For seven long years, one team, Sunrise, has reigned supreme in the battle for the best surf shop in the Southeast region. But Sunrise’s dynasty came to a dramatic denouementon Tuesday at Paradise Park in Melbourne, Florida, when Quiet Flight showed up with former World Champion surfer CJ Hobgood leading their charge. Hobgood didn’t disappoint, but Sunrise didn’t go quietly, nor did the rest of the teams, making for an exciting day of competition.
In heat one, the big surprise was team Nomad with Baron Knowlton earning the biggest score of the first round, an 8.17 double whammy. The score gave him and his teammates the heat win over second-place Surf Station and the Quiet Flight squad, rounded out by Randy Nolan, Jeremy Johnston and shop manager Ian Newland.
Heat two saw the Sunrise team of the Thompson brother trio and long-time vet Garrett “G Rat” Carmichael, lay down the hammer with a 35.63 heat total and remind everyone why they have built such a dynasty in these events.
With only the four highest scoring teams out of nine moving on to the final, Quiet Flight was left on the bubble, which no one saw coming. It came down to Catalyst’s young upstart and double whammy surfer Chauncey Robinson needing only a high six-point ride to knock out Hobgood and his crew. Fortunately for Quiet Flight, Chauncey fell short and they squeaked into the final.
With the contention building throughout the day, the final is where it got really ugly. Sunrise came out firing as usual and looked destined to make it eight titles in a row. About halfway through, Surf Station’s former World Tour competitor and double whammy surfer, Gabe Kling, got tangled up with Sunrise’s double whammy surfer Evan Thompson. Head judge Jeff Klugel deemed that Kling was “closest to the peak” and Sunrise was called for an interference, meaning the highest score of the final, Evan’s 8.17 would only count once. With the interference in the computer, the new leader became Nomad with Quiet Flight sitting in second. However, Hobgood’s contest experience would serve him well and he thrived under the pressure. Needing a high four-point score, dealing with low tide conditions and time winding down, he was able to pull out a 5.43 for the win.
In the end, it was by far the most controversial and interesting Surf Shop Challenge Florida had ever seen.
Final Results:
1 – Quiet Flight (25.83)
2 – Nomad Surf Shop (23.90)
3 – Surf Surf Shop (23.71)
4 – Surf Station (17.43)
The 2016 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge heads back to the west coast for the Northwest regional at Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, Calif. on either May 26 or 27, depending on the best conditions.
The 2016 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge schedule:
· March 25 – Southwest – Seaside Reef, Cardiff, Calif. – Winner: Surf Ride
· April 11 – Mid-Atlantic – Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC – Winner: Sweetwater Surf Shop
· April 14 – Northeast – Manasquan Inlet, NJ – Winner: Heritage Surf & Sport
· April 19 – Southeast – Paradise Beach Park, Melbourne, Fla. – Winner: Quiet Flight
· May 26/27 – Northwest – Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, Calif.
· June 3 – West – 54th or 56th Street – Newport Beach, Calif.
· July 7/8 – Hawaii – Ala Moana Bowls, South Shore, Haw.
· Fall 2016 – National Championship – Southern California
For all of the latest information including photos, video footage, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.
Special thanks to Oakley, SURFER Magazine and event partners, Futures Fins, GoPro, Xcel Wetsuits, JS Industries and Official Forecaster Surfline.com 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.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading product design and sport performance brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is a culture of creators, inventors, idealists and scientists obsessed with using design and innovation to create products and experiences that inspire greatness. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with products that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is known for its High Definition Optics®, which feature unparalleled optical clarity and precision along with impact resistance and UV protection, incorporated into all of the brand’s sun, prescription eyewear and premium goggles. Oakley extended its position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel and accessories. Oakley has men’s and women’s product lines that appeal to Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.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 TEN: The Enthusiast Network, which reaches more than 45 million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. To learn more, visit SURFERmag.com.
About TEN: The Enthusiast Network
TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world’s premier network of enthusiast brands, such as MOTOR TREND, AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, SURFER, TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING, and GRINDTV. With more than 50 publications, 60 websites, 50 events, 1,000 branded products, TEN delivers both the world’s largest audience in the automotive category, and the world’s largest action/adventure sports media platform. TEN inspires enthusiasts to pursue their passions. For more information, visit enthusiastnetwork.com.
