PASTA POINT, Chaaya Island/Dhonveli Maldives (Thursday, October 29, 2009) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Oxbow World Longboard Tour Maldives event today crowned two champions – Harley Ingeby (Australia) as the 2009 ASP World Longboard Champion and Kai Sallas (Hawaii) as the inaugural Oxbow Maldives event champion.

Sallas (Oahu, Hawaii) won the event, surfing clean three feet (1 metre) surf at Pasta Point, defeating Australasia’s Harley Ingelby in a high-scoring Final that saw Sallas take the win with a combined two-wave tally of 15.65 to Ingelby on 14.00.

Ingeby’s second placing in today’s final event on the two-event 2009 ASP World Longboard Tour secured him the ASP World Longboard Title.

“I’m so stoked to win this event,” Sallas said. “The waves have been super fun all week and to beat Harley in the final capped off a perfect week for me. “I started well with 7.65 on my first ride and felt confident that I could back that ride up and take the win, Ingelby came at me hard in the final few minutes but my best ride was my final one and it’s great to win and actually beat the current world champion as well!”

read more at aspworldtour.com

Santa Cruz Surfboards is proud to announce the launch of its new website at santacruzsurfboards.com.

The new website provides surfers with all the information they need on the latest Santa Cruz Surfboards, Cruzer skateboards, apparel, team and more. Santacruzsurfboards.com also uses the Shopatron ecommerce system where consumers can buy products online to be fulfilled by various Santa Cruz Surfboards retailers.

Site visitors will enjoy a constantly updated blog, watch videos and enter to win new product every month. A detailed explanation of Santa Cruz’s new ProFlex EPX technology that is available on the Ozzie Wright, Matt Archbold, Christian Fletcher, & Shawn “Barney” Barron pro models can be found in the tech section.

Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, director of marketing and sales for Santa Cruz Surfboards has this to say “Our new site allows us to present SANTA CRUZ in the detail that the  surfboards deserve! The surfboard line is super tight and graphically fits into Santa Cruz Skateboards history! It’s never looked so good”.

Santa Cruz team rider “Ozzie Wright” had this to say about the site “Epic site dudes! Love it!! Cheers, Ozzy” Visit santacruzsurfboards.com for all the latest Santa Cruz news and happenings, and check back regularly for product, team, & event news.

(Thursday 22nd October, 2009): AN international cast of surfers were literally on “Cloud 9” today with Typhoon Lupit whipping up epic 1.5-2 metre (6ft plus) waves for the opening day of the Billabong Cloud 9 Invitational at Siargao Island in the Philippines.

The famed right-hander lived up to its hype, severing up a smorgasbord of hollow, tubing waves, as contest organisers opted to run round one heats before completing four sudden-death round two heats to close out the day.

Excellent scores were the norm as surfers from Australia, Bali, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines pushed their tube riding skills to the limit, weaving deeper and deeper through the bellies of cavernous waves in a tussle for important round three berths.

Hawaiian hotshot Jamie O’Brien fired a warning shot to his fellow rivals switch footing his way through a Cloud 9 keg to post the event’s first perfect 10-point ride.

The former pipeline master, who arrived at the out-of-the-way break only a few hours before his opening round heat, showed no signs of jetlag, netting a combined two-wave total of 17.80 to easily beat Australian Cahill Bell Warren (9.83 – Jan Juc, Victoria) and local Philippines surfer Rodolfo Alcala (3.10) in a one-sided affair.

“We had a really long mission from Hawaii after making a last minute decision to come to the event,” he said.

read more at www.billabong.com