September 21st, 2015, Hangzhou, China
The stage is set for the 2015 Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shoot Out this month with three “Surf City” teams coming from around the Pacific against the first full Chinese team to compete for a prize purse of $28,000.00. For the first time a Chinese Team will compete selected from the Surfing China National Team established in 2014, in a pre-event China Trials. The event will run on the Qiantang river in Hangzhou from September 28th through October 2nd.
Video of the 2014 event as provided by sponsor Go Pro can be seen here: https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTMzOTM2Mzg5Mg==.html?from=y1.7-2
The Red Bull Qiantang Surfing Shoot Out since 2013 has been run as a competitive event with the champions to date being:
2013 Makua Rothman & Kalani David/Team Honolulu, Hawaii.
2014 Jamie O’Brien & Jamie Sterling/Team Honolulu, Hawaii.
Previous participants since 2008 when the event was in an exhibition format included Brad Gerlach, Greg Long, Rusty Long, Phil MacDonald, Trent Munro, Mark Matthews, Richie Vucovich, Anastasia Ashley, Steve Newton, Mikala Jones, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, Tosh Townend and Mary Osborne.
TEAMS for RED BULL QIANTANG SURFING SHOOT OUT 2015
Team GOLD COAST/MAD HUEYS
Dean Morrison
Returns to the Qiantang River after being a finalist in 2014 for Team Gold Coast. A former WSL/ASP World Junior Champion and World Tour competitor today chases giant waves and has recently in 2015 received a nomination for the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards of the Year “Ride of the Year” He spent most of the decade of the 2000’s on WSL/ASP World Tour and was ranked in the top ten in the World in 2007.
Shaun Harrington
One of twin brothers from Coolangatta on the Gold Coast of Australia. A founder of the Mad Hueys, he and his brother Dean have been stand-out surfers from the Coolangatta points since the Nineties. They created the Mad Hueys by banding together with a bunch of mates who love to surf, fish, drink beer and have fun doing crazy stuff and Dean Morrison is one of them too.
Team HUNTINGTON BEACH/TURNER Brothers
Ryan Turner
Returns to the Qiantang River after competing for Team Huntington Beach in 2014. A stand-out competitor in California in his teenage days he soon was venturing off to Indonesia where his definitive tube-riding style saw him develop into one of the best “Free Surfing” tuberiders in the world and as a result he was featured in numerous surf movies of the Nineties and 2000’s. He has been one of best surfers in the water in Huntington Beach “Surf City” for over two decades.
Timmy Turner
Ryan Turner’s younger brother Timmy is an accomplished adventure surfer, especially in Indonesia where he made the award winning film “Second Thoughts” in 2003. Recently he caught and recorded with his Go Pro, a tube ridden wave and with his GPS Rip Curl watch on the “Swell of the Decade” in Indonesia at a place he calls “Somewhere in Indo” recorded a ride that went for 977 yards at twenty-seven plus miles per hour. In the Nineties, together Ryan and Timmy were team-members of the National Championship High School Surf Team from Huntington Beach and both served as Team Captains. The Turner brothers also manage the family business The Sugar Shack in Huntington Beach, the most popular breakfast surfer hang-out. They can often be caught behind the counter serving you your breakfast and hot coffee.
Team LOS ANGELES/BODY GLOVE
Alex Gray
Was a member of the Surfing America Junior National Team that won the Silver medal in Tahiti in 2004, himself placing in the Ten Ten in that ISA World Championships. He continued to compete on the international level into his twenties but eventually became a “Free Surfer” chasing the best waves in the world for videos a magazine features, making a number of major surfing magazine covers. In recent times he has graduated to group of big wave chargers of the world and was on the invite list in 2014-15 for the prestigious Quiksilver/Eddie Aikau Invitational held on Hawaii’s North Shore at Waimea Bay.
Cheyne Magnussen
Originally born in California but was brought up on the island of Maui, Hawaii before relocating back to Los Angeles, California today where he works as a Team Manager for Body Glove. As a youngster he was the Hawaii State Champion in 2000 and represented Hawaii in the ISA World Championships that year. He is the older brother of Clay Marzo, superstar free surfer. His father Tony Magnussen was a top level professional skateboarder and co-founded of Osiris Shoes.
Team SURFING CHINA
TBA from a Surfing China Team Trials days leading up to the event.
More about the contest
The Red Bull Qiantang Shootout is the first of its kind surf contest that pits four two-man teams of surfers equipped with their boards and a jet-ski against each other for a $28,000 purse, on the most unusual wave in the world. The phenomena that is known as the “Silver Dragon” comes from the tidal surge that comes from the East China Sea into the Hangzhou Bay down the Qiantang river. It presents numerous challenges as the Qiantang “river bore” wave is unusual in its size (recorded at 9m), its variety of workable wave faces on its path through the middle of the city of Hangzhou.” It is a unique venue that brings with it Chinese mainstream media that wouldn’t normally cover surfing or for that matter any “Action Sports”.
More on Peter Townend
The first World Champion of Professional Surfing(1976)
Has held numerous industry positions in a thirty year career in action sports, including a ten year term as Advertising Director/Associate Publisher of Surfing, Bodyboarding and Volleyball magazines, eight years as the Marketing Director of Rusty and as Publisher of Primedia’s Surfing Group and Marketing and Events Director for the Primedia Action Sports Group(ASG) division in the early 2000’s.
In 2003 he launched The ActivEmpire(ATE) a multi-service, strategic consultancy company specializing in the surf/action sports community.
Has also served as President of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association(SIMA ’88-89) and served as President of Surfing America(’97-04) which he founded, the SIMA funded non-profit organization that is the National Governing Body(NGB) as recognized by the International Surfing Association(ISA).
Townend currently serves on the Surfing Walk of Fame(SWOF) Board of Directors, the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum(HBISM) Board of Directors as Co-Chairman, The Huntington Beach Visitors Bureau(VHB) Board of Directors, the USA SkateBoarding Board of Directors and also serves on SIMA’s Senior Advisory Board and the San Diego Sports Innovators(SDSI) Advisory Board.
In 2014 Townend was appointed the first National Coach of the first ever Surfing China National Team, which competed in the ISA China Cup in Hainan.
More on Wabsono International “China’s Action Sports Solution”
Wabsono International has become a leader in the development of Action Sports participation and lifestyle in China. Wabsono currently specializes in Licensing, Marketing, Manufacturing and Distribution of the lifestyle and related products of Skateboarding, Surfing and Wintersports. Having a strong position in the industry, Wabsono is capable of spending the necessary time and effort to build brands while building the lifestyle in China. Wabsono owns and operates the Red Bull Qiantang Shoot Out, Dragon Sk8 series and the 2015 Red Bull Dragon Sk8.
Wabsono is committed to increasing the popularity of the “Boardsports” lifestyle in China
More about CESA(Chinese Extreme Sports Association)
CESA, the Chinese Extreme Sports Association is a division of the China Water Sports Administration and the governing body for the sports of Surfing, Skateboarding, White water rafting, BMX and FMX. It’s Secretary General is Liu Qing. Under the management of CESA, the Chinese Surfing Association is the officially recognized national governing body of surfing. This is the second appearance of the six person Surfing China National Team selected in 2014 and is officially endorsed by CESA.
