Margaret River, Western Australia (Wednesday 17 February 09) - Surfers Point- Margaret River will come alive from 30 March to the 5 April 2009 as the Drug Aware Pro launches the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) biggest combined World Qualifying Series (WQS) event for 2009.

The men's six star 'prime rated' and the women's five star rated event is one of the most prestigious WQS events in the world and one of Australia's top three tournaments on the ASP world tour calendar.

128 men and 60 women hailing from over 24 different countries will compete for valuable ratings points and increased prize money on the ASP World Tour.

According to Event Director Mr. Tim Thirsk, this year's competition will be hotly contested. "This is an awesome opportunity for some of the world's top men and women surfers to open their 2009 campaign for their assault on the World "Dream" Tour. With total prize money on offer dramatically increased to more than AUD$270,000 in 2009, we will see the best of the best take on some of the most powerful waves in the world at Margaret River to take home the title and prime rating tour points," said Mr. Thirsk.

With the support of Healthway and WA's major event agency Eventscorp, the 2009 Drug Aware Pro will continue to highlight Western Australia's South West as a premier tourist destination and one of the best surfing locations on the planet.

Western Australian Tourism Minister Dr. Liz Constable said many visitors travel to Western Australia to enjoy its spectacular coastline and beautiful beaches. "The State Government is proud to support the Drug Aware Pro because it cements Margaret River's reputation as a world-class surfing destination and attracts worldwide media attention," said Dr Constable

A TV style live online broadcast over the seven days of the event reaching millions of viewers around the nation and the world plus the Drug Aware Pro international TV program will be shown in more than 48 countries and seen by millions of viewers.

LIVE WEBCAST @ www.drugawarepro.com