Monday 14 September 2009
HURLEY PRO TO OFFER $100,000 FIRST PLACE PRIZE
Monday, September 14, 2009 | 
Posted by
surfside
Developing Southern Hemisphere storm expected to deliver swell for latter rounds
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.– Hurley today announced a $100,000 first place prize and a global record $400,000 overall purse for the upcoming Hurley Pro, Sept. 13 to 19 at Lower Trestles. The lone 2009 ASP World Tour event held on the U.S. Mainland features the world’s top 45 surfers (Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, C.J. Hobgood, etc.) and three wildcards (Brett Simpson, Rob Machado and World Junior Champion Kai Barger). Extensive information and a live webcast are available at http://www.thehurleypro.com/. ?"We don't do a lot of big surf events," said Hurley Pro Contest Director Pat O'Connell, "but the ones we do, we want to make sure it's the best experience possible for the athletes and fans. Having this elevated prize purse adds to the excitement both on the beach and in the water, so it's worth it for us."
Keeping in step with the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, which awarded $100,000 to a victorious Brett Simpson, the Hurley Pro will offer the largest first place and overall prize purse in ASP World Tour history; up from the standard $40,000 first prize and $340,000 overall purse. Note: Bob Hurley upped last year’s Boost Mobile purse from $30,000 to $75,000 right before the finals ultimately won by Kelly Slater. “Never have the stakes been so high at the world’s ultimate performance wave,” added O’Connell.
Mother Nature appears to be doing its part. According to Surfline’s Sean Collins, “A developing storm right now off Antarctica looks hopeful so far to give us a swell in the head high plus range beginning to fill in Thursday afternoon and more solid by Friday and Saturday. As a wildcard, the tropics are still pretty active and we can’t count out that option just yet.”
The $400,000 Hurley Pro is Hurley’s first as the sole sponsor of an ASP World Tour event. Lined with cobblestones, Trestles is California’s premier point/reef break and a world-class showcase for high performance surfing. The five day competition has been won by Slater three out of the past four years (’08, ’07 and ’05). Although Parkinson has opened a sizeable lead in the 2009 World Title chase, nine time world and defending event champ Slater remains within striking distance and Trestles may well be his launching pad to a once unfathomable 10th title.
Located on the northwest corner of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base on the border between San Diego and Orange County, Trestles has long been a pristine oasis in the middle of Southern California’s otherwise over-developed coastline. The spot gets its name from a series of railroad trestles that span the marsh and wetlands at the mouth of San Mateo creek, just south of San Clemente.
Competition Window: The Hurley Pro will run a minimum of five days during the seven day window beginning on Sunday, September 13. Contest Director Pat O’Connell will make the official call each morning at 7:30 a.m.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.– Hurley today announced a $100,000 first place prize and a global record $400,000 overall purse for the upcoming Hurley Pro, Sept. 13 to 19 at Lower Trestles. The lone 2009 ASP World Tour event held on the U.S. Mainland features the world’s top 45 surfers (Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, C.J. Hobgood, etc.) and three wildcards (Brett Simpson, Rob Machado and World Junior Champion Kai Barger). Extensive information and a live webcast are available at http://www.thehurleypro.com/. ?"We don't do a lot of big surf events," said Hurley Pro Contest Director Pat O'Connell, "but the ones we do, we want to make sure it's the best experience possible for the athletes and fans. Having this elevated prize purse adds to the excitement both on the beach and in the water, so it's worth it for us."
Keeping in step with the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, which awarded $100,000 to a victorious Brett Simpson, the Hurley Pro will offer the largest first place and overall prize purse in ASP World Tour history; up from the standard $40,000 first prize and $340,000 overall purse. Note: Bob Hurley upped last year’s Boost Mobile purse from $30,000 to $75,000 right before the finals ultimately won by Kelly Slater. “Never have the stakes been so high at the world’s ultimate performance wave,” added O’Connell.
Mother Nature appears to be doing its part. According to Surfline’s Sean Collins, “A developing storm right now off Antarctica looks hopeful so far to give us a swell in the head high plus range beginning to fill in Thursday afternoon and more solid by Friday and Saturday. As a wildcard, the tropics are still pretty active and we can’t count out that option just yet.”
The $400,000 Hurley Pro is Hurley’s first as the sole sponsor of an ASP World Tour event. Lined with cobblestones, Trestles is California’s premier point/reef break and a world-class showcase for high performance surfing. The five day competition has been won by Slater three out of the past four years (’08, ’07 and ’05). Although Parkinson has opened a sizeable lead in the 2009 World Title chase, nine time world and defending event champ Slater remains within striking distance and Trestles may well be his launching pad to a once unfathomable 10th title.
Located on the northwest corner of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base on the border between San Diego and Orange County, Trestles has long been a pristine oasis in the middle of Southern California’s otherwise over-developed coastline. The spot gets its name from a series of railroad trestles that span the marsh and wetlands at the mouth of San Mateo creek, just south of San Clemente.
Competition Window: The Hurley Pro will run a minimum of five days during the seven day window beginning on Sunday, September 13. Contest Director Pat O’Connell will make the official call each morning at 7:30 a.m.
