It’s back! It’s back! Photo: Joe Curren
The Samsung Galaxy Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour returns to South Africa’s Jeffrey’s Bay after a two-year absence from one of the world’s most highly regarded right-hand point breaks.
Again an elite ASP WCT venue, Jeffrey’s Bay has been a favorite tour stop for the world’s best surfers and its fans since its inception in 1996.
Utilizing a 12-day waiting period running from July 10-21, the J-Bay Open is the sixth of eleven tour stops on the 2014 ASP Men’s WCT schedule.
Former event champions in the 2014 J-Bay Open field include Jordy Smith (2011 and 2010), Joel Parkinson (2009 and 1999), inaugural event winner Kelly Slater (2008, 2005, 2003, and 1996), Taj Burrow (2007), Mick Fanning (2006 and 2002), and Adriano de Souza (although Adriano’s J-Bay event win came in 2012 as a 6-star event).
To see what the wave is capable of (in case you had forgotten), and how to score well on it, check out these highlights:
Strong, left-foot forward contenders for a maiden J-Bay Open victory include an on-fire Michel Bourez, Bede Durbidge with his calculated, mistake-free methodology to heat management, Julian Wilson with his progressive, technically complete surfing approach, as well as the highly talented and long-overdue-to-CT-prominence, Adam Melling.
Current top-20 goofy foot surfers with their backs against the wall at J-Bay are looking to break natural-footer domination. This group includes Gabriel Medina, Nat Young, Owen Wright, Miguel Pupo, Freddy Patacchia, and C.J. Hobgood.
Current long-range forecast models indicate a strong but fading swell for Day 1 of the waiting period on Thursday July 10th, providing waves in the head to a couple feet overhead range. The remainder of the waiting period looks less encouraging at this time; however, the area is capable of quickly producing swell from storms currently not projected.
2014 JBU Supertrials winner Dylan Lightfoot will join the ASP Men’s WCT Top 34 surfers competing at the 2014 J-Bay Open.
All the live and on demand action can be viewed here.
