Atlanta, Ga — Less than two months before the August Surf Expo, the show announced its packed event schedule.

“While Surf Expo is known for its business-first attitude when it comes to presenting its bi-annual trade shows for the national boardsports and resort industry, says Show Director Roy Turner, “we are quick to realize that it is our job as promoters to put the ‘show’ into our events and create the excitement that our industries deserve. This year we at Surf Expo have put together an array of world class events and promotions that should help to invigorate both buyers and exhibitors alike.”

Eastern Skateboard Supply is sponsoring a top-notch pro lineup to skate hour-long demos in Team Pain’s Skate Art Skate Park! Look for the names to be announced in the coming weeks. Between sessions, they’ll be signing autographs across from Eastern Skate Supply’s booth. When demos are not going on, Surf Expo attendees are invited to skate the steel and concrete fabricated features that Team Pain premiered at Surf Expo’s January show.

Up next? Wake! For the first time, Surf Expo is bringing a wakeboard pool inside the convention center. Step-Up Productions will be producing a two-pool rail jam to be traversed by some of wakeboarding and wakeskating’s top pros –all already planning to attend Surf Expo for its annual gathering of the industry. And don’t miss the celebration of the sport’s top honors at the 6th annual Wake Awards, sponsored by Wakeboarding Magazine, held at Surf Expo on Thursday, August 20 at 6pm.

The Board Retailers Association will host several free seminars open to all Surf Expo attendees. This show’s topics include Inventory Management, Ecommerce Strategies, Leveraging Social Tools and a Skate Industry Update. For a complete schedule, go to surfexpo.com’s Schedule of Events.

What’s the closest thing to watching the world’s best surfers compete in a full-on stadium atmosphere? Look no further than Huntington Beach in July, when up to 500,000 people will find their way to the real Surf City, post up in the sand and cheer on their heroes at the Pier. It’s been that way for 50 years now, starting with the US Championships in 1959 and evolving to today: the Hurley US Open of Surfing.

As the new title sponsor of this storied event, Hurley and its partners intend to make it a life-changing experience from dawn to dusk: Late-afternoon concerts. Hurley’s Walk the Walk fashion competition. Elite-level BMX courtesy of Nike 6.0. The best skateboarders courtesy of Converse and Red Bull. And a swarm of activity, demonstrations and booths surrounding our “50 Years at the Pier” celebration.

Of course, center stage will be reserved for the ocean, where both men and women will be competing for points, prize money and HB glory in the title event, the Hurley US Open of Surfing. As a six-star ASP qualifier at the mid-way point in the season, the winner here often goes on to the coveted Dream Tour. Case in point: last year’s US Open Men’s Champ Nathaniel Curran, who ended up winning the 2008 World Qualifying Series and is now a rookie in the elite Top 45. Along with the six-star, Nike 6.0 will be holding an ASP Pro Junior event — another important challenge on the path to become the 20-and-under world junior champion. Rounding out the center stage will be a celebration of the world’s top longboarders in a soon-to-be announced format that will certainly have the crowd cheering for more.

In addition to all of this, the Hurley US Open, in conjunction with the World Professional Surfers athlete union, will be introducing the first-ever WPS All Stars event. This will include participation from 10 of the world’s best surfers voted on by you – the fans. They will surf in the event, sign autographs and blow us away in a special-format expression session that must be seen to be believed.

An increase in swell overnight saw the final day of competition at the Arnette Queensland Junior Surfing Titles conclude in style as competitors in the Under/16 and Under/18 boys and girls divisions revelled in the offshore 1.5m to 2m conditions at North Stradbroke Island’s Main Beach.

‘Coolangatta Kid’ Jack Freestone continued his impressive form with an emphatic display of technical surfing to secure the title in the blue-ribbon U/18’s boys division. Freestone now holds a commanding lead in the series ratings points after claiming victory in last month’s opening event on the Gold Coast. Freestone’s selection in the state team to represent Queensland at the Arnette Australian Surfing Titles in November now appears imminent.

“Before the last Arnette [Queensland Junior Surfing Titles] event, I hadn’t won an event for a while so it’s good to get another win and get back into some rhythm,” Freestone said.

“I’m really looking forward to hopefully making the Queensland team for the Australian Titles,” he said.