Press Release:
September 16, 2011- Costa Mesa, California/USA — Rip Curl is proud to announce today that it will be partnering with world-class surf forecasters Surfline for the Rip Curl Pro Search “Somewhere in San Francisco.”
The event, which runs from November 1-12, will pit the world’s best surfers in the challenging—and often massive—beachbreak peaks of Ocean Beach. There won’t be palm trees and boardshorts this year, but this is one Search that is bound to bring out the best in the world’s greatest surfers.
The Rip Curl Pro Search has brought some memorable and defining moments to pro surfing in the last five years thanks to precise swell forecasting and planning, from the greatest barrels ever seen in competition “Somewhere in Mexico” in 2007 to Kelly Slater winning his astounding tenth World Title “Somewhere in Puerto Rico” in 2010.
And just like Mexico and Puerto Rico were just a stone’s throw from some of the planet’s most exposed surf breaks, so too is Ocean Beach and its heart thumping potential, proving that, sometimes, the Search can be in your own backyard.
“We chose Ocean Beach because of the waves and the surfing experience that San Fran offers to the surfers, the ASP, and the fans of the ASP World Tour,” said Rip Curl’s Global Marketing Chairman, Neil Ridgway.
“The Search isn’t always at the end of the earth, sometimes it is where you least expect it: at the end of the road… somewhere in a city. It’s a new and exciting challenge.
“Surfline helped us decide,” continued Ridgway. “Without Sean Collins, we would never have thought of San Fran. The clincher was when he said to us: ‘Guys, it could be like Hossegor on steroids!'”
Collins, who successfully pinpointed the waiting period dates for the Quiksilver Pro New York—which saw the best surf the region has seen thus far in 2011—has become a trusted voice for the Search when it comes to putting the world’s best surfers in the best possible conditions.
“Rip Curl approached me in August of 2010 about helping them to determine new Search locations for the ASP World Tour,” said Collins. “After so many years of chasing waves, forecasting, and helping other surfers to score, I have a pretty detailed list of spots around the world that I monitor.
“One of my top suggestions was Ocean Beach, San Francisco in late October and early November,” continued Collins. “And in October and November high pressure over the San Joaquin Valley can develop perfect offshore winds and epic, clean conditions along with great swells.”
Rip Curl will partner with Surfline on back to back events: first at Stop #9 of the ASP Men’s World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by TMN, which runs from October 15-24 followed up by Stop #10, the Rip Curl Pro Search “Somewhere in San Francisco”, which begins on November 1 and runs through November 12 and will be webcast live on live.ripcurl.com.
For more information, please contact Chelsea Johns: cjohns@ripcurl.com.
