The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay no longer exists as we know it. Will Julian Wilson show up for this in 2012, even if it's not a World Tour event? Photo: ASP/Kirstin
On Friday, February 24, 2012 The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay was pronounced dead at the young age of 15. The murder was committed in an executive boardroom involving Billabong (and possibly of the ASP). The cause of death is cited by Billabong as being related to a need to “identify cost savings throughout the business.”
Joel Parkinson, a friend, long-time lover, and champion of Jeffreys Bay’s iconic lines, lamented the loss of one of the ASP World Tour’s best events. As a Billabong employee himself, Joel told STAB magazine: “I mean, it’s the best event, and one I really love going to. It’s sad, really – we don’t get to have a World Tour event at what I think is the best pointbreak in the world. I think everyone’ll be pretty pissed-off that it’s canned.”
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay is survived by the likes of Snapper Rocks, Bells Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Cloudbreak, Teahupoo, Trestles, Supertubos, Steamer Lane, and Pipeline—except for Pipeline and Steamer Lane, all her descendants are less consistent than Jeffreys Bay during her running period.
The Jeffreys Bay event became known for her consistency to provide incredible, challenging surf in colder conditions over the years as an ASP World Tour event. And her average swell size was tops on the Tour in the month of her running period (see the chart below). It is also yet to be determined whether her contemporary Cloudbreak event, which is rumored to be in a coma before things even started, will suffer the same fate as J-Bay.
Simply put, The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay’s anchored the Tour year in and year out for 15 enlightening seasons. She provided the stage for epic battles between Andy Irons and Kelly Slater, the classic lines of Tom Curren, an emotional inaugural Tour victory for fellow South African Jordy Smith, and a mind-surfing spank-bank for regularfooters the world over.
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be ultimately survived by an event of the same name but not of ASP World Tour status. That event’s status will be a 6-star, which means the Kellys, the Tajs, and the Parkos of the world may not be in attendance for surf fans to witness. The surf world laments the loss of one of the most iconic ASP World Tour events in history.
The question now remains, how can the “Dream Tour” go on without her?
ASP World Tour Breaks Consistency Ratings:
- Snapper Rocks (Feb-March): 80-83% with avg. 6-7ft at 9sec
- Bells Beach (April): 85% with avg. 7ft at 12sec
- Rio De Janeiro (May): 91% with avg. 7ft at 10sec
- Cloudbreak (June): 90% with avg. 6ft at 11sec
J-Bay (July): 97% with avg. 12ft at 12sec- Teahupoo (Aug): 96% with avg. 7ft at 11sec
- Trestles (Sept): 49% with avg. 3ft at 14sec
- Supertubos (Sept-Oct): 81-91% with avg. at 10-11sec
- Steamer Lane (Nov): 98% with avg. 7ft at 12sec
- Pipeline (Dec): 98% with avg. 11ft at 12sec
*Statistics available through Magicseaweed.com
