Saltwater Wine Pro

Hurley NSW Champ Circuit event #4
Old Bar, New South Wales
13 – 14 June 2009

Maroubra, NSW — The Hurley NSW Championship Circuit flies into the state’s mid north this weekend as the best in the business Old Bar for the Saltwater Wine Pro.

Hurley NSW Championship Circuit 2009 Schedule:

1. Triple Bull Pro, 16-17 May 2009 at Cronulla
2. Dripping Wet Pro, 23-24 May 2009 at Freshwater Beach
3. Bay Action Pro, 30-31 May 2009 at Byron Bay
4. Saltwater Wine Surf Classic, 13-14 June 2009 at Old Bar
5. Wild Surf Co. Mattara Pro, 26-27 September 2009 at Newcastle
6. Zink Surf South Coast Pro, 10-11 October 2009 at Werri Beach
7. Slimes Pro, 7-8 November 2009 at Avoca Beach

As the fourth event on the prestigious Hurley NSW Championship Circuit for 2009, the Saltwater Wine Pro will see Australia’s best, junior and open, surfers going ballistic – including a handful of the region’s rising stars. Led by the Reading siblings – Joel and Luke (Wallabi Point, NSW) –  this year could prove to be another watershed year for the local contenders.

“It’s without doubt my favourite contest of the year,” said Joel, fresh off another stint on the gruelling ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) in 2008. I won this event a few years back, but with the talent on hand this weekend trying to repeat will be a difficult task.”

Now in it’s eighth year, the Saltwater Wine Pro has $3,500 up for grabs ($3,000 for Opens and $500 for cadets) offering the state’s elite an opportunity to compete for serious monetary rewards at Old Bar’s famed Second Corner. “We’re looking at some potentially some really good waves for the weekend,” said Saltwater Wine’s Paul Worbuys.

“Second Corner is consistently renowned as one of the best breaks in the state, so to get the state’s best on it will be something to watch.” Originally a fundraising event, the contest has grown into one of the most crucial events on the Circuit. “The local community really get behind this event,” Worbuys continued.

“People like Angie Bell and the committee really are an integral part of this event being so successful – the local influence is super important.” These sentiments are also echoed by Luke Reading. “The entire community, all the region’s best surfers and the local boardriders always get behind the event, so to do well here would be amazing,” he said.

“My best result here was as a junior, but I’m feeling confident with my equipment, body and surfing at the moment – I’m looking to do well.”

Joined by the likes of Sam Schuman (Forster, NSW), Ben Godwin (Forster, NSW), Joe Haddon (Forster, NSW), Bobby Frith (Forster, NSW) and Oscar Scanes (Old Bar, NSW), the local contingent will be up against it from a host of challengers including James Athorn (Arrawarra, NSW), Luke Cheadle (Culburra, NSW), Jordi and Ty Watson (Currarong, NSW), Jake Sylvester (Bar Beach, NSW) and Jack Scollard (Lake Munmorah, NSW).

Also new to this years event will be the Hurley Boardriders Challenge, an invitational event which recognises the importance of grassroots surfing throughout the state’s mid north coast.

With six local Boardrider Clubs going head to head in a Teams Format, local pride and bragging rights will be on the line with the winner taking home up to $600 cash. The Saltwater Wine Pro will take place from 13-14 June 2009 with all divisions on standby to commence at 7:45am on Saturday, 13 June 2009.

For the confirmed running schedule and contest location, please call the Surfing NSW Event Hotline on 0458 247 212 after 6:50am on both days of the event. For more information be sure to check out surfingnsw.com.au The Saltwater Wine Pro is proudly supported by Hurley, Saltwater Wine, Australia’s Surfing Life, Saltwater Boardriders Club, Surfing Mid North Coast and Surfing NSW.

About Hurley: The Essence of Hurley is based on our love of the ocean and its constant state of change. With deep roots in beach culture, we are all about inclusion and positivity. Our brand was started with the idea of facilitating the dreams of the youth. Music and art are the common threads that bring us all together. We are passionate about freedom of expression and the individual voice. We place a premium on smiles. Welcome to our world – imagine the possibilities.

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Surf contests are generally filled with good looking people who attract other good looking people who come down to the beach and get half naked—sounds perfect! Last weekend (and yes, I am sick to my stomach for missing this event) was the 6th Annual Phi Beta Phi Surf Classic. If you didn’t know, Phi Beta Phi is a sorority filled to the gills with hot college girls. The thought of going to a college surf comp in PB is kind of gross, but the fact that the contest was run by 100 or so super hot sorority sisters from UCSD makes me wish I would have gone.

Results For 6th Pi Beta Phi Surf Classic Presented By Monster

Greek open:
1. Robert Northrop (Sigma Chi @ UCSB)
2. Nick Kunzer (Phi Gamma Delta @ UCSD)
3. Chris David (Pi Kappa Alpha @ UCSD)

Women’s Open:
1. Chelsea Rauhut
2. Sarah Storey
3. Alyssa Lent

Reef Tag Team Challenge:
1. Reef Team

Men’s Open:
1. Leigh Sedley
2. Sean Maceron
3. Layn Harrison
4. Ricky Whitlock
5. Andrew Matthews
6. Critter Baugh

Despite the cloudy weather and small waves, but fun waves We had 93 participants this year come out to surf. We also had 84 people involved in the Greek Volleyball tournament, plus about 900 people in attendance throughout the day.

In addition to the normal surf heats, we added in a special time set aside for Patrick Ivison, who is part of Life Rolls On, to show off his determination and skills.

This event brought down college students from UCSD, USD, and SDSU as well as local community colleges, both to surf and hang out. Throughout the day we had a BBQ and raffle loaded with great prizes from the following sponsors: Monster Energy Drinks, Reef, Dragon Alliance, Rip Curl, Isle Surfboards, Spicy Clothing, 9 Fish Surfboards, Iron Cross Surfboards, Sanuk, Quiksilver, Simple Shoes, Gotcha, VERB TV, FUEL TV, GFH Boards, Gotcha, Super Brand Surfboards, Blue Jeans & Bikinis, KIN Lounge @ downtown San Diego Hyatt, Liberty Skis, Sweenie, LG Phones, Volcom, Slippery Wetsuits, Tap Room, Swell.com, Valspar and many other local surfshops, restaurants, and retailers.

With the help of our Monster, Reef, and our other great sponsors, the UCSD Pi Phi chapter with its 100 members, was able to successfully put on this event for the 6th year in a row. As this event grows we are able to raise a great deal of money for First Book, a nonprofit organization which provides books to low-income families across the United States.

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ASP World Qualifying Series surfers the world over are setting their sights on the pristine seaside town of Ballito on the KwaZulu -Natal North Coast, as the countdown begins for the illustrious R1.4 Million Mr Price Pro Ballito.

The 6-Star ASP WQS event kicks off from 26 June – July 5, 2009, marking the critical halfway mark on the WQS tour and will see some 150 competitors from as far a field as Brasil, Hawaii, the USA, Australia, Spain, Reunion, and France leave nothing to chance as they compete for critical ASP ratings points.

Former ASP World Tour campaigner Daniel Ross (Aus) leads the field as the highest rated surfer in the event. Winning the 6 Star Prime in Margaret River (Aus), as well as securing a quarterfinal finish at the Quiksilver Pro in Durban, Ross has rocketed to an incredible World No. 2 on the WQS ratings, his consistency making him a top contender for this years’ Mr Price Pro Ballito crown.

“It’s been an unreal start to the year for me,” Ross commented from Australia this week. “Winning the Drug Aware Pro (Margaret River) was a big personal achievement as it is classed as one of the best events outside the ASP World Tour and to back it up with more good results at the next two 6 Star Prime events, has put me in a great position.”

“The Mr Price Pro has such a long history and has been won by so many great surfers, guys like Jeff Hackman (Haw), Mark Richards (Aus), Tom Carroll (Aus) and Shaun Tomson (Zaf), so to win and be put alongside a list of names like that would feel incredible.”

With an affinity for reeling right-hand point breaks similar to the fast, hollow set-ups offered by the two mobile Mr Price Pro Ballito event venues, Surfers and Salmon Bay, Ross is set to be a standout at the upcoming event.

“I’ve yet to surf in Ballito but I did a trip with Jordy (Smith) last week and he was saying that the waves in Ballito can be really fun and are better than the waves at New Pier at this time of year, ” Ross said.

Another surfer hoping to make his mark in Ballito will be WQS No. 5 Jadson Andre (Bra). The young Brasilian stamped his authority on the Durban surf when he won the Quiksilver Pro Durban recently and will be looking to emulate his success on the South Coast, with a solid result on the North Coast at this event.

Local favourites WQS No. 13 Travis Logie (Durban) and WQS No. 15 Brandon Jackson (Durban North) will hold the country’s hopes in the balance as they battle the worlds finest as the highest rated South Africans at this event.

Logie, an elite ASP World Tour competitor for four years from 2005 to 2008 and arguably the most consistent finisher at the Mr Price Pro, reaching two finals over the course of his career, is back on the WQS this year where he is campaigning for a 2010 World Tour berth.

The opportunity to earn precious WQS ratings points at home makes the Mr Price Pro Ballito pivotal to his 2010 bid.

“The Mr Price Pro Ballito is a huge event for me and like any 6 Star being at home there is added incentive to do well,” said Logie. “After finishing with a second place last year I think it’s time for a win.”

Brandon Jackson (Durban) is a former two-time winner of the Mr Price Pro Junior and is currently campaigning for a second year on the WQS where he has made impressive ground this season.

“I’ve bounced back after a bad year in 2008 and have worked hard in the off-season training with my mom and surfing with Travis (Logie). Although Ballito is not my home break, I’ve been surfing there my whole life, I know it well and it’s a good opportunity for me to get a result before they reseed the WQS.”

Other standouts in this year’s line-up include WQS No. 6 Brett Simpson (USA), WQS No. 11 and former ASP World Tour campaigner Luke Munro (Aus), WQS No. 12 Blake Thornton (Aus) and WQS No. 14 Gony Zubizarreta (ESP), all of whom are expected to put on an impressive show.

Patrick Gudauskas (USA) who narrowly missed qualifying for the elite ASP World Tour at the end of 2008 is the top seed for the event. Placing equal third here event last year, Gudauskas will be looking to make the most of his Round of 96 seeding as he focuses on moving up the ratings ladder from his current WQS No. 27 position.

Joining Gudauskas in the Round of 96 will be prolific junior surfer Yadin Nicol (Aus) who is the second seed for the event, WQS No. 6 Dion Atkinson (Aus), former South African now Australian resident Shaun Gossman, Leigh Sedley (Aus) and recent wildcard runner-up at the ASP World Tour Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Adam Robertson (Aus).

Brasil are sending their best in Wiggolly Dantas as well as former ASP World Tour surfers Raoni Monteiro, Leonardo Neves, Rodrigo Dornelles and Yuri Sodre to name but a few.

TJ Barron and Dustin Cuizon are the only Hawaiian surfers seeded directly into the Round of 96 where they will be hoping to be joined by the likes of the younger surfers in Mason Ho (Hawaii) son of Hawaii heavyweight and former pro surfer Michael Ho, and John John Florence both of whom will surf from the first round.

The South African WQS field sees Warwick Wright (Durban), Damien Fahrenfort (Durban) and Antonio Bortolleto (Durban) seeded into the Round of 96 while young up-and-comers Rudy Palmboom (Bluff), Dave Richards (Cape Town) and former Mr Price Pro Champion Ricky Basnett (Bluff) (2006) will have to make their way from the Round of 144, as will former ASP World Tour campaigner Royden Bryson (East London).

Local Pro Surf Tour talents such as recently crowned South African Champion Gavin Roberts (South Coast), Simon Nicholson (Durban), Frankie Obherholzer (South Coast) and Keegan Nel (East London) are other local talents not to be overlooked.

The 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito holds a prize money purse of R1.1 Million in the Men’s division with the winner taking home R 164 000.

All the action will be broadcast live on the webcast on www.mrpricepro.com.

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