| Surfing America Prime Series will kick off in August |
| Tuesday, 28 July 2009 09:56 |
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Surfing America, the National Governing Body for surfing in the USA, is pleased to announce that a new series of events, called Surfing America Prime, will blanket the nation in the 2009/2010 competition season. What was PacSun WSA Prime presented by Got Milk?—an incredibly successful series of events for “under 18” surfers on the West Coast this past year—will expand its footprint across the country under the Surfing America banner. The Surfing America Prime series will be made up of ten (10) events in total: six contests on the West Coast, three contests on the East Coast, and one in Texas. The series kicks off at DMJ’s on Camp Pendleton on August 22-23 and offers a high standard of competion for aspiring surfers in the following age divisions: Boys Under 18 Boys Under 16 Boys Under 14 Girls Under 18 Girls Under 16 As a result of this development, any mainland US athlete in these divisions, who seeks entry into 2010 Surfing America USA Championships event, must compete in—and qualify through—the new Surfing America Prime. A limited number of slots into Surfing America Prime will be distributed by invitation-only by Surfing America member organizations (ESA, NSSA, TGSA, and WSA). As there is no Prime series in Hawaii yet, a limited number of HSA and NSSA-Hawaii Under-18 athletes will advance into to the USA Championships directly from their organizations. All competitors in adult age divisions will continue to qualify to the USA Championships through the current structure in their respective Surfing America member organization. “This is a humongous development for Surfing America and the sport of surfing in the United States,” said Mike Gerard, Surfing America’s executive director. “Greg Cruse and the Western Surfing Association did an amazing job with the creation and operation of the PacSun WSA Prime series last year. They’ve provided a tremendous service to the Under 18 athletes on the West Coast and Surfing America’s national roll out seeks to extend that service to aspiring young athetes across the country. We also believe this will bring significant benefits to Surfing America’s member organizations and will substantially increase their membership base—as it did WSA’s.” The Surfing America Prime Series will pick up where WSA left off and carry the same vision forward: to create a high quality event series for young athletes seeking to become a USA Champion and a member of the prestigius PacSun USA Surf Team. Through 4-man/20 minute heats, ASP judges, computer scoring, live webcasts and high profile media support, the Surfing America Prime series will give the nation’s best young athletes a contest experience that will best prepare them for where they are headed as competitors. Greg Cruse, creator the WSA Prime series has agreed to come on board as the Director of Surfing America Prime. “The acceptance and success of the WSA Prime Series has been extremely gratifying and I’m stoked and honored to be able to share this program with the rest of the Surfing America family,” said Cruse. “The surfers, their parents, team managers and the surf industry have all seen the value of a program that helps prepare our best junior surfers for success in ISA World Junior, Pro Junior and WQS competition.” Surfing America believes the Prime Series will have the effect of similar programs in other countries such as South Africa and Australia—where surfers like Jordy Smith and Owen Wright realized immediate success at ISA World Juniors competition and in the pro ranks. And Surfing America Prime will increase the PacSun USA Surf Team's chances at Gold in ISA World Junior competition. “This exciting new layer of Surfing America Prime brings a clear path to surfers and their parents all around the country,” added Cruse. “We finally can see a defined roadmap from regional programs to Surfing America Prime, to the SIMA Surfing America USA Championships, to the PacSun USA Surf Team and on to a pro career if desired.” In addition, the new coach of the PacSun USA Surf Team, Ian Cairns, sees Surfing America Prime as a great addition to his development, training, and coaching program. “A true national event series with quality judging, 20 minute x 4-man heats will offer the USA groms a clear path to the PacSun USA Surf Team and to subsequent ASP success,” said Cairns. “I look forward to using these Prime events as yet another training platform for the Team kids, and up-and-comers, in their home regions.” Here’s the tentative schedule for Surfing America Prime in 2009/2010: West 1. August 22 & 23, 2009 – DMJs Camp Pendelton 2. October 3, 2009 – Church Beach, San Onofre State Beach 3. January TBD, 2010 – Steamer Lane 4. February 20 & 21, 2010 – Upper Trestles, San Onofre State Beach 5. March 20 & 21, 2010 – Oceanside Harbor, South Jetty 6. April 24 & 25, 2010 – Malibu 3rd Point East 1. October 17 & 18, 2009 – Ditch Plains, Montauk, Long Island, NY 2. January or March TBD, 2010 – Sebastian Inlet, FL 3. April, 2010 – Outerbanks area, TBD Gulf 1. March 13 & 14, 2010 – Texas Gulf Area, TBD
The 2009 SIMA Surfing America USA Championships presented by Verizon Wireless will take place August 24-30 at Huntington Beach Pier. For more information, or to watch the live webcast, go to http://surfingamerica.org The Surfing America Prime Series is a qualifier for the USA Championships starting in 2010 and does not affect this year’s event.
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