JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Saturday, July 21, 2007) – Australian Taj Burrow beat eight-time Foster’s ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) to win the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay today. The victory is Burrow’s second on the 2007 Foster’s ASP World Tour and has moved him to World No. 2 on the ASP ratings."It feels amazing!” Burrow said. “I'm so stoked to have won two events. I've had so many bridesmaids over the last couple of years and to get this monkey off my back, it just feels really good!

Burrow overcame current ratings leader Mick Fanning (AUS) and World No. 5 Joel Parkinson (AUS) en route to his victory over Slater today. Burrow featured in the final at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay last year but finished 2nd. His win today is his first at the venue.

"This win is huge for me,” Burrow said. “It's one event that I've always just loved. I love coming here and I always feel comfortable. The water is the same temperature as home, the weather is pretty similar and any kind of right hander like this gets me pretty excited! It's an event that I've always wanted to do well in and it has all come together!"

Slater, who won the event in 1996, 2003 and 2005, caught 12 waves to Burrow’s four but still needed a combination of excellent scoring waves to beat Burrow. “The mind even got tired out there,” Slater said. “I was just tired, I don’t know the last time I surfed four heats in a day. In the final I was going to need a wave that scored 8.00 plus to keep in that heat and I didn’t have one. I had one in the beginning which I fell on, which might have kept me in there with a chance. I was just tired mentally and physically at that point and Taj put it together. He made me sit out in the water and wait a bit which I was kind of bummed about. But it paid off for him.”

Slater’s final berth today is his first of the 2007 season. The reigning world champion featured in five finals last year. He won the first two events of 2006 but finished runner-up in Mundaka, Spain; Lower Trestles, California and Pipeline, Hawaii. Slater peaked in the Quarterfinals when he scored 19.23 out of 20.00 possible points – the highest heat total of the event. His 9.70 and a 9.53 in that heat were the 2nd and 3rd highest wave scores of the event –only Burrow’s perfect 10.00 in Round 2 was higher. Slater has moved from 6th to 4th in the ratings with his result in Jeffreys Bay today and can now be considered a threat in the 2007 ASP World Title race.

“It looks like a few people are shaping up to be in the hunt,” Slater said. “Mick is still the runaway guy, but me and Taj gave ourselves a move here. I’d imagine both of us moved up a spot here. I definitely got myself going in a positive direction and it is just playing catch up now. I’d probably be somewhere close to Andy, so it will be a little more interesting from now on. If Mick doesn’t get his result at Trestles, I am sure that the rest of us will be looking to get something good.”

Fanning’s consistency remains unchallenged this year but he knows as well as anyone how critical it will be to maintain his current form. “I’ve had three 3rds and a 1st and a 2nd, so it’s a good start, the pressure is more on those guys who have to pick up results,” Fanning said. “I’ve just got to keep getting them."

The Foster’s 45 will now enjoy a six week break before reconvening at Lower Trestles, California in September.

Footage from the final

http://youtube.com/watch?v=quktv4hvGHQ

Final Results:

Winner			Runner up
	Taj Burrow	16.50	6.17	Kelly Slater

Semifinal results:

Going through			Knocked out
	Taj Burrow	17.67	15.17	Mick Fanning
	Kelly Slater	13.83	13.76	Dean Morisson

Quarterfinal results:

Going through			Knocked out
	Taj Burrow	17.33	16.50	Joel Parkinson
	Mick Fanning	14.93	12.34	Daniel Wills
	Dean Morisson	12.66	11.50	Andy Irons
	Kelly Slater	19.23	15.33	Adriano de Souza

Foster’s ASP World Tour Ratings after the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay:

rank	name		score
1		Mick Fanning	4,860
2		Taj Burrow	4,286
3		Andy Irons	3,921
4		Kelly Slater	3,840
5		Joel Parkinson	3,804
6		Damien Hobgood	3,599
7		Bede Durbidge	3,057
8		Daniel Wills	2,942
9		Dean Morrison	2,838
10		Travis Logie	2,810

www.aspworldtour.com