| Mick Fanning
2001 MR PRICE PRO & RED PRO JUNIOR
QUICK FACTS
WHAT: The second annual Mr Price Pro, which last year successfully replaced the Gunston 500 as South Africas biggest surfing tournament, and the inaugural Red Pro Junior, an internationally rated contest for surfers 20 years old and younger
WHEN: Monday to Sunday, July 9 - 15, 2001
WHERE: North Beach, Durban
WHO: More than 300 of the worlds best contest surfers, including 200 international entrants. The mens field of approximately 220 will feature defending champion Taylor Knox (USA) who, along with the likes of current world number one and two, CJ Hobgood (USA) and Mark Occhilupo (Aus) and last years runner-up Armando Daltro (Brazil), will be trying to fend off the challenge of South Africans Greg Emslie (EL) and Durbanites Travis Logie (a finalist last year), Paul Canning, Simon Nicholson, Vodacom Surfing Series (VSS) champ Noel Rahme and wildcards Shaun Gossmann and Michael Roscoe.
Top seed for the womens event is current WQS ratings leader Melanie Redman (Aus) who is in outstanding form, as is Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), a former two-time bronze medalist at North Beach, who is second on the latest ratings
The Red Pro Junior will feature 64 emerging talents including Australian Adrian AceEBuchan, Jean-Jacques Billard (France), Fred Patacchia from Hawaii and South Africas top 18 year-olds, rookie pros Gossmann and Royden Bryson (EL).
FORMAT: All heats consist of four surfers with the top two advancing to the next round and the bottom two eliminated from the event until four remain to contest the final. The womens champion will be crowned on Saturday with the mens and pro juniors both decided on Sunday.
STATUS: The Mr Price Pro and Red Pro Junior are sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the Australia based world-controlling body for professional surfing.
The Mr Price Pro is a six star rated (the highest available rating) event on both the mens and womens World Qualifying Series (WQS), the global circuit of events that determines the qualifiers for the following years World Championship Tour (WCT)
The Red Pro Junior is the only grade two rated event on the Junior World Tour, making it the most lucrative regional pro junior contest in 2001
All three events are also a Grade 6 rated events on the Vodacom Surfing Series (VSS), the annual series of events that determine South Africas professional surfing champions.
The Mr Price Pro is the premier event in the 10 day Vodacom Beach Africa festival which runs from July 6 E15, 2001, on the Durban beachfront.
PRIZE-MONEY: There is a total of R1 080 000 (US $135, 000) in prize-money at stake with R800 000 going to the top 64 men, R200 000 to the top 32 women and R80 000 to the top 16 pro juniors.
SPONSORS: The Mr Price Group, South Africas leading clothing retail chain store, is the exclusive sponsor of the event
PRODUCTION: The Mr Price Pro and Red Pro Junior are produced by East Coast Promoceans CC on behalf of ASP Africa. Vodacom Surfing Series general manager Colin Fitch is the contest director
MEDIA: Media Liaison is by Lifes a Beach Communications. Paul Botha is the communications manager for the event Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
Press / Contests - Surfersvillage
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