Rip Curl announces second annual Rip Curl Malibu Pro

Rip Curl Malibu Pro

ASP WCT Womens Event
Malibu, California, USA
1 - 9 October 2005

RIP CURL ANNOUNCES THE SECOND ANNUAL RIP CURLMALIBU PRO:
AN AWESOME SPECTACLE OF WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL SURFING. $62,500 USD Prize Purse...

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 September, 2005 : - - Costa Mesa, California: 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 1-9, 2005.The Rip Curl Malibu Pro is the only women’s stand alone WCT event totake place on mainland USA soil, and promises to showcase an awesome spectacle of women’s professional surfing at one of the world’s mostquality 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.

“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.”

Rip Curl Girls Malibu 2005 : photo ASP/Karen

As the seventh event of nine on the women’s WCT, the heat is on as 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. Rip Curl team rider, Jaqueline 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 12 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.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 and all proceeds will benefit Heal The Bay.

Rip Curl Girls Malibu 2005 : [hoto ASP/Karen

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Rip Curl Malibu Pro Press Conference, September 30, 2005The Media Launch will be the official press conference for the Rip Curl Malibu Pro, and will include four of the world’s top female surfers, some of Hollywood’s hottest young celebrities, sponsors, and Bethany Hamilton.Location: Malibu Inn Bar - 22969 Pacific Coast Hwy - Malibu - Ca 90265Time: 5pm-7pmAttendance at the Press Conference will be by press invitation onlyThe Rip Curl Footwear Trials, Friday Sept. 30, 2005To be staged on Friday September 30, the Rip Curl Footwear Trialswill comprise a star-studded field of 12 women surfers.A mix of Rip Curl team riders including Julia Christian (CA, USA),Stephaine Gilmore (QLD, Australia), Alana Blanchard (Kauai, USA),Bethany Hamilton (Kauai, USA), Jessi Miley Dyer (Sydney, Australia),and Ashley Bobb (Florida, USA).

The Footwear Trials format will involve three rounds of round robin heats, where all girls will surf three times.Points will be awarded for placings, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and then accumulated at the end of the three rounds. The top four surfers will thensurf off in the Footwear Trials Final, where the one lucky WINNER will gainthe MAIN EVENT WILDCARD to surf against the Worlds Top 16 female surfersin the main event.TRIALS Round 1 8:00am-9:20am (Heats 1-4, 20 Min)FRIDAY - Sept 30 Round 2 9:20am-10:40am (Heats 1-4, 20 Min)Leo Carrillo Round 3 10:40am-12:00pm (Heats 1-4, 20 Min)Round Robin Format Finals 12:15pm-12:40pm (25 Min)

Rip Curl Malibu Pro Celebrity Surf Bout, October 1, 2005; The stage is set for celebrity actors and musicians to battle it out in atag team surf event that will proclaim Hollywood’s hottest celebrity surfers.Rip Curl Celebrity Surf Bout will be open to the public and all proceedswill benefit Heal the Bay.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon

More information at http://www.ripcurl.com/malibu

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For more information
Mike Makos +1 714 422 3652 E: mmakos@ripcurl.com
PJ Connell +1 714 422 3603 E: pconnell@ripcurl.comCody
Felter +1 714 422 3645 E: cfelter@ripcurl.com
Matt Meyerson +1 310 550 7776 E: mmeyerson@bwr-la.comKim
Peterson +1 310 279 0311 E: kpeterson@bwr-la.comAmanda
Gruder +1 310 550 7776 E: agruder@bwr-la.comAustralia
Gary Dunne +61 352 610000 E: gdunne@ripcurl.com.au
Dane Sharp +61 352 610000 E: dsharp@ripcurl.com.au
In Europe Franck Goudou +33 558 417800 E: fgoudou@ripcurl-europe.comIn
Brazil Felipe Silveira +55 13 33983000 E: felipe@ripcurl.com.br
ASP International Melissa Buckley +1 970 731 5558 E: melissa@aspworldtour.comWayne
Dart +61 407 189 289 E: darty@aspworldtour.comDIGITAL
Photos available via Karen Wilson of ASP International(karenwilson@aspworldtour.com or www.aspworldtour.com).

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