Press Release:
SEVEN U.S.A. SURF SHOP CHAMPIONS HEADED TO BALI FOR OAKLEY SURF SHOP CHALLENGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Social Media: Oakley Surf Shop Challenge National Championships hits Bali Oct. 6-10 Highlights from last year at www.surfshopchallenge.com/video/nationalchampionships/ #OSSC
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Oct. 3, 2012 – Seven teams are about to embark on a journey of a lifetime to Bali, Indonesia for the 2012 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge (OSSC) National Championships, October 6-10, 2012.
This year has seen nearly 300 surfers from 70 shops around the U.S. compete at seven regional stops. The winners of each of those events are being treated to an all-expense-paid trip to Bali courtesy of Oakley for a chance to surf some of the world’s best waves, compete for a $10,000+ prize package and the title of the “Best Surf Shop” in the U.S.A.
Last year, Team Sweetwater out of Wrightsville Beach, NC emerged as the National Champions for the second consecutive year. However, Sweetwater was ousted this year by Wave Riding Vehicles out of Kitty Hawk, NC for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Title and the upgraded trip to Bali for the National Championships.
“We are beyond excited to have won the regional contest and to be representing the Mid-Atlantic region in the nationals,” said Brendan Petticrew of Wave Riding Vehicles.
“We were stoked to compete against Sweetwater. We’re all friends and it was a great day! I really can’t imagine going to Bali with a better group of humans. Of course we would love to take the national title, but in our eyes we’ve already won. So, we are going to go with the WRV strategy that got us here in the first place . . . just have fun!!”
Only two teams are returning to the National Championships from last year’s final event in Huntington Beach. Heritage Surf Shop out of Ocean City, NJ representing the Northeast and Sunrise Surf Shop from Jacksonville Beach, Fla. representing the Southeast will bring experience from last year.
However, this year brings a major venue change from the classic and crowded California beach break of Huntington Beach to the remote high performance righthanders of Keramas. No doubt, it’s a welcome change for the athletes, most of whom will be surfing the pristine reef break, known for producing perfect barrels, for the very first time.
In addition to the trip of a lifetime, the winning National Championship team will also receive $10,000 cash, a full-page shop profile in SURFER Magazine, online ads on Surfermag.com and a custom Muscle Milk Beach Cruiser with surf racks.
The following 2012 Regional Champions will compete in the National Championship:
SurfRide (Southwest)
Wave Riding Vehicles (Mid-Atlantic)
Heritage Ocean City (Northeast)
Jack’s Surfboards (West)
Town & Country Surf (Hawaii)
Sunrise Surf Shop (Southeast)
Pacific Wave Surf Shop (Northwest)
For all of the latest information including photos, video highlights, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.
Special thanks to Oakley and other event partners, Muscle Milk, Rusty, Bubble Gum Surf Wax, New Era, FutureS Fins, Waterman’s Applied Science and Mizu for their support, without which the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be possible.
About Surf Shop Challenge
Originally conceived to provide a fun and competitive format for the hardcore surf shop riders, the SURFER Shop Team Challenge was one of the most popular and exciting Southern California contests of the early 1980s. Through the years the contest has evolved, with seven qualifying regional events around the country, culminating in a national championship in Bali, Indonesia for the first time in 2012. The underlying principles, however, have remained the same. The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge is still about giving back to the shops, the true backbone of the industry and the heart of the sport of surfing. Each year the competition level rises, the stakes become greater and the prizes become bigger.
About Oakley, Inc.
The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at oakley.com.
About SURFER
In 1960, SURFER Magazine began as the original. After a long history of delivering provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and award winning state-of-the-art photography, SURFER remains the authoritative voice of the surfing world and thus earned the moniker “the bible of the sport.” The SURFER brand has also grown to include Surfermag.com, Fantasy Surfer, and the SURFER message boards. All of these assets combine to make the SURFER network the most current and reliable channel of information to the surf community. The magazine is published by Source Interlink’s GrindMedia, which reaches more than 22-million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. To learn more, visit surfermag.com.
About GrindMedia
Source Interlink Media’s GrindMedia is home to renowned action and adventure sports magazine brands Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Powder, Bike, Canoe & Kayak, SUP-Standup Paddler, Dirt Rider, ATV Rider, and Paved. Along with our standalone websites, including GrindTV.com, Newschoolers and Motocross.com, GrindMedia is the leading provider of print and online action sports and entertainment content in the United States. Delivering significant reach across both action sports enthusiast and various in-market consumer audiences, GrindMedia produces more than 20 leading events and webcasts such as Surfer Poll Awards, Powder Video Awards, Nike Lowers Pro, EnduroCross and International Surfing Day. GrindMedia is also the exclusive action and adventure sports content provider for Yahoo! Sports. To learn more, visit grindmedia.com.
