GEORGE NEWS - After massive surf and wild winds put the brakes on the 2009 women’s edition of the Mr Price Pro Ballito, South Africa’s female surf stars are eager to return to KwaDukuza to contest the 6A rated Surfing South Africa Pro Surf Tour event - and the local sensation, Bianca Buitendag, is tipped to be one of the hot favourites.

The Mr Price Pro Women’s event which kicks off in Ballito on Friday boasts the biggest prize purse for the women on South African soil: R40 000 of which R12 000 is awarded to the winner, as well as valuable PST ratings points.
South Africa’s longest standing ASP World Tour campaigner and multiple SA Champion Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) will return to competition for the first time since her motorcar accident last year. The powerful goofy footer, renowned as one of the legends of SA surfing is a true inspiration and her performance at this year’s Mr Price Pro Ballito will be one not to be missed.

"I am really looking forward to competing in it and it’s brilliant that Mr Price is putting so much behind the Pro Surf Tour. I should be fit and ready to take on South Africa’s best girls," said Clark.
Crowning world champions since the women’s division was first introduced to the Gunston 500 back in 1992 with former winners including 7X ASP World Champion Layne Beachley (Aus), former ASP World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) and two times reigning ASP World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (Aus), the Women’s Mr Price Pro Ballito carries a proud tradition that promises to showcase professional women’s surfing at its best.

Favourites for the 2010 title include Stacey Guy (Cape Town), Chantelle Rautenbach (Cape Town), Heidi Palmboom (Durban), Tanika Hoffman (Cape Town), Bianca Buitenbag (George) and Sarah Baum (Durban) who will all reveal the depth of talent in South African women’s surfing. For more information. go to www.mrpricepro.com.