Press release:
Huntington Beach, CA (July 10, 2013) – With the 2013 Vans US Open of Surfing competition less than two weeks away, Vans, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), and event owner and producer, IMG, are proud to announce this year’s surfing lineup. Featuring the best of the best in surfing, this year’s stars include Dane Reynolds, 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater, defending 2012 event champion Julian Wilson, current ASP World Title threat and progressive standout Jordy Smith, two-time event champion and Huntington Beach local Brett Simpson, defending 2012 women’s champion Lakey Peterson, current ASP Women’s World No. 1 Tyler Wright, World No. 4 and local favorite Courtney Conlogue plus additional wild cards including Dylan Graves, Nathan Florence, Kanoa Igarashi, Leila Hurst and many more.
This year’s Vans US Open is a pivotal point on the ASP World Tour for both the men and women. For the men, a win at the Vans US Open – North America’s only ASP Prime event and the fourth of eight in 2013 – will earn them valuable points towards qualification for the coveted ASP Top 34. And for the women, the Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Paul Mitchell marks the 2nd to the last stop on the Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT). Alongside the ASP World Tour stop, Vans will also host the ASP Pro Juniors for men and women, playing a vital role in a young surfer’s qualification hopes for the 2013 ASP World Junior Championships. In addition, the Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational presented by Pacifico, an innovative surf series dedicated to the creative expression and style of longboarding, will showcase world-class longboarding talent such as Alex Knost, Jared Mell and Tyler Warren.
The 2013 Vans US Open of Surfing will run from July 20 to July 28 with all events free and open to the public. Live webcast can be viewed at www.vansusopenofsurfing.com and via the US Open app starting July 22. Having initially broken viewership records over the past two years, last year’s event garnered momentum bringing the viewership to 1.5MM+, with the expectation to grow even more worldwide this year.
The Vans US Open of Surfing is proudly sponsored by SIMPLE Mobile, Fiat, Paul Mitchell Salon Haircare, Casio G-Shock, Pacifico, Red Bull, iON Cameras, Casio G’zOne, 7-Eleven, and Surfing Magazine. The Vans US Open of Surfing will air on Saturday, September 7 at 2:00pm EST on NBC as part of the Red Bull Signature Series.
About Vans
Vans®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear and apparel brand. Vans collections include authentic footwear, apparel, accessories and snowboard boots that are sold globally in more than 170 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and foreign offices. VF Outdoor, Inc. owns and operates more than 300 stores of the Vans brand in the United States and internationally, each offering a wide range of Vans footwear and apparel while communicating the brand and athletes’ rich stories. The Vans brand promotes action sports lifestyle and youth culture through support of athletes on boards and bikes all over the globe and through progressive events such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, the Vans Downtown Showdown, the Vans Pool Party, the Vans Warped Tour® and surfing’s most prestigious contest, the Vans US Open of Surfing. More information about the Vans brand can be found at www.vans.com, Twitter @vans_66 and www.facebook.com/vans.
About IMG
IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging: IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India and Turkey; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing. More information is available at www.imgworld.com. Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/IMG_Worldwide) and like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/IMGWorldwide).
