Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge Set for US Open of Surfing
Special Exhibition Scheduled for Sunday, July 27
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (July 8, 2008) — Stand-up paddle surfing will make its debut at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing on Sunday, July 27, when the Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge hits the water at famed Huntington Beach Pier.
The event begins at approximately 1:20 p.m. and will showcase six to eight of the world’s top surfers competing on individual chosen Surftech built standup paddleboards. Among the paddle surfers expected to appear in the inaugural Corona event are longboard surfing champion Joel Tudor, four-time women’s world champion Lisa Andersen and current WCT competitor Timmy Reyes. Additional participants in the exhibition will be announced in the coming weeks.
“The Honda U.S. Open of Surfing and Surftech are strong event partners for Corona and our Corona Extra brand,” said Timm Amundson, vice president of marketing, Corona Extra and Corona Light for Crown Imports. “Through the Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge we hope to leverage the diverse backgrounds and talents of some of the world’s great surfers to showcase Stand-up Paddle Surfing. Combining the best elements of surfing and fitness, the Corona Stand-up Paddle Challenge is the perfect vehicle for us and it brings something entertaining to the fans and a unique programming element to the event.”
The modern version of Stand-up Paddle Surfing originated in the 1960s in Hawaii and in the last decade some of the world’s top surfers used paddle surfing as a training tool when the surf was down. Surftech, the pioneer in advanced surfboard construction helped spearheaded this movement. Working with Legendary waterman Laird Hamilton, Surftech created a line of standup boards that have been embraced by the surf community and helped the sport gain traction worldwide.
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Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge
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”The Honda US Open of Surfing is the world’s largest forum for showcasing all things surf and lifestyle. The Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge is sure to be a relevant addition to the mix,” said James Leitz, vice president of IMG and executive producer of the event.
Owned and produced by IMG, a global leader in sports and entertainment, the U.S. Open of Surfing is North America’s highest-rated qualifying event and the world’s largest and most heavily attended professional surfing competition with some 400,000 spectators annually. The surf contest runs July 18 to 27 at the Huntington Beach Pier and is all part of a multi-sports, music and lifestyle festival entitled GO211 Live!
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