ASP PRIME 6.0 LOWERS PRO RETURNS TO TRESTLES MAY 3-7, 2011 WITH INCREASED $250,000 PRIZE PURSE

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Highest-Rated North American Junior Event—the Oakley Pro Junior—to Run Concurrently

SAN CLEMENTE, CA (April 6, 2011) — For the fourth year running, the 6.0 Lowers Pro will descend on Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., from May 3-7 as an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME event. This year, however, the ante has been upped with a generously enhanced $250,000 prize purse including a $20,000 14-karat gold railroad spike trophy for the winner—an increase of more than $100,000 from last year. Running concurrently, the newly upgraded ASP five-star Oakley Pro Junior will see 32 men (20 years and younger) battling for crucial ASP regional ratings points and a $25,000 prize purse.

The 6.0 Lowers Pro is the first of only three PRIME events on the U.S. Mainland and nine internationally. Its location at one of North America’s most respected surf spots always ensures a who’s who of competitors, ranging from World Champions to top World Ranking standouts to the upper echelon of up-and-coming young talent. A narrow field of 96 men will contend for a piece of the $250,000 purse and the lucrative PRIME ratings points on offer. With 3,500 points up for grabs for first place, this event offers the most ASP ratings points possible in a single qualifying event.

With more than 30 ASP World Tour competitors in attendance and a firing south swell, last year’s event pushed the performance barriers of competitive surfing. In the end, Gabe Kling (St. Augustine, FL) earned the title and the coveted gold railroad spike after defeating ASP World Tour surfer Chris Davidson (AUS) in the man-on-man final. With the continuing elevation of the event and the increased prize money available, this year’s gold railroad spike has been upgraded to solid 14-karat gold, sweetening the pot even further for this year’s title earner.

“It was a very special thing for Nike 6.0 to enable and witness the progression of the sport happen at last year’s 6.0 Lowers Pro,” says Zach Boon, Nike 6.0 North American Brand Manager. “Now that the ASP’s evolution has taken hold, the role that the Lowers Pro plays is more crucial than ever. The hungry competitors battling to make it to the World Tour, the top 32 fighting for points to stay on Tour, and a performance wave like Lowers are all ingredients that make this PRIME event an exciting time to be a surfer.”

Historically, the long-running Trestles event has seen an impressive list of previous champions, including 10-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (Hanalei, HI), Rob Machado (Encinitas, CA), Shane Beschen (San Clemente, CA), C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne Beach, FL), and Tom Curren (Santa Barbara, CA), to name a few.

The Oakley Pro Junior event that will run concurrently has been upgraded to a five-star ranking on the ASP Junior Tour and serves as the highest-rated junior men’s qualifier in North America this year. The major points on offer will bring top juniors looking to qualify for the ASP World Junior Tour events, the first of which is the Oakley ASP World Junior in Bali.

“We are excited to be at Lowers for our fifth straight year,” says Ronny Nelson, Oakley Surf Marketing Manager. “We have upgraded the event to a five-star knowing that Lower Trestles is the best wave in the U.S. for performance surfing and the Juniors these days will take to the sky to keep it exciting. The best surfers deserve the most points on their race to qualify for the Worlds and to become the North American ASP Junior Champion. Nike 6.0 has really stepped it up this year and we are proud to be affiliated with this event.”

Last year, Newport Beach’s Andrew Doheny snagged the biggest win of his career, taking the Oakley Pro Junior title from a stacked final field, including 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), Dylan Goodale (Kauai, HI), and Tyler Newton (Kauai, HI).

Recently, ASP International activated a One Ranking system for the men’s ASP World Tour and the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS). The concept of the ASP One Ranking system is to make both ASP-sanctioned World Tour and Qualifying Series events contribute to a surfer’s year-end rating. This new system makes the PRIME designation, the highest possible ASP rating only given to competition venues considered to be at “prime” locations, particularly important. World famous and highly esteemed Lower Trestles, known for it’s perfect wide-open faces and idyllic California setting, was the first Mainland U.S. location to ever warrant the grade, which now also includes Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz.

Both the 6.0 Lowers Pro and Oakley Pro Junior will feature an HD webcast with live video coverage and scoring for all five days of competition with announcers Sal Masekela, Mark Fewell, Dino Andino, Saxon Boucher, Chris Mauro, and Jodie Nelson.

For more information about the 6.0 Lowers Pro, visit nike6lowerspro.com. For more about the Oakley Pro Junior, visit oakleyprojunior.com.

The 6.0 Lowers Pro and Oakley Pro Junior wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of sponsors. A special thank you goes out to presenting sponsors Nike 6.0 and Oakley, co-sponsors Red Bull and Sierra Nevada, media sponsor SURFER Magazine (Surfermag.com) and official forecaster Surfline.com.

About Nike 6.0
The Nike 6.0 brand defines innovation and embodies the creativity of youth, united by action. Nike 6.0 delivers footwear and apparel to support the new generation of action sports athletes who are changing the worlds of surf, snow, moto, BMX, wake and freeski. Their unlimited potential and contagious energy deliver the future through performance and lifestyle. www.nike6.com

About Oakley, Inc.
The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at oakley.com.

About SURFER
In 1960, SURFER Magazine began as the original. After a long history of delivering provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and award winning state-of-the-art photography, SURFER remains the authoritative voice of the surfing world and thus earned the moniker “the bible of the sport.” The SURFER brand has also grown to include SURFERmag.com, Fantasy SURFER, The Hot 100, My SURFER Cover and a myriad of SURFER message boards. All of these assets combine to make the SURFER network the most current and reliable channel of information to the surf community. The magazine is published by Source Interlink’s Action Sports Group (ASG), which reaches more than 2 million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. www.SURFERmag.com

About Action Sports Group/Grind Networks
Reaching more than 10 million enthusiasts, Source Interlink Media’s Action Sports Group (ASG)/Grind Networks is the dominant force in the action sports and adventure sports arenas. In addition to publishing leading lifestyle publications such as Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Bike, Paved, Powder, Canoe & Kayak, SUP Magazine, Dirt Rider, and ATV Rider, Source Interlink Media’s ASG/Grind Networks delivers a cutting-edge network of online properties such as Fantasy Surfer and The Hot 100, events and television programming. In addition, ASG/Grind is the exclusive provider of action sports content for Yahoo! Sports through Grind TV and its numerous assets. www.actionsportsgroup.net

About Source Interlink Media
Source Interlink Media is the premier source of special interest media in the United States. With more than 70 publications, 90 websites, 400 branded products, 65+ events, and TV and radio programs, SIM is the largest provider of content to enthusiast communities interested in automotive, action sports, marine and other niche activities. The organization’s strategy is to wholly focus on targeted audiences by leveraging and expanding upon its core market-leading brands through a multiplatform media approach.

Media Contacts:

Monet Quick-Smits
Public Relations
949-370-7083
monet.quick@sorc.com

Dawn Hamilton
KHPR for ASG
310.295.1189
dhamilton@khpublicrelations.com