Press release:
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., March 27, 2014 – The 2014 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge presented by SURFER kicks off this Friday, March 28th at Seaside Reef in Cardiff, Calif. with the Southwest regional qualifier. Fourteen San Diego County surf shops will compete for the opportunity to represent their region against six other regional qualifiers in the National Championship. The nationwide search will carryon throughout the next few months traversing the continent to identify the best seven teams from stops in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Hawaii and three areas of California to receive an all-expense paid trip to the National Championship in Central America for the final show down and ultimate bragging rights.
The unique event series pits four-man teams (two surf shop pros and two shop employees) against each other for a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to the National Championship in Central America, an advertising spread in SURFER Magazine, and the coveted title and bragging rights of best surf shop in the country.
A surf mecca in its own right, the Southwest has notoriously been a contentious region with top teams at battle and always big contenders for the National Title. Surf Ride and Hansen’s have jockeyed for wins over the years each with three titles under their belts: Surf Ride in 2013, 2012 and 2009 and Hansen’s in 2011, 2010 and 2007. This year could be the year to break that tie.
This year’s Southwest teams:
·      Clairemont Surf Shop, San Diego
·      Emerald City The Boarding Source, San Diego
·      Hanger 94, La Mesa
·      Hansen’s Surf Shop, Encinitas
·      Rail II Rail Surf Shop, San Diego
·      Rusty Boardhouse, La Jolla
·      Rusty Boardhouse, Del Mar
·      South Coast Surf Shop, Ocean Beach
·      South Coast Surf Shop, Pacific Beach
·      Sun Diego Boardshops, Carlsbad
·      Sun Diego Boardshops, Mission Beach
·      Surf Hut, Imperial Beach
·      Surf Ride, Oceanside
·      Surf Ride, Solana Beach
The complete 2014 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge and Oakley High School Surf Team Challenge calendar:
·      March 28-29 – Southwest – Seaside Reef, Cardiff, Calif.*
·      April 8/9 – Southeast – Ponce Inlet, Fla.
·      April 11/12 – Mid-Atlantic – Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC
·      April 14/15 – Northeast – Manasquan Inlet, Manasquan, NJ
·      May 15/16 – Hawaii – Ala Moana Bowls, South Shore, Haw.
·      May 30-31 – West – 54th or 56th Street – Newport Beach, Calif.*
·      July 23/24 – Northwest – Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, Calif.
·      TBD – National Championship – Central America
*Denotes Oakley High School Surf Team Challenge stops
For all of the latest information including photos, video footage, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.
Special thanks to title sponsor Oakley, media sponsor SURFER Magazine and co-sponsors New Era, Futures Fins, Watermans Sunscreen and Banzai Bowls, 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, growing into seven qualifying regional events around the country and culminating in a national championship abroad. 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 the world’s largest action/adventure/outdoor media company, with 29 leading media assets featuring brands such as GrindTV.com, SURFER, SURFING, TransWorld SKATEboarding, Bike, POWDER, TransWorld Motocross, Snowboarder, Canoe & Kayak and more. GrindMedia reaches more than 40 million engaged consumers every month through its print, online, mobile, TV/video and events. Delivering significant reach across both action sports enthusiast and various in-market consumer audiences, GrindMedia also produces more than 40 leading events and webcasts such as Surfer Poll Awards, TransWorld SKATEboarding Awards, Powder Video Awards, Lowers Pro and EnduroCross. GrindMedia is also the exclusive action and adventure sports content provider for Yahoo! Sports. To learn more, visit grindmedia.com
