The Supertubes at Jeffreys Bay – among the most perfect waves in the world – meant that this year’s Billabong Pro J-Bay was a great event.
For three days, the waves poured through, the sun came out, the wind puffed from the right direction and people blowing vuvuzelas flocked to the beach.
So what if the competition was downgraded this year from a world championship tour?
Admittedly that meant we didn’t see all of the 32 best surfers in the world, but as a six-star world qualifying series event, it was open to 144 surfers from around the world, and this meant a large number of South Africans were eligible to enter.
All of which made things more interesting for the spectators as half the time they were cheering on the home side.
Adriano de Souza, who is ranked number four in the world, claimed overall victory.
The support for the local surfers was phenomenal, especially for two of the most famous Jeffreys Bay surfers, Sean Holmes and Jordy Smith.
Holmes is a multi-world champion beater in the event and is known as The Nemesis, while Jordy Smith of Camps Bay is a two-times defending champion. - Weekend Argus