Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will go down as one of the finest in history, with the two final days of competition enjoying pumping surf and amazing performances, culminating in today’s exciting finale.
Parkinson wasted no time in the 40-minute Final, smashing an excellent 9.47 out of a possible 10 on his opening wave. The wave exhibited the Australian’s unparalleled mastery of the Jeffreys Bay lineup, a symphony of beautiful forehand arcs and committed barrel riding, taking off from “Boneyards” section at the top of the point and riding well over 200 metres to the eruption of crowds on the beach.
“I knew the waves were dying down towards the end of the day and it was going to be important to get on the board early in Final,” Parkinson said. “I’ve been sitting up the point at Boneyards for most of the event and trying to find the ones that would run all the way down the point – that one was no different. As I stood up I had a really nice line on it and I tried to make the most of it. Turned out to be a crucial part of the heat.”

Today’s win comes 10 years after Parkinson’s inaugural victory at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, last ascending the winner’s dais in 1999 when he competed as a wildcard.
“Wow – 10 years seems to go by really fast,” Parkinson said. “I’ve enjoyed coming here every year since that first one, and it’s been a pretty incredible trip since then. To bring it together 10 years down the track, it’s a pretty special feeling and all I can say is that it’s a fantastic event and I’ll be coming here as long as I can.”
Parkinson proved to be the form surfer, collecting two ’Perfect 10s’ (Round 3, and Semifinals) as well as several 9-point plus rides as he deftly advanced through five heats of battle. This victory marks the phenomenal natural-footer’s third ASP Dream Tour win this year alone, strengthening his position as frontrunner in the race for the ASP World Title.

Unfortunately for Damien Hobgood, inconsistency plagued the back half of his Final clash with the Floridian unable to find a rhythm in the challenging conditions. However, today’s Runner-Up finish marks a second such result at the venue for Hobgood (the other to Slater in 2003), an impressive feat for a goofy-footer at the famed ’right handed’ break.?

“It’s an honor to come here every year,” Hobgood said. “The place is magical and it’s just so beautiful. It’s easy to get distracted by how beautiful it looks when waves are coming down the point. Joel (Parkinson) opened up with that really good wave and at that point, the only thing I could do was pray for an 8-footer to come through. It’s not an easy wave for goofy-footer’s to excel at, but I feel really fortunate to finish in the Final. It’s a great result for me.”
Hobgood’s route to the Final was no easy feat, navigating through a bevy of in-form surfers: Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, in Round 3, Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, in the Semifinals. Today’s result bolts Hobgood from 10th to 5th on the ASP World Tour ratings, putting him in excellent position to contest the back half of the season.