Occy sure has been around a while!

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The ISA World Junior Championship has just started this week-end. They just finished Round 1 for the Boys under 18 and Round 1 Boys under 16 and has just started the 2 first heats for girls.
The Team Rip Curl is still on: PV Laborde (FR), Medi Veminardi (FR), Kieran Bulard (FR), Alex Smith (HAW), Owen Wright (AUS), Kevin Bourez (TAH), Jocelyn Poulou (TAH), Jesse Mendes (BRA), Francisco Alves (POR).

Support them on live on www.surfingfrance.com

Event: Stop 6 of 10 on the 2008 ASP World Tour
Date: July 30 to August 10
Location: Somewhere…

2008 RIP CURL PRO SEARCH: THE LEGACY CONTINUES…

TORQUAY, Australia (Wednesday, 21 May 2008) – The Rip Curl Pro Search has been the most exciting and highly anticipated contest on the Men’s ASP World Tour since its inception in 2005.

After three brilliant years in Reunion, Mexico and Chile respectively, the legacy is set to continue when Rip Curl takes the World’s Top 45 ranked surfers to somewhere new and exotic for 2008.

“This year’s Rip Curl Pro Search could be one of those ‘best ever’ achievements we’re always striving for,” claims Andy Higgins, Rip Curl Event Manager. “The wave can be perfect, the place is amazing and the surfers are frothing, so if all the stars align and elements come together, it’s going to be one unbelievable spectacle.”

The location for this year’s Rip Curl Pro Search is still yet to be announced, with Rip Curl instead opting to publish “Somewhere…” as the location and release a variety of different event advertisements to keep the public guessing until July.

“We really want to keep the location a secret and have asked all those involved with the event or knowledgeable about the location to please do likewise,” continued Mr Higgins. “It’s not just a Rip Curl choice, it’s an agreement with the local community, the country and the ASP. That’s why we’ve tagged it with ‘Somewhere…’ and that’s why we’ve made different posters that suggest it could be anywhere.”

Although the mystery surrounding the Rip Curl Pro Search makes it unusual and somewhat difficult for Rip Curl to market, Group Marketing & Advertising Chairman Neil Ridgway enjoys the secrecy and obscurity of hiding the whereabouts of the ASP World Tour’s youngest event.

“It’s The Search! The event’s unique floating license gives us a brilliant opportunity to add some mystery and spice to the ASP World Tour and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do,” says Mr Ridgway. “Sure, it would be easier to just tell everyone where we’re going, but that’s not part of our philosophy.”

“We want to take the world’s best surfers to new waves and we will definitely be broadcasting the entire event live around the world on a ripcurl.com webcast, so we’re actually giving sport fans a free trip there – like a mystery flight.”

The official contest waiting period for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search runs from July 30 to August 10.

Watch the 1st prognostics from the Top 45 surfers on RipCurl.TV!
Available also on Rip Curl Europe’s Facebook and MySpace.

The Rip Curl Pro Search received a first-of-its-kind ASP Floating License in 2005 to host an ASP World Tour event that “has the option of relocating to a new A-Grade location every year with the agreement of Rip Curl, the ASP and ASP Top 45”.

Mick Fanning (AUS) won the inaugural Rip Curl Pro Search at Saint Leu in Reunion in 2005.
Andy Irons (HAW) won the 2006 Rip Curl Pro Search in perfect barrels in Mexico.
Andy Irons (HAW) won the 2007 Rip Curl Pro Search in Chile.

ISA WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, COME TO SUPPORT THE RIP CURL TEAM FROM THE 24TH MAY TO THE 1st JUNE IN CAPBRETON/HOSSEGOR/SEIGNOSSE.

Real opportunity for the best juniors on the planet, the ISA World Junior Championship has become one of this season most waited event for all the riders that dream of becoming pros. After Pauline Ado’s victory in Mai 2006, first European to win this title, all the young European surfers try to walking in her steps.

For the Rip Curl Team, it is also a true challenge to come after the australian Ben Dunn, the World Champion ASP 07 Stephanie Gilmore, the French Pauline Ado or after the unbelievable Owen Wright.
28 delegations for more than 300 athletes (including 14 international Rip Curl riders) will be there to win the title in the under 16 years category or under 18.

France
Pierre-Valentin Laborde (Boys under 18)
Medi Veminardi (Boys under de 18 ans)
Kieran Bulard (Boys under 16)
Pauline Ado  (Girls under 18)
Marie Dejean (Girls under 18)
Cannelle Bulard (Girls under 16)

Portugal
Francisco Alves (Boys under 18)
Antonio Ribeiro (Boys under 16)

Australia
Owen Wright (Boys under 18)
Tyler Wright   (Girls under 18)

Brazil
Jessé Mendes (Boys under 16)

US
Amy Nicholl (Girls under 18)

Hawaii
Alex Smith (Boys under 18)

Costa Rica
Lupe Gallucio (Girls under 18)

Support the youth

Follow them thanks to the live webcast on www.surfingfrance.com

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This looks great if you want to clock up some stand up time and practice some turns. Anybody tried it?

Freakfish have been selling Northcore products for a while now, and have been impressed with their products & ethics, so we asked Northcore if they would give us some background in to what they are all about – here’s what they had to say.

Northcore™ is a British based, surf & boardriding company with an International heritage. Everything Northcore™ does reflects its roots in hardcore cold water surfing producing tough, practical hardware, accessories and custom surfboards of exceptional quality, integrity and design. As a company we aim to continue to support growth in British surfing, boardsports and the creative talent that thrives in our collective lifestyles, by working with the best athletes and by embracing progressive film making, music, art and photography to establish a true sense of a community.At Northcore™ we strive to maintain a socially responsible company ethos by continuing with our Carbon Neutral policy. We plant 750 trees annually to offset our carbon emissions and the long term support of environmental and recycling initiatives is central to our outlook. This years sees Northcore nominated for “The Surfers Path Green Wave Awards 2008”

Above all Northcore™ is about avoiding the soul less corporate pursuit of profit above all else. Of course we’re trying to make a living but is also about having fun, living the life we love, following a path less travelled and hopefully making the world a little better along the way.

Thanks to Northcore for this insight, all the best in The Surfers Path Green Wave Awards.

You can view the range of Northcore products we stock here.

For more information about Northcore visit www.northcore-europe.com