Mick Fanning was quick to make some new US friends
Photo courtesy of Chris Owen @ chrisowen.com
Rip Curl USA Updates
RIP CURL USA OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE SURFING WORLD
www.ripcurl.com
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 15 September, 2005 : - - The surf industry recently gathered at the new home of Rip Curl USA's North America Headquarters in Costa Mesa, California. Influential members from across the surf industry including athletes, retailers, media, legends and more came to celebrate Rip Curl's new beginnings in the USA.
The celebration took place in the new "Library" portion of the building which offered two, beautiful Rip Curl girls serving endless amounts of beers off the tap. Rip Curl CEO, David Lawn, along with Founders Brian Singer, Doug 'Claw' Warbrick and Francois Payot welcomed the crowd with stories of Rip Curl's past history and future plans.
Rip Curl's top athletes including Mick Fanning, Jamie O'Brien, Tom Curren, Nathan Hedge, Darren O'Rafferty and more were on hand to celebrate the new beginnings. Although the beers were flowing and the women crawled in by the masses, the boys kept their game tight in preparation for the Boost Mobile Pro currently taking place at Lower Trestles. That's not to say they didn't make a few new friends along the way.
Along with the food, beers, babes and did I say babes!? Came tours of Rip Curl's new USA Headquarters, a facility built for exponential company growth. A tour through the new building revealed Rip Curl's Product showrooms including a vibrant new Wetsuit showroom, Apparel Showroom, Footwear Showroom, a warehouse the size of 2 football fields and of course the soon to be infamous 'Library' - a socializing center where one can consume countless beverages off the taps while drifting off with the Rip Curl memorabilia that surrounds the room.
Good times were had, hangovers were inevitable and Rip Curl has officially positioned itself in the heart of the surf industry.
Check the photos here
Rip Curl USA
3030 Airway Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
1-800-THA-CURL
www.ripcurl.com
O'BRIEN & FANNING RECOGNIZED AT 2005 SURFER POLL AWARDS
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Surf Industry Royalty came together last night at the 2005 Surfer Poll Awards at The Grove in Anaheim, California to witness the best surfers in the world get awarded for their outstanding accomplishments. To sum it up in a nutshell, it's a reason for the surf industry to dust off their collared shirts, hang out with all their bros, drool over the babies, drink massive amounts of adult beverages and get loony when their favorite surfer wins an award.
And loony we got, when the Freak Show himself, Jamie O'Brien, was awarded "Best Breakthrough Performance" for 2005. Pumped to be recognized for his amazing, acrobatic surfing talent, O'Brien rightfully thanked his dad, Mic O'Brien and sponsors Rip Curl and a host of others for all their support.
With a tight grasp around his award a determined O'Brien exclaimed, "Thanks again for all of those who've supported me thus far. Hopefully this is only the beginning of many big things to come!"
A calm and collected, Mick Fanning, was awarded a 4th place standing in the Surfer Poll top ten. Mick bumps up a few spots from his standing last year, with a 1st place ranking in his sights. The Surfer Poll ranking system doesn't necessarily judge on your standing in the WCT but also for your overall performance as a surfer.
Fanning, ranked #3 on the WCT, is currently making a strong push at the Boost Mobile WCT at Trestles. Fanning took the win in Round 1 launching him directly into Round 3. With a strong result at the Boost Mobile WCT, Fanning puts himself in position to battle A.I. and Slater for the World Title.
Rip Curl's latest Search project "Inner Visions From the Search" also received a healthy amount of nominations including Best Cinematography, and Video of the Year. Be on the lookout for the next Search Project coming soon...
GET SET FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL RIP CURL MALIBU PRO
www.ripcurl.com
International action sports brand Rip Curl is proud to present the 2nd Annual Rip Curl Malibu Pro, a women's stand alone World Championship Tour (WCT) event. The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sanctioned event will take place at Malibu's infamous Surfrider Beach from October 1 to 9.
The Rip Curl Malibu Pro is the only women's stand alone WCT event to take place on mainland USA soil, and promises to showcase an awesome spectacle of women's professional surfing at one of the world’s most quality point breaks.
"We welcome the world’s best female surfers to Malibu in early October for this year’s event and all the magic that Hollywood has to offer," said Adam Sharp, Rip Curl Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Of all the events on the tour calendar, The Rip Curl Malibu Pro is most unique because it is the biggest professional surfing event ever staged in Malibu, a place rich in surfing history and Hollywood's favorite beach. Rip Curl WCT rider Jacqueline Silva (6th in the world) will be competing in the event, and fellow team riders Stephanie Gilmore, Julia Christian, Bethany Hamilton, Jessi Miley-Dyer and Alana Blanchard are trial contenders who will all be pursuing the opportunity to capture the crown of the second annual Rip Curl Malibu Pro.
As the seventh event of nine on the women's WCT, the heat is on as the 18 top ranked women professional surfers from around the world meet to challenge the elements and determine who will take home a piece of a $62,500 USD prize purse. 2004 Rip Curl Malibu Pro defending champ, Megan Abubo, will have her hands full fending off 2005 title contenders Sofia Mulanovich and Chelsea Georgeson, two surfers who have controlled the tour thus far. However, Rip Curl phenom and 2005 Roxy Pro Champion, Gilmore is sure to give the girls a run for their money. Rip Curl team rider, Silva, will need to post a big result in order to keep her title dreams alive. Silva's fierce forehand attack almost guarantees a solid performance heading into the perfect right hand lines of Malibu.
The Rip Curl Footwear Trials will also be staged as a one-day prelude to the main event on Friday September 30, with 16 invitees competing in a round robin format to select one lucky wildcard who will gain automatic entry into the main event. Gilmore, Christian, Hamilton, Dyer and Blanchard will be among the contestants in the Trials, side by side with other amateur Rip Curl team riders and Surfing America WQS contenders.
"Following overwhelming success last year as the first stand alone women's WCT event on the American mainland, this year's event promises to be a titanic battle between the best women surfers in the world," said ASP International’s (Association of Surfing Professionals) President Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew. "The Rip Curl Malibu Pro continues Rip Curl's unquestionable support of world professional surfing, sitting beside the women's SPC Fruit Pro, Bells Beach and Venus Festival in Hossegor, France."
The Rip Curl Malibu Pro will use Malibu as its headquarters and the main event base, but will also remain mobile with access to the hidden right point of Leo Carillo some 15 minutes north, and further north again into Ventura County to the infamous right hand lines of C-Street.
Intertwined with the Women's WCT will be the Rip Curl Celebrity Surf Bout that will take place on Saturday, October 1st at Malibu's Surfrider Beach. The stage is set for celebrity actors and musicians to battle it out in a tag team surf event that will proclaim Hollywood’s hottest celebrity surfers. More than 5,000 spectators are expected to witness their favorite celebrities battle it out in Malibu's infamous right-hand point break. The Rip Curl Celebrity Surf Bout will be open to the public.
Rip Curl will be making a donation to Heal the Bay as a commitment to keeping our oceans clean.
More info at www.ripcurl.com/malibu
BETHANY GOES HUGE WITH SUBWAY, CLAIRE'S AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES
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Since her courageous comeback over the past 2 years Bethany has acheived the unthinkable and now she's at it again. Bethany's teamed up with Subway promoting a new Subway Champions campaign, she's also come out with her new Revelations fragrance call "Stoked" and "Wired" available at any Claire's retail store, and finally Bethany will be throwing out the first pitch at an upcoming New York Yankees game on Septmeber 21 at 7:05pm.
Subway
Be on the lookout for Bethany Hamilton in upcoming Subway commercials. Subway is looking for talented youth like Bethany and other prodigies who don’t know the meaning of the word “quit.” Contest starts on August 15, 2005 and ends at 11:59:59 PM EST on September 25, 2005 (the “Promotion Period”).
To read the official rules visit SUBWAYKIDS.com
New Fragrance available at Claire's
Think warm sand, blue skies, clean skin and the scent of the ocean … It’s the essence of Wired and Stoked, new fragrances introduced today by Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics with surfer Bethany Hamilton.
Packaged in miniaturized surfboards, the Stoked and Wired scents are fresh, innovative and fun aromas that recall a day at the beach. These exciting new fragrances for teen boys and girls were developed by Revelations in concert with Bethany Hamilton, who became possibly the world’s best-known and most respected young competitive surfer when she lost her left arm in a shark attack in Hawaii in 2003.
1st Pitch at Yankee Stadium
The New York Yankees have invited Bethany to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 21st at 7:05PM where the Yankees are set to take on the Baltimore Orieles.
After the ballgame it's back to the beach where Bethany is set to compete in the Rip Curl Malibu Pro, the only women's stand alone WCT to take place on USA mainland soil, October 1-9, 2005 at Malibu's infamous surfrider beach.
For more info on Bethany Hamilton check out www.bethanyhamilton.com
More USA/Cen Amer. surfing news available here
Check the latest West Coast Surf Reports and Forcasts
PJ Connell
www.ripcurl.com
Team News - Surfersvillage
