O'Neill
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O’Neill Cold Water Classic Forges On
Apr 18th
O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland Steps Into Top Gear
THURSO EAST, Scotland (Saturday, April 17, 2010) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star men’s O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland stepped into top gear and showed it’s true colours with courageous displays of surfing mixed with extremely wild weather conditions. Many saying the heaviest they have experienced in a surfing competition. The final 24 surfers were decided with the completion of round 3 late this afternoon under heavy rain, wind and a mere 4º Celsius.
High end surfing at the O'Neill CWC Scotland
Strong cold winds which at times reached gale force strength along with rain lead to another tough day for the remaining surfers.
Definitely bigger than yesterday with waves from 4-6ft (1-1.5m) and consistent sets which was one of the bonuses helping to keep the event on a roll.
Royden Bryson (ZAF) summed it up perfectly, “Definitely without a shadow of a doubt the coldest day I have ever spent at the beach in my entire life. The waves are actually pretty good so we can’t complain I mean it’s 5-6ft and it could be flat which is worse. The elements here are something radical.”
Jarrad Howse
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland the most northern surfing event on the planet
is the second stop of The O’Neill CWC Series and offers surfers valuable ASP World Men’ Star points and is also stop nº 1 of 12 of the ASP
European Series which will eventually crown this year’s European champion.
ASP rookie Shaun Joubert (ZAF) on his first year competing on the ASP men’s star tour and on his first visit to Scotland exploded out of the blocks in heat nº2 of round 4 pulling off a huge front-side air to score an 8.5 then backed it up with another high scoring 7.67 to secure the heat win and a two wave total of 16.17 out of a possible 20.
“It was pretty fun out there really. I live at a right-hand point break so anything that resembles that is good for my surfing and despite the cold
it’s good.”
“It was one of those heats where everything goes right and I’m happy to have a good heat out there. I made 2 heats in Tasmania (CWC),”
continued Joubert about his O’Neill CWC results so far this year. “It’s good to do that again because lots of guys don’t like surfing in
wetsuits so they don’t come here but I like it a lot”
cwc
Apr 17th
O’Neill Hyperfreak Website Game Offers Two Tickets To Hawaii.
Apr 15th
O’Neill is proud to announce the launch of a state-of-the-art website showcasing the Hyperfreak boardshort. At the heart of the website lies an entertaining augmented reality surf game, paving the way for surfers to get their interactive shred on even when conditions are flat back out in the real world. Competitors need to simply play the game for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing in Hawaii. All that is needed is a computer, webcam and broadband internet connection.
The Boardshort
Stemming from the industry breakthrough technical boardshort, the Superfreak, released in 2003, the Hyperfreak pushes the limits of stretch, strength and lightweight performance. With many competitors now chasing the technical boardshort category that O’Neill developed, the Hyperfreak is the clear leader with powerful attributes in fabrics and workmanship. Highly technical products like the Hyperfreak is a result of innovative design and extensive testing with the world’s top athletes.
The Augmented Reality Game
Inside the new issue of Zigzag is the new O’Neill Hyperfreak advert. Holding this advert in front of a webcam will activate the 3D experience, which is needed to gain entrance into the game. The objective of the game is to keep the surfer riding for as long as possible and earn points by surfing in the ‘perfect’ spot (in the barrel). Points are awarded for length of ride and barrel-riding skills.
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged (or augmented) by virtual computer-generated imagery, creating a mixed reality.
The Prize
The winner will receive two tickets to Hawaii to check out the O’Neill World Cup Of Surfing, as well as hotel accommodation, backstage passes and a meet and greet with the surf heroes. The competition has already begun, with competitors already clocking in their scores from all over the world. However, there’s still plenty of time to get that winning ride, as the contest runs until the end of August, with the winner being announced at the beginning of September. The top 50 points scorers world-wide will be in the running for this enormous first prize, and the winner will be drawn via a sweepstakes. Get playing and good luck.
For more information contact Paul Canning from O’Neill South Africa
e. paul.c@oneill.co.za
p +27 31 313 1400
Cold Water Classic Day Two
Apr 15th
Scottish surfer Chris Noble today made history as the first local competitor to ever come through this first round of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland in the freezing waters of the most northerly event in professional surfing.
Day two in Scotland
Finishing top of his heat ahead of Brazilian surfer Ricardo Dos Santos, Chris was celebrating on the beach with a host of fans… and his Scottish flag.
“It’s only the first round,” he said. “But it feels like I won the event or something!” said Chris. “I think the difference this year was that there was no pressure on me,” he said. “I have a kid now, and we are expecting a second kid, so whereas surfing used to be the be-all-and-end-all for me, I now have different priorities so there is less pressure. I just get to go out there and have fun.”
And that he looked like he was doing, making the most of the 4-foot offshore clean conditions at Brims Ness. “I’ve surfed out here for about 10 years,” said Chris. “And even though I am used to the cold, I still have my earplugs in against the cold water and the wind.”
Flying the flag in Scotland
After a sunny warm start to the 6 Star ASP event yesterday, the 6.30am call for a 7.30am start this morning was a little bit more crisp as the skies clouded over and the temperature significantly dropped.
Among those feeling the cold up here is the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania winner Stuart Kennedy: “I didn’t mind the cold in Tassie,” said the Australian from Lennox Head. “Temperature-wise it’s paradise over there compared to here. This is freezing. I have a 5/4/3 wetsuit and two 4/3’s so I came prepared. In the water my body is ok, but my toes still get frozen even in my boots,” he said.
However having seen the surf up in these parts, he is willing to brave the cold. “I’ve seen footage of Thurso East and hopefully we will get that working while we are out here. It looks like home on a fun day.”
Despite his victory in Tasmania a few weeks ago Stuart has not been amped off his win. “It didn’t really feel like I won an event,” he said. “Straight from my win I got in the car, drove to Launceston airport in Tasmania, and got on the plane for Melbourne to go straight into Bells!”
The second day of competition here in Thurso, Scotland, saw the event finish the round of 128 in smaller but clean conditions at Brims Ness. “The swell dropped today – but it was luckily enough to finish off this round,” said contest director Matt Wilson.
“The forecast looks like it’s going to pick up tomorrow so we will probably be starting here at Brims again in the morning,” said Matt. “But if it holds good we should hopefully be surfing Thurso East in the afternoon.”
Final Results of the CWC Tasmania
Apr 4th
In some of the best conditions this competition has seen so far, Stuart Kennedy took out the 2010 O’Neill Cold Water Classic Tasmania in emphatic style with the highest combined heat total of the event.
“I guess I just got super confident towards the end,” said Stuart who was surfing in his first ever 6 Star ASP event final. “I was really nervous out there,” he said. “But I was almost crying when I got that 9.5”
The 20 year old from Lennox Head, Australia scored 18 points in the final heat to beat the sublime talent that is Wiggolly Dantas, and formally announce his arrival on surfing’s world stage.
I’ve been training really hard recently,” said Stuart. “I guess I thought it was time to grow up and start trying to win.”
As well as doing just that and walking away with the $20,000 prize money, Stuart also picked up the Tasmanian Tiger trophy – a carved wooden sculpture that every surfer has been eying up over the week.
And to top it off, Stuart now sits in the in the lead on the Cold Water Classic Series in line for the $50,000 prize money for the series winner.
“I am definitely going to Scotland for the next event on the series,” said Stuart. “Then after that I will have to see where I am at.”
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series has a habit of producing epic conditions for the finals in every event in every corner of the world. And here in Tasmania was no exception. “It’s some sort of surfing utopia out there,” said surfer and commentator Sam Lamiroy.
Three meter swell, strong offshore winds and right handers peeling almost all the way to the beach from way out to sea provided the perfect platform for some of the most talented young surfers in the world to showcase their skills.
“The conditions out there are amazing.’ said Uruguayan Marco Giorgi, who yesterday defeated Jordy Smith, and this morning won an awesome quarterfinal against Royden Broyson before being knocked out by eventual winner, Stuart Kennedy, in the semis.
Whilst Giorgi is off to Bali and choosing to avoid the cold of Scotland; “I don’t like all the layers and hoods and everything,” he said, fellow semi finalist and World Tour Surfer Chris Davidson, has decided to enter to chase the cold wild conditions in the hope of winning the $50,000 prize money. “I am not afraid of the cold,” said Chris.
“It was so good to come over here as a warm up for Bells. There were just no waves in my semi final so I was a bit disappointed to not get to the final,” he said. “I really wanted that Tasmanian Tiger trophy. But now I am definitely going to try to enter Scotland and see if I can go for that $50,000,” he said.
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series now heads up to the northernmost event in professional surfing in Thurso, Scotland from April 13 – 19. And just off the back of one of the coldest and longest winters in Europe there is every possibility that this will be the coldest event in professional surfing as well.
