HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, June 21, 2009)

Simpson Leads Americans on ASP WQS to South Africa

Action on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) is beginning to heat up as surfers on The Grind are out to find their way on to the 2010 ASP World Tour. Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), 24, is currently sitting in fifth overall on the ASP WQS and will be out to post a solid result to help his cause at the upcoming Mr. Price Pro Ballito in South Africa next week.

Simpson has had an excellent start to the 2009 season and an impressive performance at the upcoming South African event will place him in good standing amongst his international competition.

Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23, nearly qualified for the ASP World Tour last year and is currently the second alternate on the prestigious tour. The talented San Clemente local is fresh off of a history-making performance at the SriLankan Airlines Pro, where he successfully completed two inverted aerial maneuvers en route to his runner up finish to Owen Wright (AUS), 19.

Gudauskas result at Pasta Point launched him up to seventh overall on the ratings and the upcoming events ASP 6-Star status will offer the critical points needed for the explosive talent to make a push to the top of the ASP WQS ratings.

Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 28, is another American standout currently occupying one of the 15 slots available towards qualification for next years ASP World Tour. The goofy-footers third place result in front of his home crowd at Lower Trestles has been the most critical event in his 2009 campaign.

Other American talents including Austin Ware (Solana Beach, CA), 28, who is currently rated 15th, Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 20, and Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23, will all compete in the critical South African event to help their cause towards joining next years elite.

The Mr. Price Pro will run from June 29 through July 5, 2009

Yakult HB Pro, Mens ASP LQS 1-Star
Gidget PLA Pro, Womens ASP LQS 2-Star
Ventura, California, United States of America June 20-21, 2009

Snow Wins Yakult HB Pro, Schumacher takes Gidget PLA Pro

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, June 21, 2009) Ned Snow (Waialua, HI), 23, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1-Star Yakult HB Pro today over former ASP World Longboard Champion Colin McPhillips (San Clemente, CA), 34, in two-to-three foot surf at South Huntington Beach Pier. Cori Schumacher (Cardiff, CA), 32, took out her fellow finalists to claim the ASP LQS 2-Star Gidget PLA Pro, which ran in conjunction with the mens event.

Surfers competing on the ASP LQS are eligible to earn a spot on to the prestigious ASP World Longboard Tour by finishing within the top two on their regional tour by years end. Once qualified, all surfers compete for the chance to be crowned ASP world Longboard Champion.

Snow proved to be unstoppable throughout the events entirety and successfully tackled the tough afternoon conditions on offer at South Huntington Beach Pier to top McPhillips by a score of 13.67 to 10.66.

Being able to surf in the man-on-man format really helped my mindset, Snow said. Surfing against guys like McPhillips, I can just go out there and I feel like its me against the ocean instead of battling a bunch of other guys. Im really happy that I was able to come over here and get the win at Huntington since there is no U.S. Open for Longboarding this year.

McPhillips dominated his early round heats, but was unable to find a rhythm in the hard Final against Snow. The San Clemente locals second place finish at the Yakult HB Pro keeps him on top of the ASP North America LQS ratings.

It was a great event and I had a lot of good heats leading up to the Final, McPhillips said. I think I peaked before the Final and I couldnt buy a wave out there. It seems to happen a lot to me at Huntington. I either do really good or really bad, but Ned got the waves and congratulations to him.

McPhillips used the Yakult HB Pro as a warm-up for the upcoming ASP WLT event in Tahara, Japan, the Oxbow ASP World Longboard Tour, and is hoping to utilize the momentum built in this weekends event as a building block for the prestigious international competition.

Its a great warm up for Japan, McPhillips said. Ive been feeling good the whole time, so its nice to have that feel in a contest and I want to keep it rolling. The next stop is Japan, so hopefully I can do well there also.

Schumacher earned a come-from-behind victory when she jumped from last place to first in the latter half of the Gidget PLA Pro Final to claim a victory over fellow finalists Bianca Valenti (Dana Point, CA), 22, 2004 ASP Womens World Longboard Champion Summer Romero (San Diego, CA), and Lindsay Steinriede (Dana Point, CA), 23.

It feels good to take the win, Schumacher said. The waves deteriorated pretty quickly out there and Im happy that I was able to come back to win in the last half of the heat.

The Cardiff Reef local is also using the early season ASP LQS events to help prepare for the ASP WLT. Schumacher is out the carry the confidence from todays victory at the Gidget PLA Pro over the Biarritz, France where she will compete for the ASP Womens World Longboard title.

I feel pretty solid going into France, Schumacher said. I know that its going to be summer surf in France, so its good to get as much variety in as I can in the summer surf. Its definitely a confidence booster and Im really looking forward to the event.

After a seven-year hiatus from competition, Schumacher has been dominating the ASP LQS and the current ratings leader continued to extend her lead over the field with todays victory.

Im super stoked, Schumacher said. Im doing better than I thought I would after coming out of retirement for so long. Im just trying to keep focused and keep my mind and body going.

The next ASP LQS event will be the Yakult HB Pro and Gidget PLA Pro at Crystal Pier in San Diego, California from October 3-4, 2009.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org

Yakult HB Pro Final Results:
1 Ned Snow (HAW) 14.67
2 Colin McPhillips (USA) 10.66

Yakult HB Pro Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Colin McPhillips (USA) 15.50 def. Phil Rajzman (BRA) 10.13 Heat 2: Ned Snow (HAW) 14.67 def. Steve Newton (USA) 10.66

Yakult HB Pro Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Phil Rajzman (BRA) 14.20 def. Josh Mohr (USA) 13.27 Heat 2: Colin McPhillips (USA) 14.00 def. Josh Baxter (USA) 8.63 Heat 3: Steve Newton (USA) 11.77 def. Taylor Jensen (USA) 8.60 Heat 4: Ned Snow (HAW) 13.83 def. Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 11.16

Yakult HB Pro Round of 16 Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Josh Mohr (USA)13.00, Josh Baxter (USA) 12.93, Justin Quintal (USA) 11.83, Keegan Edwards (HAW) 10.20 Heat 2: Colin McPhillips (USA) 17.83, Phil Rajzman (BRA) 14.34, Tony Silvagni (USA) 12.86, Scott Brandenburg (USA) 7.63 Heat 3: Taylor Jensen (USA) 12.26, Ned Snow (HAW) 10.67, Troy Mothershead (USA) 9.67, Mike Jorgensen (USA) 9.27 Heat 4: Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 10.70, Steve Newton (USA) 10.57, Eli Gillis (USA) 6.94, Chase Stavron (USA) 6.40

Yakult HB Pro Round of 32 Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Keegan Edwards (HAW) 14.67, Scott Brandenburg (USA) 9.66, Geoff Wong (HAW) 7.93, Terry Gillard (USA) 6.90 Heat 2: Josh Baxter (USA) 16.57, Phil Rajzman (BRA) 15.93, Joe Aaron (USA) 8.87, David Arganda (USA) n/s Heat 3: Tony Silvagni (USA) 13.43, Josh Mohr (USA) 12.00, Cole Robbins (USA) 7.53, Dennis Bourg (USA) 5.30 Heat 4: Colin McPhillips (USA) 16.33, Justin Quintal (USA) 10.93, Bryce Young (USA) 7.40, Mike Stidham (USA) 5.83 Heat 5: Ned Snow (HAW) 10.17, Eli Gillis (USA) 9.67, Jerry Swearingen (USA) 7.84, Quintin Macklin (USA) 7.50 Heat 6: Taylor Jensen (USA) 12.74, Chase Stavron (USA) 11.33, Brendan White (USA) 11.30, Kevin Osborne (USA) 10.34 Heat 7: Noah Shimabukuro (USA) 12.94, Troy Mothershead (USA) 11.07, Claude Maki (JPN) 9.00, Ramon Perez (USA) 3.93 Heat 8: Steve Newton (USA) 10.27, Mike Jorgensen (USA) 9.47, Eric Marin (USA) 6.03, Artie Castro (USA) 9.47

Gidget PLA Pro Final Results:
1 Cori Schumacher (USA) 8.20
2 Bianca Valenti (USA) 7.84
3 Summer Romero (USA) 7.43
4 Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 6.76

Gidget PLA Pro Semifinals Results: (1st and 2nd advance) Heat 1: Summer Romero (USA) 12.16, Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 9.16, Kelly Nicely (USA) 5.00 Heat 2: Cori Schumacher (USA) 13.33, Bianca Valenti (USA) 10.00, Kamalehu Keohakapu (HAW) 3.10

HALF MOON BAY
California
June 19th 2009

Mavericks Surf Ventures, Inc. (Mavericks) announced today that the upcoming 2009/2010 big wave season at Mavericks will honor and celebrate the 35th anniversary of Jeff Clarks first session at the now world famous break. In the winter of 1975, the then17 year old Clark first paddled out to the nautical hazard named after a white haired German Shepherd. In a remarkable personal odyssey, Clark then surfed Mavericks completely alone for 15 years before the news media began reporting on the 50foot waves, house sized rocks, and bone chilling waters that characterize this treacherous locale.
From those solitary beginnings, Mavericks has become an international phenomenon. The annual Mavericks Surf Contest® brings the worlds preeminent big wave surfers together on 24 hours notice, along with tens of thousands of spectators and millions more who watch the action via television broadcast and webcast. Adding to the drama, the contest is completely dependent on the whim of Mother Nature delivering contest worthy surf conditions. Some years (as happened this past season) she holds back, as if to give the surfers another year to reconsider their perilous intent. Over the years, the Mavericks prize purse has grown to $150,000, the largest in the history of big wave surfing competition. In the 2009/2010 season, the invitees will be competing for this record prize purse, thanks to the support of Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision Private Equity Advisors, and Barracuda Networks.
“Coincident with the 35th anniversary celebration, Mavericks will inaugurate a new Contest Director”. Said Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling, Mavericks truly belongs to everyone, so were looking forward to democratizing the contest direction process. Studying the seasonal swell patterns, and determining if and when to call the surfers is no small responsibility. Were excited to pass the torch to the next generation of Mavericks enthusiasts to assure the contests continued success. Beadling then summed up the feelings of everyone in the Mavericks family, saying, We have all been inspired by the passion and bravery that Jeff has displayed, and will remain in awe of his accomplishments. Jeffs legacy is forever etched in the history Mavericks. Meanwhile, Clark continues to serve on Mavericks Board of Directors.
Additional details regarding The 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest® season will be announced in the coming weeks.

Pictured: Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26,current ASP World No. 14, will look to jumpstart his 2009 ASP World Tour campaign when the worlds best surfers descend upon Brazil this month.
Credit: ASP/ CI/ SCHOLTZ via GETTY IMAGES

IMBITUBA, Santa Catarina (Thursday, June 18, 2009) Fresh off the Australian and South Pacific legs of the 2009 ASP World Tour, the worlds best surfers are preparing for ASP Dream Tour Stop No. 4 of 10, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil from June 27 to July 5, 2009, with the Australian ASP World Title contenders leading the charge.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, current ASP World No. 1, has had an extraordinary start to his 2009 campaign, winning the opening two events of the season before collecting an equal 9th place finish in Tahiti. Despite being the ratings frontrunner, Parkinson has been kept his focus on the present, concentrating on the event at hand.

I dont focus on the ASP World Title when I am at an event, Parkinson said. I put a lot of time and effort into what I am doing away from the contests so that I am in the best physical, technical and mental shape possible. This way, I come into an event ready, relaxed and with a sense of purpose.

Although having experienced a range of results in Brazil from as high as 3rd to as low as 17th, Parkinson is entering this seasons competition with renewed vigor, partially stemming from the rescheduling of the event from October in past years to June/July this year.

I havent been as consistent in Brazil as I would have liked, Parkinson said. This probably has a bit to do with when the event has fallen in the calendar year in the past, but I know I can do well there and that gives me confidence. Logistically, the rescheduling of the event works out well. We lost the Fiji event this year and are going straight to South Africa afterwards so the travel is much easier to manage. It will be interesting being in Brazil in winter as we are used to the Carnival atmosphere that Brazil creates in October when the sun is shining. This will be a critical event in the years point score.

Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, defending Hang Loose Champion and 2008 ASP World Runner-Up, hasnt had a dream start to his 2009 ASP World Tour campaign. Following a solid 5th place finish at the opening event of the year, Durbidge has since suffered two uncharacteristic 17th place finishes to result in his current ASP World No. 14 rating.

I haven’t had the start I have wanted, Durbidge said. I opened up okay at the Gold Coast with that 5th, then at Bells, I had a really tough heat against Adam Robertson (Robbo). Then in Tahiti, I drew Andy (Irons) first heat, and he is the master of Teahupoo, and he also got the better of me. I feel like Im surfing well, but I have just lost really close heats which could have gone either way. Im just staying positive and I know my year will turn around really soon.

A potential cause of Durbidges struggles is the implementation of the new ASP format in 2009. With this seasons ASP Dream Tour events having a menu of formats to choose from, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Brazil has elected to use the traditional format, the first event to do so since the season opener on the Gold Coast.

The new format has its pros and cons, Durbidge said. Its good for only taking three days to run and making the most of the swells we get during a waiting period. On the other hand, you don’t get that Round 1 to warm up and feel things out. Personally, I like the old format so I think its great Brazil is using the old format. The waves are pretty consistent this time of year there too.

Having won the event in 2008, the powerful Australian will look to jumpstart his 2009 ASP World Tour campaign with a repeat performance this season.

Last year, I felt really comfortable there, Durbidge said. I had a really good board and we had pretty fun waves all event it was about three-to-five foot. When its above four-foot, it turns into a running right that really suits my style. Apparently, by moving it to earlier in the year, we will get better conditions so I think its good and everyone will be there because the title race is still well and truly alive.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 27, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 3, is hot on the heels of the current frontrunners in this years ASP World Title race, having acquired a 3rd, a 5th and a 9th in the opening three events of the season.

I’m pretty comfortable with how I’m traveling this year, Fanning said. I’m feeling strong and I’m happy with how I’m surfing. I would have loved a better result in Tahiti, but the surf was average and it wasn’t to be. The next couple of stops are important and I’ll be looking to get a win on the board. Brazil is one of my best events so hopefully I can get a win there and narrow Parko’s lead on the ratings.

A two-time past winner in Brazil (2006, 2007), Fanning will look for another solid finish to hone in on Gold Coast stable-mate Parkinson.

I love the atmosphere when competing in Brazil, Fanning said. The crowds there are huge and that always gets me psyched to perform. The waves for the event are typical beach break type set-ups. I grew up surfing Duranbah so I’m comfortable surfing sand-bottom waves. In the past, the ASP World Title has been all but wrapped up by the time we get to Brazil so, at times, big results there haven’t meant a great deal. Now that it’s earlier in the schedule, we could see some of the guys that do well in Brazil get on a bit of a roll earlier in the year and join the title race.

Despite his history in Brazil and solid performances thus far in 2009, Fanning knows that the competition in South America will be tough.

I think Taj Burrow will be hard to stop, Fanning said. He’s won three events in Brazil and he looked sharp on the open face in Tahiti. Adriano de Souza is another one to watch. He’s having another great year and he’ll be getting major support from the crowd. The other guy to watch is Bede Durbidge. He’s the defending event champ and he’s looking for a big result to get back up toward the top of the ratings after two 17th.

The Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro will host the ASP Top 45 from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

Surfing Dads Rejoice

This weekend is a double whammy for Surfing dads, as we have not only fathers day, but international surfing day also!

There’s a good chance of some lovely sunshine, all we need now are some nice waves to go with it!

You can read more about internation surfing day at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Surfing_Day

World Oceans Day

Most people aren’t aware of the crucial role the Ocean plays in our everyday lives, thanks to The Ocean Project work in partnership with the World Ocean Network we now have World Oceans Day.

I don’t know about you but I’d never heard of world Ocean Day till last year.
The first world ocean day was on 8th June 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was until December last year (2008) that June 8th officially became World Oceans Day, following a resolution by the United Nations.
This year is the 13th World Oceans Day (the 1st official) and the theme is “one ocean, one climate, one future”.
World Oceans Day is an opportunity for us to honour the World’s oceans, and increase awareness, understanding and appreciation of what our oceans provide

1. Marine life


2. Sea food


3. Transportation


4. Supports the Eco-system (human life)


5. Fun, sports and relaxation

For more information about World Oceans Day visit http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/wod.php
You’ll find details of how you can get involved and much more, you can also read about the Wear Blue Tell Two campaign on our blog

WEAR BLUE AND TELL TWO

Call to Action to Raise Conservation Awareness and Inspire Action
on June 8th, the First-Ever World Oceans Day

PROVIDENCE, RI, JUNE 3, 2009 The first-ever World Oceans Day on June 8th begins with a call to action in response to critical news about Americans level of knowledge and commitment to the health of the ocean. Wear Blue and Tell Two is an international campaign that encourages people to wear a blue item of clothing on June 8th and tell people two things they may not know about the ocean and two ways they can take action to improve and safeguard the health of our ocean.

On this World Ocean Day, June 8th, aquariums, zoos, museums, and other conservation organizations around the world will reach out to visitors with fun facts and practical tips to move the needle on these survey results. Here are two tell two examples:

Choose healthy and sustainable seafood: Each of us can use our power as a consumer to help conserve the ocean by choosing fish that are abundant in supply, and fished or farmed without harm to the ocean. Pick up or download a Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide. Calculate your carbon footprint: Use one of many online carbon calculators to measure your households carbon pollution load and then work on ways each week to reduce it by biking and walking more instead of driving, turning off lights when you leave a room, and using fans more often, instead of A/C this summer.

Wear Blue and Tell Two was inspired by results from America, the Ocean, and Climate Change: New Research Insights for Conservation, Awareness, and Action, the largest-ever environmental study. A collaborative effort between The Ocean Project, the National Aquarium, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, the study points to the pressing need to accelerate knowledge and commitment to ocean health. Data illustrate that Americans knowledge about the ocean remains minimal, and concern about environmental issues affecting the ocean is low compared to such issues as the economy and national security. While the survey also finds that climate change is the environmental issue of most concern, people remain unaware of the connections between personal action, climate change, and ocean health.

Despite limited knowledge about the ocean, when asked, Americans say they support protecting the health of the ocean and the environment. In a significant shift from views expressed in a 1999 survey also commissioned by The Ocean Project, Americans now believe that their individual actions can have a positive effect on protecting the environment and improving the health of the ocean. They are ready to act but are not sure what to do. Likewise, the public expects aquariums, zoos, and museums to communicate solutions to environmental and ocean issues while advancing conservation.

America, the Ocean, and Climate Change shows that Americans possess significantly greater knowledge about casino gambling and video games than we do about our ocean, even as we might be planning for that trip to the beach. Clearly, we need to see a greater emphasis on environmental and ocean literacy, said Bill Mott, director of The Ocean Project. Added Mott, The good news is that once informed about the problems, we also see in the survey results confirmation that we are a can do country, with people wanting to help, wanting to be part of the solution, and aquariums, zoos, and museums are in an excellent position to help everyone to do just that.

Julie Packard, executive director of Monterey Bay Aquarium, commented, For all of us who are working to inspire the public to protect the ocean, this survey has important implications for how we can be more effective in achieving our goals. It tells us that people are eager for aquariums and zoos to take a leadership role in suggesting practical steps that will make a difference. We have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference for the future of the oceans.

The survey also found that young people aged 12-17 care more about the ocean, know more about ocean issues, and are more willing to act on the oceans behalf than adults. According to America, the Ocean, and Climate Change, teens and tweens influence the opinions of adults, who tend to view their children as better informed on conservation issues. Additionally, the study found that Americans in households where English is not the primary language express increased levels of concern about ocean issues and are more willing to modify their behavior than Americans in households where English is the primary language.

Aquariums, zoos, and museums need to nurture the energy and environmental enthusiasm of our countrys youth, said David Pittenger, CEO of the National Aquarium. We must help to channel this generations concern for the worlds environment and ocean by providing practical knowledge, hands-on opportunities, and action-oriented avenues toward slowing the rate of climate change.

Conducted by IMPACTS Research & Development, survey data was based on 22,000 responses from adults in the United States between August and November of 2008.
The Ocean Project advances ocean conservation in partnership with aquariums, zoos, and museums around the world. Its global network the largest ever created to help conserve and protect the worlds ocean includes nearly 900 partner zoos, aquariums, museums, and other educational institutions that together serve hundreds of millions of visitors each year, more than attend all major sporting events combined. The Ocean Project is also the lead entity for coordinating June 8th as World Oceans Day, which was recently instituted by the United Nations as an official annual event. More at: www.TheOceanProject.org and www.WorldOceansDay.org.
The National Aquarium, a non-profit organization, is Marylands most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the regions leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.4 million visitors per year. Through transforming experiences, the National Aquarium inspires people to enjoy, respect, and protect the aquatic world. It is dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community. More at: www.aqua.org.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the oceans. As a visitor attraction, it is consistently rated as one of the worlds top aquariums and a leader in education, exhibits and research. The aquariums Seafood Watch program empowers consumers and businesses to make choices for healthy oceans that are transforming seafood markets in ways that create incentives for sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices. More at: www.montereybayaquarium.org.