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The Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam to host both World Tour & World Series events
The 2014 Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam will host both Stand Up World Tour Surfing and Stand Up World Series Racing events from the 15th – 21st September in Surf City USA.
Press Release:
As the most comprehensive event featuring a star studded line up of the world’s very best athletes, the Huntington Beach Pro will be a true showcase of the leading edge of the sport, while celebrating Amateur and youth participation with a large Trials event and Open Racing division, not to mention the Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge (U16) taking place on the final Sunday of the event.
Meanwhile as stop number 4 on both the Tour and Series, we pass the mid point of the year, as tension mounts towards the season conclusion and the Title Race intensifies for both the Surfing World Tour and Racing World Series for both men and women.
The entire event will be live broadcast at www.watermanleague.com, inclusive of a prestigious ‘Opening night’ at Tommy Bahama’s Bar and Grille in Newport Beach on Monday 15th evening from 6pm, so make sure to watch it all go down live either in person or online as one of the most dramatic events yet will go down in Surf City USA.
Key Contenders on the World Tour component of the Huntington Beach Pro
So far, it has been Caio Vaz’s year (Art in Surf) on the Stand Up World Tour, winning 2 out of 3 events and posting a 3rd place in the 3rd. What was even more impressive is winning at the World Tour Opener on Oahu’s North Shore at Sunset Beach, as Caio gains confidence and builds up to the Huntington Beach Pro, where he finished 2nd in 2013.
However, you can never count out Kai Lenny (Naish), 3x World Champion and winner of last year’s Huntington Beach Pro, but also the last event back in Abu Dhabi in April. He will be looking for a repeat performance here in Surf City USA.
Then there is Sean Poynter (Starboard), who will be feeling comfortable in his adopted home of California, and looking to finish strong this year on Tour. Sean was without doubt one of the on form surfers of the last 2 events, finishing in 3rd in Brazil, then 2nd in Abu Dhabi and looking for a win here at home.
After these 3 come a long list of contenders, from Maui’s Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), Brazil’s Ian Vaz (Art in Surf), Oahu’s Mo Freitas (Focus SUP), Brazil’s 2012 World Champion Leco Salazar (New Advance), Maui’s Kody Kerbox, Australia’s Beau Nixon, Justin Holland (Starboard) and Kai Bates (Fanatic), Tahiti’s Poenaiki Raioha (F-One), and US contenders Giorgio Gomez (Starboard) and Daniel Hughes, not to mention 3x Longboard WOrld Champion and top finisher on the World Tour in previous years, Colin McPhilips.
Izzi Gomez and Nicole Pacelli lead an all star cast on the women’s World Tour
Currently tied for 1st place on the overall World Rankings, the battle is on for 2013 World Champion, Brazil’s Nicole Pacelli and the young phenom, Izzi Gomez (Starboard) from Florida, but now resident in California.
With 2 wins for Izzi compared with 1 for Nicole, but consistency keeping Nicole right up in the mix, it will be interesting to see how it all goes down at the final 2 stages of the Women’s World Tour: Izzi was 2013 Huntington Beach Pro Champion and now has more event wins than anyone else on Tour, competing in front of a home crowd, while Nicole’s consistency and confidence with having one World Title under her belt will stand her in good stead – it will be a great battle for the Title this year.
But it is still anyone’s at this stage, as a whole host of talent is lining up to take down the top 2: from Brazil’s Aline Adisaka (New Advance) who has been showing flashes of brilliance this year, currently sitting in 3rd and Iballa Moreno (Starboard) from the Canary Islands in Spain who has shown devasting form at moments this year, building on the confidence of a finals finish in Abu Dhabi to the US powerhouses of Candice Appleby and Sophia Tiare Bartlow, who will be wanting to come out on top in front of a home crowd, and boost their overall World Rankings.
Connor Baxter sits on top of the World coming into Stop 4 of the World Series
After a heartbreaking finish to the 2013 Season that he led for the most part only to miss out on the World Title by the smallest of margins, Connor Baxter (Starboard) has been on a tear this year and his results show it: with two bullet wins out of 3 on the World Series and a 2nd place that he will hope will be a throwaway, he will be gunning to for a win in Surf City USA to secure his World Title in advance of the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay.
However, Kai Lenny (Naish) is as always right there, with a win, a second and a fifth his current results, as he will be looking to close the season with a couple of wins to retain his World Championship Crown. As we have seen with Kai, he is able to hold it together in the most intense and pressure filled moments imaginable, so it will certainly be an exciting end to the 2014 season as we look ahead to both Huntington and Turtle Bay.
However, behind these two Champions is a whole host of talent, waiting to break through, as Zane Schweizer (Starboard is having the best racing season of his career this year, with the European Cup Title secured and strong finishes at all 3 stops of the World Series this year, and Jake Jensen (Fanatic) has been known to come on strong through the closing leg of the season, with a 2nd and a 3rd as possible keepers on his scoresheet, as he looks to make the final surge as he did last year in Hawaii, winning the 2013 Turtle Bay Finals.
But behind them is the European Contingent of Casper Steinfath (Naish), Leonard Nika (Starboard) and Eric Terrien (Bic SUP), as well as Hawaii’s Kody Kerbox (Naish), Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) and Australia’s Beau O’Brien (Starboard) and Paul Jackson (Fanatic). You also have to watch out for Brazil’s Vinnicius Martins (Art in Surf), South Africa’s Dylan Frick (Starboard) and of course Team USA, that will be filling in here for this 4th stop of the Series, with names such as Slater Trout stepping up to do battle.
Lina Augaitis leads a stacked fleet of racers at the Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam
Lina Augaitis from Canada leads a star studded women’s fleet in Huntington Beach, with 2 bullet wins out of 3 so far on the Women’s World Series, with her sights firmly set on a 2014 World Title.
However, she has her work cut out for her, with an on form Angie Jackson (Fanatic) from Australia looking to come back with a vengeance in Huntington Beach, with one win in the Opener in Brazil and then a DNF in the long distance due to heat exhaustion and a no show in Germany giving her extra motivation to finish her year strong. She is coming off a dominant performance in Japan, so you can expect a battle to the end in Surf City USA as the World Title Race intensifies at stop #4 of the 2014 Stand up World Series.
Meanwhile, we expect to see a whole host of US talent stepping up to do battle, such as Candice Appleby and Talia Decoite amongst others, and the return of Kelsa Gabehart who put a couple of strong performances together in the opening 2 events of the season. You can also never count out the Europeans, as Olivia Piana (Fanatic), Manca Notar (Naish) and Sonni Honscheid will all be looking for glory here at the Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam.
Whatever happens, it will be an amazing spectacle and we look forward to some of the most exciting racing yet at stop 4 of the 2014 Stand Up World Series. Make sure to tune into watch it all go down LIVE at WWW.WATERMANLEAGUE.COM
Make sure to watch it all go down LIVE from the 15th – 21st September
Make sure to watch this dramatic stop for both the Stand Up World Surfing Tour and Stand Up World Racing Series go down from the 15th – 21st September at Huntington Beach, just south of the Pier. The whole event, inclusive of the ‘Tommy Bahama Opening Night’ will be brought to you live at www.watermanleague.com
With the Surfing running from the 16th – 19th September, with a dramatic exhibition event scheduled for the 21st September presented by Turtle Bay and the Racing event taking place on the 20th – 21st weekend, it will be non stop action at Huntington Beach, as the most comprehensive sports showcase will go down in Surf City USA.
Make sure to watch this dramatic stop for both the Stand Up World Surfing Tour and Stand Up World Racing Series go down from the 15th – 21st September at Huntington Beach, just south of the Pier. The whole event, inclusive of the ‘Tommy Bahama Opening Night’ will be brought to you live at www.watermanleague.com
With the Surfing running from the 16th – 19th September, with a dramatic exhibition event scheduled for the 21st September presented by Turtle Bay and the Racing event taking place on the 20th – 21st weekend, it will be non stop action at Huntington Beach, as the most comprehensive sports showcase will go down in Surf City USA.
Join your hosts, Dave Boehne and Rocky Canon for a LIVE show like no other at WWW.WATERMANLEAGUE.COM