Cape Town - Jeffrey’s Bay is to lose R20-million in tourism income because its annual Billabong Pro surfing contest is off after a quarter of a century.
The event’s key sponsor, surf and skatewear brand Billabong, has withdrawn its funding as it faces financial trouble and is up for sale.
“Billabong has been the major sponsor of this event for over 25 years. There have been various other sponsors over the years, but they have only contributed a small percentage of the total cost of the event. Meetings were held with various stakeholders, but ultimately it came down to a lack of adequate funding to successfully host the event this year,” Billabong Pro marketing director Chad D’Arcy said on Tuesday.
In a message earlier on the Stab We Like to Surf website, he said the town would lose R15m-20m in revenue.
The annual contest featured about 32 of the country’s top surfers including juniors. There were also four wildcard entries at times including surfers from abroad.
Spokesman Craig Jarvis said the event could have been saved this year if there were government funding.
“But that is unlikely to happen,” he said.
“(It) is a huge disappointment for the local community and (for) surfing.”
The Australian newspaper reported that Billabong, which was worth $439m (R3.9 billion), was on the verge of being sold. - Cape Times