Uncle Toad’s Media Group, the award-winning production company known for live broadcast in the sports and entertainment worlds, has been tapped by Vans Pipe Masters as its official live broadcast production partner for the upcoming 2022 event. Vans Pipe Masters will stream live beginning December 8 through December 20.
“This project is right in our wheelhouse at Uncle Toad’s. We began working on surf events in 2007 and have since refined our approach and expertise to create an authentic viewing experience for fans,” said Jordan Velarde, CEO of Uncle Toad’s. “We’re excited to return to Hawaii to help Vans broadcast one of the most important surf contests in the world and continue to break the mold for how viewers and fans experience this incredible event that’s unlike any other in this space.”
As the most renowned surfing event in the world, the Pipe Masters has been both a mainstay and a driver of evolution for more than 50 years, running uninterrupted every Hawaiian winter since its 1971 inception. Originating as a single heat surf-off, the Pipe Masters featured in the pro tour’s debut season in 1976; ran independently of the pro tour on occasion while deciding the world champion on others; made its Triple Crown of Surfing debut in 1983; and for 52 years has unequivocally stood as the defining stage of every great surfer’s career. In 1997, Pipe Masters founder Fred Hemmings and director Randy Rarick passed the torch of ownership of both the Pipe Masters and the Triple Crown to Vans, who has been the IP holder of both prestigious events ever since. While the event was licensed to the World Surf League in recent years, Vans will usher in a new era for the Pipe Masters in December 2022, when it presents a global specialty Invitational that will feature the world’s best male and female tube riders — and aerialists — from Hawaii and around the world.
“This event marks an exciting challenge for us, as it’s a brand new format that puts the surfer and surfing front and center,” adds Chris Steblay, Executive Producer and Creative Director at Uncle Toad’s. “There will be a high level of creativity involved in the broadcast and we can’t wait to bring it to life for viewers.”
This is not the first time Uncle Toad’s has spearheaded the production of an event of this nature; since 2007, Uncle Toad’s has worked with major action sports competitions like the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the Natural Selection Tour, Volcom Fiji Pro and Warped Tour.
The event will be broadcasted across VansPipeMasters.com, Stabmag.com, YouTube, and a variety of other channels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Dtq1FljJs&feature=emb_title
