Quiksilver to title Surfing America's 2011 USA Championships

Press Release:

Top US Surfers to gather at California's Premier Surf Break; Live Webcast to be distributed by Surfline

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. - June 8, 2011 - Surfing America, the National Governing Body for surfing in the United States, is pleased to announce that Quiksilver has signed on as Title Sponsor of the 2011 USA Championships.

The nation's premier event, which decides the undisputed USA surfing champions by pooling top talent from Surfing America recognized organizations and the Surfing America Prime Series, will culminate in the announcement of the 2012 PacSun USA Surf Team.

This year's Quiksilver USA Championships event will be held in two locations: Huntington Beach Pier from June 18-19 and five full days at Lower Trestles at San Onofre State Beach, CA from June 21-25.

The Lower Trestles dates will include the Final Round of the Adult and Longboard Divisions (June 21) above as well as all rounds of the Under 18 Shortboard Divisions (June 22-25).

The final two days of the event at Lower Trestles will be available to watch via Live Webcast at http://www.surfline.com/quikusachamps

"We're excited to sponsor the USA Championships and support the future of surfing," said Mike Matey, VP Marketing of Quiksilver. "We can't wait to see the hottest young surfers in the country on the high-performance waves at Trestles - we know they'll put on quite a show and blow our minds."

The Quiksilver USA Championships is the leading event in American surfing; organizations that feed their top athletes up into the event include the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), the Western Surfing Association (WSA), and the Hawaii Surfing Association (HSA).

The event stands above all others thanks to the level of athletes competing, its world class venue, high caliber judging panels, live webcast, and exclusive use of four-person, twenty-minute heats.

"We're very pleased that Quiksilver has stepped up in support this year's USA Championships event," said Mike Gerard, Surfing America's executive director.

"The news that the Live Webcast will run on the home page of Surfline, means it will reach over 120,000 people a day, which is amazing. This event is the crown jewel of American surfing and the combined involvement of Quiksilver and Surfline will take the event to new unprecedented heights. The very best young surfers in the United States are confirmed to be in the event and we're sure to see a spectacular display of talent."

The event's main stage, Lower Trestles, is located in San Onofre State Beach, near San Clemente, CA. Lower Trestles is recognized worldwide as the best surf break in the mainland United States.

"California State Parks is pleased to welcome Surfing America back to San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles for the 2011 Quiksilver USA Championships," said Richard Haydon, SPSIII, South Sector Superintendent of California State Parks Orange Coast District.

"Because Trestles routinely produces an outstanding contestable wave and is considered by many to be one of the premier surfing breaks in North America, it is fitting that the very finest in amateur surfing will gather there to compete for this year's titles."

Following the event Lower Trestles, on June 25th, the 2012 PacSun USA Surf Team will be formally introduced at a special announcement and fundraiser event in San Clemente. The 2012 PacSun USA Surf Team will represent the United States next year at the 2012 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

"The announcement of the 2012 PacSun USA Surf Team is a significant and exciting event. We are proud to continue our support of these athletes and further help the development of surfing," said Gary Schoenfeld, CEO of PacSun.

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