SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – All previous allusions of competitive, high-performance surfing are about to be shattered when the world’s best surfers descend upon California’s premier wave, San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles. The 2010 Hurley Pro is the only ASP World Tour event on mainland U.S. shores and is where the best of the best fight for the world title and prove that surfing is one of the most competitive world sports featuring some of the finest, most talented athletes on the planet. On September 12, the elite in professional surfing will join the world’s most “rippable” wave, armed with a new World Tour seeding format and the most progressive judging criteria in ASP history.
This is the first event that the ASP World Tour will narrow its field to 32 surfers instead of 44 -- the first major change to the ASP format since 1992. In the current world title race, South African Jordy Smith is leading, but nine-time world champ Kelly Slater is in the hunt for what would be an unprecedented, and once considered unfathomable, 10th world title. As in years past, the Hurley Pro typically serves as the turning point in the world title race. Win here, and athletes are propelled into the final stretch with tremendous momentum. Mick Fanning did just that in 2009 when he came from behind to take the Hurley Pro title and then, three months later, his second world title. The 32 man field will be joined by 4 wildcards (Rob Machado, Kolohe Andino, with 2 spots still to be determined.) Additional news on competitors in the field will be announced shortly.
All of the dramatic action will be captured with state-of-the-art live webcasts that give surfing fans and all sports enthusiasts a birds-eye view of the competition. Multiple camera angles and water cams will deliver competition heats along with exclusive behind-the-scenes moments. In addition, the Hurley Pro will have an official App for iPhone and iPad, bringing the live event to the palm of your hand.
Lined with cobblestones, San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles is California’s premier point/reef break and a world-class showcase for high-performance surfing. If Pipeline is surfing's Gladiator Pit, Lower Trestles is surfing's Center Stage, the spot where the world's best continue to push the limits of what can be done on a wave. It is here where the most futuristic maneuvers in surfing are attempted and perfected. Located squarely between San Diego and Orange County, the Hurley Pro draws thousands of fans and legends, the young and the old, scions of industry and keen media members to cover every moment of action over the weeklong waiting period.
Last Spring at Lower Trestles, the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro was seen as a new milestone in high-performance competitive surfing. As the athletes return to Lower Trestles for the Hurley Pro, everything is on the line, including world rankings, so surfers bring their absolute best to this fierce competition. Audiences watching live or online are guaranteed a view to the new gold standard in aerials and other game-changing maneuvers. The Hurley Pro will take place September 12-18 with competition taking place five of the seven days.
Last year’s Hurley Pro set a historic record, offering the single largest first place and overall prize purse in ASP World Tour history; $105,000 first place prize and $400,000 overall. This year’s first-place check has yet to be determined.
“Every year, we strive to make the sport of surfing better,” says Hurley VP of Sports Marketing, Pat O’Connell. “And the Hurley Pro is the perfect venue to achieve that. From the world’s best surfers to the fans on the beach to the online audience, we’re looking to elevate the experience across the board. Besides, we’re due for a good swell at the Hurley Pro.”
"California State Parks is proud to be the host site for the Hurley Pro,” says Orange Coast District Superintendent, Richard Haydon. “We look forward to welcoming this elite group of athletes from around the world to San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles."
)(2O: One Surfer, One Suitcase, One Hundred Lives.
Fueled by Hurley's H20 initiative, the Hurley Pro is a plastic water bottle free event. Aluminum water bottles can be purchased for $5 and all proceeds will go to H20 partners, The Ecology Center and Waves for Water. There will also be an exhibit on the beach that introduces the upcoming ‘Clean Water Couriers’ program and demonstrates a few simple steps that can dramatically reduce a person’s water footprint.
About Hurley
Founded in 1999, Hurley is an authentic “Microphone for Youth” brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music, and beach cultures. Driven by creativity and freedom of expression, Hurley develops world-class products for guys, girls and kids, including sportswear, footwear, eyewear, accessories, loungewear, swimwear and wetsuits. A wholly owned, independently run subsidiary of Nike, Inc., Hurley’s corporate headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, CA, with international offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali. www.hurley.com
About San Onofre State Beach
San Onofre State Beach is one of the true treasures in California State Parks, providing park visitors with a place for inspiration and the renewal of spirit with its breath-taking scenery and natural features. San Onofre is the fifth most visited State Park in California, with its rare 3,000-acre scenic coastal, canyon and foothills areas, all offering outstanding opportunities for recreation and a balanced approach to sound environmental stewardship. San Onofre State Beach also contains one of the last pristine watersheds in Southern California, which makes it well suited as a home to 10 threatened or endangered species of wildlife that are currently protected under federal law. The Surf Beach and Trestles areas of San Onofre State Beach are world renowned and historical surfing beaches, offering some of the most consistent surf on the west coast.
Press Resources:
http://www.thehurleypro.com
http://www.thehurleypro.com/downloads
Press contacts:
Kristen Foster, Erica Gerard, Barry Parasram, Catherine Jaffe
PMK*BNC
212-582-1111
Kristen.Foster@pmkbnc.com, Erica.Gerard@pmkbnc.com, Barry.Parasram@pmkbnc.com, Catherine.Jaffe@pmkbnc.com
