7th Annual O’Neill Surfing Hainan Open Scheduled for November 8th and 9th
The O’Neill Surfing Hainan Open, the longest running surf competition in China, will be held on November 8th and 9th of 2014. Global surf brand O’Neill will return as the presenting sponsor. The event is organized by the Riyue Bay Surf Club, the largest surf club in China..
The O’Neill Surfing Hainan Open has long been the proving grounds for Chinese surfers, and has been a representation of the growing surf scene in the world’s most populous country. The first competition in 2008 had just two Chinese surfers, while organizers expect 80% of the approximately 50 competitors this year to be Chinese nationals.
Pablo Huang, one of the best Chinese shortboarders, was one of the Chinese competitors in the first Surfing Hainan Open. Pablo said “It’s amazing how much the competition has grown, as the China surf scene has grown with it. I look forward to competing every year. It’s also a great time to catch up with other surfers from throughout China and abroad that come for the event every year.”
The competition will feature six divisions – Men’s Shortboard, Women’s Shortboard, Men’s Longboard, Women’s Longboard, 16 & Under’s, and Mixed Stand Up Paddleboard.
There will be over 11,000 CNY in prize money, spread across the divisions, as well as goods awarded from the sponsors. The ASP has confirmed that four wildcard slots will be made available to the top Chinese surfers to the competitions that will follow in the fall. - two for the Hainan Classic Men’s Shortboard competition, one for the Women’s Longboard World Title competition, and one for the Men’s Longboard World Title competition.
Darci Liu, a Hubei native who has lived in Hainan for the past eight years where she has honed her graceful longboarding skills, said “The first Surfing Hainan Open, seven years ago, really inspired me to start surfing. At that time, the Hainan surf scene was so small. It makes me proud to take part in the competition every year, as a competitor and an announcer.”
In addition to the 50-plus competitors, event organizers expect two to three hundred spectators to come to the beach for the event. In addition to being an excellent competition, the event is also arguably Hainan’s best annual beach party.
The competition will begin on the morning of Saturday, November 8th, and continue all day. There will be a party at the Riyue Bay Surf Club on Saturday evening, with a DJ from the United Kingdom. Competition will resume on Sunday morning, and conclude in the early afternoon, with the prize giving ceremony taking place directly afterwards.
The event will also feature a photo competition. Sponsored by the outdoor-enthusiast website 8264.com, photographers will upload their photos from the competition to the website, and the community will select the best pictures. There will be cash prizes of 5,000 rmb awarded.
The competition is also important for the training of the O’Neill Surf Team, a group of twelve kids from the villages surrounding Riyue Bay, who have been training at the Riyue Bay Surf Club for the past two years. Aged from ten to eighteen-years-old, the team is the true future of surfing in China. O’Neill began sponsoring the team with surfboards and equipment and will send the team to competitions abroad to help them improve their skills and opportunity.
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About O’Neill
O’Neill, the original California surf, snow and lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O’Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to battle Mother Nature. Jack’s initial vision of producing functional and innovative board riding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. From the first neoprene surf wetsuit and board leash to the world’s first stitchless board shorts. O’Neill will always be committed to growing its reputation as one of the world’s leading youth lifestyle brands based on being the First Name in the water.
While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack’s initial vision of producing functional and innovative board riding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O’Neill’s core values — innovation in style and technology — have seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of the action sports lifestyle. From the first ever neoprene wetsuit and leash, to the world’s first stitchless boardshorts and range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, O’Neill’s progressive spirit will always drive the company forward. For more information, please visit oneill.com.
About the Riyue Bay Surf Club
The Riyue Bay Surf Club, in Hainan’s Wanning county, provides surf lessons, equipment rentals and sales, and organizes multiple surf com- petitions every year. With international surf instructors, a restaurant, and a brand new youth hostel, the Riyue Bay Surf Club is a one-stop destination for surfing in Hainan.
Interested parties can contact Brendan Sheridan at Brendan@surfinghainan.com or on (86)13519800103
