Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay may have called a lay day for the opening day of the waiting period, but between requalification campaigns, ASP World Title races, free surfs and format decisions, there is plenty going on around the event site today.

“We’ve called Billabong Pro J-Bay competition off for the day and we’re on hold until 10:30am for a possible 11am start for the VonZipper Trials,” Mike Parsons, Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Contest Director, said. “We’re expecting some swell late Sunday and Monday/Tuesday look promising. At present, the competition format is still undecided. We’ll be back tomorrow morning at 7am to assess the conditions.

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay has the option to run either the traditional or new competition formats, as well as utilize the overlapping heats tem for either. Event organizers will determine which format they will use in accordance with the conditions.

Surfline, official surf foreer for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, are calling for the current SW groundswell to dissipate throughout the day before a smaller scale WSW to SW swell settles in over the coming days.

Regardless of the conditions, the world’s best surfers have got their respective game faces on as they prepare two do battle at Jeffreys.

Two wildcards have been awarded to Shaun Holmes (ZAF), 31, and Ryan Payne (ZAF), 26, with the remaining three wildcards decided through the 12-man VonZipper Trials.

Luke Stedman (AUS), 32, has pulled out of his fifth consecutive ASP Dream Tour event due to injury, and will be once again replaced by current ASP World No. 18, Jay Thompson (AUS), 26. Gabe Kling (USA), 28, and Adrian Buchan (AUS), 26, have also withdrawn from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay due to injury – both will be replaced by surfers from the VonZipper Trials.

The waiting period for the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay starts today, Thursday, July 9, 2009, and runs through July 19, 2009.

Event organizers will meet tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be featured LIVE via www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Tim Boal (FRA), Michael Picon (FRA)
Heat 2: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Jay Thompson (AUS), Nathaniel Curran (USA)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Dean Morrison (AUS), Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Chris Ward (USA), TBA
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Dustin Barca (HAW), TBA
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), TBA
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), TBA
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA), Dayyan Neve (AUS), TBA
Heat 11: Damien Hobgood (USA), Heitor Alves (BRA), Greg Emslie (ZAF)
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Chris Davidson (AUS), David Weare (ZAF)
Heat 13: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Aritz Aranburu (EUK), Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 14: Taylor Knox (USA), Jihad Khodr (BRA), Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 15: Mick Campbell (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS), Dane Reynolds (USA), Drew Courtney (AUS)