The Jesus Pro Am presented by Bible Society and Coastalwatch will celebrate its 25th year in style when it returns to the iconic Manly Beach on May 2 and 3.

The Christian Surfers Australia (CSA) run event is shrouded in history with previous winners including current ASP World Tour surfers Phil McDonald and Amee Donohoe, big wave charger Mark Matthews and old school rippers Simon Law, Rob Page and Matt Cattle.

The Jesus Pro Am always attracts a strong line up of surfers across the 4 divisions and 2009 should be no exception with serious cash and prizes on the line set to attract NSW’s best male and female surfers.

The Open Men’s and Women’s winners will both walk away with $1000 cash with a 7-day Line Up surf trip to Samoa exclusively for the Men and a luxurious weekend away to Salamander Shores Resort at Salamander Bay for the Women.

The Cadet Boys and Girls will battle it out for their share in $500 cash along with a Misfit Shapes Surfboard for the Boys and MG Surfboard for the Girls division winner.

But the action won’t stop with the regulation contest heats, with 12 of the best surfers in the event being handpicked to take to the skies in the Invitational Air Show. The 20 minute extravaganza will see surfers go all out in their quest to land the most innovative aerial maneuver to take home $500 cash!

While the surfing is certain to be red hot all weekend, the Jesus Pro Am is no ordinary surfing contest. It is a major outreach tool aimed at connecting elite surfers and the wider surfing community with CSA and ultimately the Gospel of Jesus.

“Christian Surfers’ major goal is to be a Christian presence and witness in the Australian surfing community” said Christian Surfers’ Central NSW Regional Coordinator Al Westbury. “The Jesus Pro Am is a major outreach tool for elite surfers – surfers who are focused on competition and who aren’t generally connected with Christian Surfers missions along the coast.”

“Our major aim is to run a professional surfing event that engages elite surfers into continuing contact with Christian Surfers’ missions & ultimately local churches,” continued Westbury.

The ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 moved closer to its business today as Guincho’s consistent beachbreak delivered some excellent three foot (one meter) waves allowing organisers to wrap up Round 3 and six heats of Round 4, event outsiders creating major upsets for an exciting day of world class surfing. While current ASP Top 45 surfers Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT) and Michael Picon (Capbreton, FRA) suffered early eliminations, ASP WQS rising campaigners stole the show to advance through to the first Man-on-man heats of the event planned to kick off tomorrow at Carcavelos, main location of the Estoril Quiksilver Pro.

Marco Giorgi (URY), 21, flew the South American colours today, the newcomer dominating Day 3 of the Estoril Quiksilver Pro 2009 with exceptional surfing. Giorgi, who placed equal 5th in the recent ASP WQS 4-Star event in France, was unstoppable throughout the day netting an near perfect 9.83 point ride (out of a possible 10) on his way to Round 5.

“I have been having a great time so far in Europe, in or out of the water,” Giorgi said. “The waves were great all day and I am just trying to stay calm. It seems like things are definitely going my way and to get such high scores is definitely a great boost for my confidence before I get to surf my second Man-on-man heat ever.”

Giorgi, whose trip to Europe has been successful so far, will be a serious threat to his next opponent and ASP WQS No. 9 Gony Zubizarreta (Vigo, ESP) when competition resumes possibly tomorrow.

“I feel like I have nothing to lose and everything is bonus from now on,” Giorgi said. “I am just starting my WQS career so I am not expecting any huge result but I will take that one and try and go further of course. I am so stoked to finish the day on top when there is such a high level.”

Several big performances were displayed in the clean sometimes exceptional conditions breaking at Guincho. The incoming tide made the set-up close to perfect giving any surfer the chance to express his skills.

Other South American performer Alejo Muniz (BRA), 19, struck again with his impressive progressive surfing and breath-taking attacks, the rising star showing rare talent to take control of his Round 4 battle easily. Muniz, who secured a 9.00 point ride (out of a possible 10) and a 9.60 point score earlier in the day, showed he could flare in the conditions suiting his surfing and finishes the day with a new favourite status.

“It was such a fun day and I am so happy to keep things up this way before surfing in Round 5,” Muniz said. “I just had fun today and tried to show what I could do on my surfboard. Getting these scores is definitely another good step for me in this event.”

Muniz, who is considered one of surfing’s best rising talents by many, will now meet with other young man and promising talent from France Vincent Duvignac (Mimizan, FRA), 22, in Heat 6 of Round 5.