Emslie and current world number 35 Royden Bryson (both of East London) lead a talented field of national surfers planning to make the pilgrimage to Durban this July.

The R1,380,000 Mr Price Pro forms one of three ASP WQS events staged in Durban each year, but is unique in that it is the only such event to incorporate three individual events under one umbrella, including the only ASP Five Star Women’s WQS event in Africa.

Introduced back in 1992, the women’s division forms part of the fiercely competitive ASP Women’s WQS tour, boasting a prize money purse of R240 223 as well as valuable ASP ratings points.

South African stars such as world number 11 Rosy Hodge (East London), WQS number 19 Tammy Lee Smith (Balitto), WQS number 23 Nikita Robb and current ASP Masters World Champion Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) will join a host of international female surfers in the nationally renowned New Pier waves.

In 2001 the Mr Price Pro extended its reach even further to include many of South Africa’s best junior surfers by providing them with their very own event, the 3A rated Mr Price Pro Junior. Klee Strachan (South Coast) and Nikita Robb (East London) will defend their crowns at this year’s event.

This year sees an exciting new installment, the R20 000 Glodina Expression Session which takes place on the final two days of competition (July 5 and 6).

According to ASP Africa Operations Manager, Capetonian Colin Fitch, “The Mr Price Pro has established itself as one of the premier events on the WQS globally and is an invaluable platform for local surfers who are hoping to qualify for the ASP World Tour.”

Mr Price invites not only the world’s best surfers but beach lovers and water sport fanatics to join in the action on Durban’s Golden Mile, promising a week of thriving beach culture as well as the outdoor lifestyle which epitomises the Red and Mr Price brand.

All the action will be broadcast live on the web cast on the new look website, which also includes live video and audio clips, up-to-date scoring, results, interviews, images, profiles and more.