Winners of the ISA China Cup Individual Gold Medals Michael Rodrigues (BRA) and Philippa Anderson (AUS). Photo: ISA/Tweddle

Brazil’s Michael Rodrigues and Australia’s Philippa Anderson win Gold with dominant performances

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

Wanning, Hainan, China, January 27, 2013- The International Surfing Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 ISA China Cup.

With a powerhouse team in both the Men and Women’s draw, Australia won the Team Gold Medal for the second consecutive year in the ISA China Cup. Brazil placed a close second, earning the Silver Medal, Hawaii won the Bronze Medal, and France took the Copper Medal to complete the team results.

In an action-packed heat, Brazil’s Michael Rodrigues won the Men’s Gold scoring the event’s highest heat total of 17.00 points. Rodrigues defeated Mitch Crews (AUS, 14.64), Vincent Duvignac (FRA, 12.43), and Connor O’Leary (AUS, 9.10)

In a dramatic end to the Women’s Final, Hawaii’s Alessa Quizon was in the lead with the clock winding down and Gold in her sight, when she dropped in on her fellow surfer and was called for interference. This untimely move caused Quizon to drop to second place, allowing Australia’s Phillipa Anderson to take the win. Anderson (15.26) got the Gold Medal, defeating Quizon (12.56), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS, 8.53) and Nage Melamed (HAW, 6.40).

“I’m very happy and satisfied about the hosting of the ISA China Cup for the second year in a row. While the waves were not as strong as last year’s event, the athletes have provided a great show of surfing abilities,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “I’m totally excited about the potential for surfing in China, and certainly proud of our partnership with Womei, in the bringing of both ISA and ASP competitions for two years in a row. Congratulations to all and each member of the participating national surfing teams for coming to China and to all medalists for making history for surfing in China. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the people and government of China, and to our partner Womei, and all the sponsors for joining us in this great event.”

Michael Rodriguez, Men’s Gold Medalist was speechless about his win. “I am so happy and I don’t have words to explain what I am feeling,” commented Rodriguez. “I have no sponsors, so I came here to win only representing my country. Just being here was already great and with the victory it is even greater, I am very happy, thank you!”

Women’s Gold Medalist, Phillipa Anderson selflessly remarked, “We didn’t really care about individuals we just wanted to get the gold for Australia so this helps a lot.”

Team Australia lifts the ISA China Cup Trophy for the second year in a row. Photo: ISA/Gonzales

Australia’s coach, Martin Dunn remarked about his winning team,“We brought a mixed bag of experienced WQS surfers and some young surfers who we think are going places in the sport,” remarked Dunn. “We came here and we expected the waves to be similar to last year with the long left hander and unfortunately that didn’t occur, but to be successful, you have to able to surf anything and its great that our surfers proved that.”

Tomorrow, Monday, January 28, marks the start of the second part of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival, the Hainan Classic, 4-Star, Men’s ASP. With a prize purse of $95,000 US, the competition will take place from Monday, January 28 to Wednesday, January 30, and will feature the best surfers in the world, including defending Champion and 2013 ASP World Tour surfer Glenn Hall (IRE), 2000 ASP World Tour Champion Sunny Garcia, plus 10 Chinese surfers, by far the most ever in the history of any international surfing competition. This is a testimony to the success the ISA is already having in the short term to fulfilling its mission to develop global surfing, and to developing surfing in China.
Official Forecaster, Surfline, has predicted for the ENE swell to pulses up a bit more with 2-3’+ faces, and larger sets in the 4’ range over the afternoon, for a 7:30am call and likely start at 8am at the main break, the left point st Riyue Bay.

Women’s Final
Gold- Philippa Anderson (AUS)- 15.26
Silver- Alessa Quizon (HAW)- 12.56
Bronze- Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)- 8.53
Copper- Nage Melamed (HAW)- 6.40

Men’s Final
Gold- Michael Rodrigues (BRA)- 17.00
Silver- Mitch Crews (AUS)- 14.64
Bronze- Vincent Duvignac (FRA)- 12.43
Copper- Connor O’Leary (AUS)- 9.10

Final ISA China Cup Team Rankings
1. Australia- 13,000
2. Brazil- 11,718
3. Hawaii- 10,140
4. France- 9,836
5. Japan- 9,320
6. USA- 8,570
7. Peru- 8,270
8. Portugal- 8,242

Australia´s Connor O’Leary, getting vertical on his way to the highest heat score of the day,15.50. Photo: ISA/Gonzales

The competition moved from the point at Riyue Bay to Rocky Rights

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

Wanning, Hainan, China, January 26, 2013- The International Surfing Association is pleased to announce the ISA China Cup has begun.

The 8 participating National Surfing Teams, along with their 48 surfers, traveled from every corner of the globe to compete in tropical Wanning, on Hainan Island in the South China Sea, for the second annual event.

The surfers faced tough conditions with peaky 2-3ft beach-break waves at Rocky Rights, a few hundred yards down from the primary contest site, which was not picking up the ENE wind swell. The first heat of the competition took place just after noon, when there were nearly one thousand Chinese spectators on the beach, taking photos of the teams and generally enjoying the action.

“The world’s best surfers showed today they can perform at a very high level even in challenging surfing conditions,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “It was amazing to see a large crowd of Chinese locals on the beach watching the competition and enjoying the experience of being close to all the National Teams. We are expecting an increase in the swell for the final day tomorrow, and I am certain it will be an exciting race to the Gold Medal and the ISA China Cup Trophy.”

Alessa Quizon (HAW) goes fin free and was the Women´s standout performer of the day. Photo: ISA/Gonzales

The day kicked off with the Men’s Qualifying Round 1 with 8 heats completed. Afterwards, the women got their chance to perform on Rocky Rights’ consistent waves in 4 heats of Qualifying Round 1. The top two surfers in each heat advanced directly into Qualifying Round 2, while the third and fourth place surfers moved into the Repechage, or second, and last chance round.

The day was filled with upsets and dominant performances.

Hawaii’s Sunny Garcia, the 2000 ASP World Tour Champion, lost and moved into the Repechage, where he will have another opportunity to advance. One more third or fourth place finish for the super star, and he will be eliminated from the competition.

Australia’s Connor O’Leary led the charge with the highest scoring heat total of the day, a two-wave score of 15.50 points, dominating Deivid Silva (BRA, 10.17), Vasco Ribeiro (POR, 8.47), and Carlos Zapata (PER, 7.27).

The heat of the day featured the Brazilian, Michael Rodrigues, who earned a 15.44, narrowly defeating Australia’s Mitch Crews (14.70), Juninho Urcia (PER, 11.60), and Eduardo de Castro (POR, 8.34).

On the women’s side, the standout of the day was Hawaii’s Alessa Quizon, with a total heat score of 14.33. Finishing a distant second was Alize Arnaud (FRA, 11.00), Demi Boelsterli (USA, 4.02) and Hinako Kurokawa (JPN, 3.80).

Sunday is the final day of the 2-day ISA China Cup. Individual Men and Women’s Gold Medals will be determined. With only qualifying heats on Day One, all athletes remain in contention, and all 8 National Teams are still in the hunt for the Team Gold Medal and the 2013 ISA China Cup.

Official Forecaster, Surfline, has predicted the ENE swell to increase overnight, leading the event organizers to call for an early start, possibly at the main break, the left point at Riyue Bay.

For a full list of today’s results, click here- http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/china-cup/results/

Watch the Final Day of the ISA China Cup on the live webcast tomorrow- http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/china-cup/live/

Here is the schedule:
Sunday, 7:10am China
Saturday, 3:10pm West Coast USA
Sunday, 12:10am Western Europe
Sunday, 10:10am Sydney Australia

All 8 National Teams were welcomed and treated to an amazing Opening Ceremony for the ISA China Cup. Photo: ISA/Gonzales

The 8 Competing National Delegations are presented and welcomed to China


Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

The Opening Ceremony of the ISA China Cup will be a night the surfers and locals in attendance will never forget. What transpired in the City of Wanning’s Theater was part rock-show, dancing spectacular, and it was entirely devoted to the growth of surfing. With the competing surfers, coaches, Chinese dignitaries, sponsors, ISA officials and special guests on hand, the Opening Ceremony for the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival officially launched the start of the 2nd annual competition.

The 8 National Teams arrived with class, showcasing their countries flags and colors in their team uniforms. The ceremony kicked-off with the presentation of each delegation as hundreds of local Chinese that were in attendance greeted them with a welcoming applause. It was followed by the “Sands of the World” ceremony, where each country carried sand from their local beach and poured it into a glass container on stage symbolizing the peaceful gathering of nations through the love of surfing.

Team Australia, the Defending Champions from last year´s inaugural event, during the ISA´s “Sands of The World” Ceremony

“I’m totally honored and excited to welcome all of you to China, land of legendary culture and wisdom, and starting last year, a surfing destination known for its great waves and beaches,” remarked ISA Vice President Alan Atkins on behalf of ISA President Fernando Aguerre. Aguerre was unable to be in China due to the expected birth of his baby daughter. “As president of the ISA, and in the name of the 35 million surfers around the world, I would like to extend our gratitude to our great partners, Womei Media, and to the governments of China, the Province of Hainan, the City of Wanning and all the people of China. It is my deepest hope that all the visitors go home as ambassadors of the great people of China and its culture.”

On hand to welcome the surfers from around the world was Mr. Ding Shinjiang, the Director of the Communist Party of China, Committee of Wanning City. He expressed his excitement as the host of the Surfing Festival and how it is helping develop the City of Wanning.

“In recent years, Wanning has been developing fast and without sacrificing the condition of the environment, aiming to become a world famous tourist city at the seaside,” remarked Mr. Ding.
The ISA China Cup begins on Saturday, January 26, the morning after the ceremony. The webcast will be broadcast live on http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/china-cup/live/

Here is the schedule for the live webcast of the ISA China Cup:
Saturday, 7:40am China
Saturday, 3:40pm West Coast USA
Saturday, 12:40am Western Europe
Saturday, 10:40am Sydney, Australia

Last year´s Opening Ceremony featured 8 National Surfing Delegations that competed in the ISA China Cup plus representatives from the Chinese surfing community during the ISA’s Sands of the World Ceremony. Photo: ISA/Muñoz

City of Wanning Will Host The Opening Ceremony For The Second Annual ISA China Cup

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival

January 25 to 30, 2013

Wanning, Hainan, China

Wanning, Hainan, China, January 25, 2013- The International Surfing Association (ISA) is pleased to announce the Opening Ceremony will officially mark the start of the ISA China Cup, which is the first event of the ISA’s 2^nd annual Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival. The Opening Ceremony gives the hosts of the event, the City of Wanning, the opportunity to welcome the National Surfing Delegations and supporters to a truly global event. All eight National Teams will be introduced showcasing each team’s colorful flags as they witness a unique presentation of the local and traditional Chinese culture.

The Opening Ceremony will include the ISA’s traditional “Sands of the World.” This ceremony allows each participating nation to come to the stage and bring with them their flag and sand from their local beach. The sand is poured into a glass container on stage symbolizing the peaceful gathering of nations through the love of surfing.

“The Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival is just around the corner,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “All eight National Teams have arrived and settled in at the Official Hotel in beautiful Wanning. With the Opening Ceremony tonight, followed by the ISA China Cup beginning on Saturday, all the athletes are excited and ready to compete for the Individual and Team Gold Medals. Official Surf Forecaster, Surfline, predicts an increase in swell right on time for the first day of competition. Our hosts, the City of Wanning, will be delivering an amazing Opening Ceremony to welcome all the National Delegations from around the world. I wish all the surfers the best of luck.”

Hawaii´s Kaoli Kahokuloa flying high at Wanning´s Riyue Bay in preparation for the start of the ISA China Cup. Photo: ISA/Gonzalez

The following day, on Saturday January 26^th, the first day of the ISA China Cup will kick-off the competition at Riyue Bay and on Sunday, the individual and team champions will be crowned for the second year in a row.

The ISA’s Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP with a prize purse of $95,000 US, will take place from Monday, January 28 to Wednesday, January 30, and will feature the best surfers in the world, including defending Champion and 2013 ASP World Tour surfer Glenn Hall (IRE). Results from the Hainan Classic will be used by surfers competing for a berth on the ASP World Tour.

The Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival will be available to view on the live webcast at www.hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com

Here is the schedule for the ISA China Cup Opening Ceremony live webcast:

Friday, 8pm-9pm China

Friday, 4am-5am West Coast USA

Friday, 1pm-2pm Western Europe

Friday, 11pm-midnight Sydney, Australia

2012 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship Gold Medalist Sunny Garcia will be a member of Team Hawaii. Photo: ISA/Rommel Gonzales

Brazil, France, Hawaii, Japan, Portugal and USA Join Australia and Peru as the 8 Invited National Teams in the Second Annual Competition on Hainan Island, China

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

Wanning, Hainan, China, January 23, 2013- The International Surfing Association is pleased to announce that the ISA China Cup, which is the first event of the ISA’s Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival, has confirmed the remaining six teams that will be competing in China from January 26 to 27. The National Teams are representing Brazil, France, Hawaii, Japan, Portugal, and USA.

These Teams will join Peru and Australia’s National Surfing Teams to complete the eight total teams that will be contending for the ISA China Cup.

“There’s only a few days to go before the Opening Ceremony and the ISA China Cup begin. All eight National Teams have been announced and the surfers have begun to arrive in Wanning,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “The surfers will be practicing at the world-class left point break at Riyue Bay in preparation for the competition that begins on Saturday. Great waves and warm weather are welcoming the delegations. As I like to remind all athletes, at the ISA China Cup, while a few competitors will go home with medals, all of them are already winners, as they are surfing as members of their National Surfing Teams.”

Brazil´s Diana de Souza will return to China and will be looking to improve on her 3rd place finish from last year´s ISA China Cup. Photo: ISA/Agustin Muñoz

The Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival will officially begin on Friday with the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations. The following day, the first day of the ISA China Cup will kick-off the competition and on Sunday, the champions will be crowned.

Following the ISA China Cup will be the ISA’s Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP, with a prize purse of $95,000 US, which will take place from January 28 to 30, and will feature the best surfers in the world, including defending Champion and ASP World Tour surfer Glenn Hall, competing for a berth on the ASP World Tour.
The event will be webcast live on www.hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com

AUSTRALIA
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Connor O’Leary	Wade Carmichael	Lincoln Taylor	Mitchel Crews	Nicola Van Dijk	Philippa Anderson	Jeremy Sheppard	Martin Dunn

BRAZIL
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Deivid Da Silva	Messias Felix	Matheus Navaro	Michael Rodrigues	Diana De Souza	Suelen De Almeida	Adalvo Argolo	Gabriel Macedo

FRANCE
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Maxime Huscenot	Vincent Duvignac	Medi Veminardi	Aime Adrien Kouhery	Alize Arnaud	Johanne Defay	Patrick Flores	Stephane Corbinien

HAWAII
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Kaipo Jaquias	Sunny Garcia	Kaoliopuuwai Kahokuloa	Dustin Cuizon	Nage Melamed	Alessa Quizon	Rainos Hayes	Keiki Lindo

JAPAN
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Shun Murakami	Takumi Nakamura	Kaito Ohashi	Kenta Hayashi	Nao Omura	Hinako Kurokawa	Kimifumi Imoto	Osamu Yoshinaga

PERU
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Carlos Mario Zapata	Juninho Urcia	Joaquin Del Castillo	Sebastian Alarcon	Valeria Sole	Miluksa Tello	Ricardo Kaufman	Oswaldo Velez

PORTUGAL
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Vasco Ribeiro	Frederico Rodrigues	Eduardo de Castro	Joao Saldanha	Carina da Silva	Maria Sepulveda	Jose Teixeira	Pedro Sampaio

USA
Open Men				Open Women		Coach	Team Official
Cory Lopez	Cameron Richards	Gabe Kling	Chris Waring	Erica Hosseini	Demi Boelsterli	Ian Cairns	Gregory Cruse

Peru´s Carlos Mario Zapata competed in last year´s ISA China Cup and will be looking to improve on his eighth place finish in the Men´s division. Photo: ISA/ Watts

Defending Champion Australia And Powerhouse Peru Are Set To Compete In The Second Annual Competition on Hainan Island, China

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing FestivalJanuary 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

La Jolla, California, January 14, 2013 - The International Surfing Association is pleased to announce the ISA China Cup, which is the first event of the ISA’s Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival, has confirmed two of eight teams that will be competing in China from January 26 to 27. The defending Team Champion, Australia will be looking for their second consecutive Team Gold Medal, while Peru’s talented team will strive to improve on their fourth place finish in the ISA’s inaugural event in China one year ago.

Following the ISA China Cup will be the ISA’s Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP, with a prize purse of  $ 95,000 USD and will take place from January 28 to 30, featuring the best surfers in the world competing for a berth on the ASP World Tour.

Representing the Aussies in the ISA China Cup will be an experienced young group of surfers featuring Wade Carmichael, Mitch Crews, Lincoln Taylor and Connor O’Leary. On the women’s side will be Nikki Van Dijk and Philippa Anderson.

Team Peru, which placed fourth in the groundbreaking first edition of this ISA event last January, will feature highly regarded Carlos Zapata, Sebastian Alarcon, Juninho Urcia and Joaquin del Castillo. On the women’s side will be Valeria Sole and Miluska Tello.

“I’m sure the level of surfing at the ISA China Cup will be amazing,” remarked ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “The waves, the hospitality of the local people and our hosts, plus the participation of world champions mixed with the best up-and coming surfers from around the globe, are some exciting elements that we look forward to in China.”

Showcasing the dynamic pool of talented surfers will be Aussies Wade Carmichael, who is the 2012 ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series Champion, plus teammate Connor O’Leary, who won the first ever ASP event held recently in South Korea. In addition, Nikki Van Dijk is the 2012 ASP Women’s World Junior Champion.

On the other hand are Peru’s surfers who have a number of champions on their squad including Sebastian Alarcon who was the 2010 ALAS Latin Tour Champion, Carlos Zapata, who won the 2013 Billabong Cabo Blanco event in Peru, plus Juninho Urcia, who at age 17 became Peru’s youngest winner of the Peruvian Open Championship, and has been a five-time ISA Scholarship recipient.

The eight invited National Teams that will compete in the second annual ISA China Cup include: Australia, Brazil, France, Hawaii, Japan, Peru, Portugal and USA. Each of them will field their country’s best four men and two women shortboarders, who will compete for the Team and Individual Gold Medals, and the ISA China Cup trophy for the Gold Medal Team with the highest points total combining the scores of all athletes.

The event begins on January 25 with the Opening Ceremony that includes the Parade of Nations and the Sands of the World Ceremony, which will be held in the city of Wanning, Hainan Island, in the South China Sea.

ISA China Cup- Team Australia
Men

Wade Carmichael
Mitchel Crews
Connor O’Leary
Lincoln Taylor

Women
Philippa Anderson
Nikki Van Dijk

Team Officials 

Martin Dunn
Jeremy Sheppard

ISA China Cup- Team Peru Men
Sebastian Alarcon
Joaquin Del Castillo
Juninho Urcia
Carlos Zapata

Women
Valeria Sole
Miluksa Tello

Team Officials
Ricardo Kaufman
Oswaldo Velez

The waves at Riyue Bay await the world’s best surfers to compete in the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival. Photo: ISA/Watts

This is the second year in a row the International Surfing Association delivers the ISA China Cup and Hainan Classic

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China

From January 25 to 30, China will become the focus of the surfing community when the world’s top surfers will compete in the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival for the second consecutive year.

As the opening event of the International Surfing Festival, the ISA China Cup will feature the top eight surfing countries based on the results from the 2012 ISA World Junior Championship held in Panama last April.

Following the ISA China Cup will be the Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP contest, where the best professional surfers from around the world will compete for a piece of the $ 95,000 prize purse.

The ten things you need to know about the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival are:

1.     The Event

The Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival consists of two competitions:

• ISA China Cup is taking place January 25 to 27.
• Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP is taking place January 28 to 30.

2.     The Competitions

The ISA China Cup will be a team competition, where the top eight National Teams from the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship competed last April in Panama. An Open Men’s, Open Women’s and Team Gold Medals will be up for grabs.

The Hainan Classic will gather the world’s best surfers as rated by the ASP competing for a total prize purse of $ 95,000.

3.     The Participants

The eight nations that will compete in the ISA China Cup are:

• Australia
• Brazil
• France
• Hawaii
• Japan
• Peru
• Portugal
• United States

The Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP will feature a maximum draw of 96 athletes including women. The 2012 Hainan Classic had the largest number of women in the history of a Men’s ASP event, and the ISA is expecting an increase in women surfers this year.

4.     The History

This is the second edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival. The 2012 ISA China Cup was won by Team Australia, the Open Men’s winner was Heath Joske (AUS) and the Open Women’s winner was Sofia Mulanovich (PER).

Irishman Glenn Hall won the inaugural Hainan Classic in 2012, which launched his successful campaign of qualifying for the 2013 ASP World Tour.

5.     The Mission

The ISA’s mission is to develop the sport of surfing across China’s long coast, and the ISA has partnered with Beijing Womei Advertising, the China National Water Sports Association, the Hainan Culture and Sports Department and the Wanning Sports Bureau, who are all working together for a better surfing future.

6.     The Numbers

For the ISA China Cup each team will include:

• 4 Men
• 2 Women
• 2 Team Officials (coaches and team managers)

The Hainan Classic will have a maximum of 96 competitors from around the world.

7.     The Schedule

The second edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival will officially open on January 25 with the ISA’s signature “Parade of Nations” and “Sands of the World Ceremony” at the Sheraton Hotel beach in the city of Wanning. The participating countries will pour sand from their favorite local beaches into a handmade glass container, representing the peaceful union of the nations through the love of the sport of surfing.

Full schedule below:

• Jan 25 – Parade of Nations, Sands of the World and Opening Ceremonies
• Jan 26 – ISA China Cup Competition Begins
• Jan 27 – ISA China Cup Finals and Closing Ceremony
• Jan 28 – Hainan Classic Competition Begins
• Jan 29 – Hainan Classic Competition Continues
• Jan 30 – Hainan Classic Finals and Awards Presentation

8.     The Facts

The event is taking place in the world’s most populous country, with over 1.3 billion people and more than 9,000 miles of coastline. Riyue Bay is located on the southeast side of Hainan Island, about 20-30 minutes from the center of Wanning City, China.

Respected surf forecaster Sean Collins, Founder and former President of Surfline.com, was responsible for identifying China’s most consistent and dependable surf spot for a major international surfing competition. After the research that took him over three months to analyze, and included a 10 day visit to China, Collins who has since passed away, recommended Riyue Bay.

9.    The Prize

ISA China Cup:

• Team- Gold (1^st), Silver (2^nd), Bronze (3^rd), Copper (4^th)
• Open Men’s- Gold (1^st), Silver (2^nd), Bronze (3^rd), Copper (4^th)
• Open Women’s- Gold (1^st), Silver (2^nd), Bronze (3^rd), Copper (4^th)

Hainan Classic:

• One Champion and a $ 15,000 check to the first place finisher.
• $ 95,000 Total Prize Purse

10.    The Expectation

Big names in surfing, including some former world champions, are expected to be part of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival.

ISA President, Fernando Aguerre, with the inaugural ISA China Cup Gold Medal Team, Australia. Eight National Teams, including the defending Team Champs, have been invited to the January 2013 event. Photo: ISA/Muñoz

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For the second year in a row, the International Surfing Association will host the best surfers in the world to compete in the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival 

Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival

January 25 to 30, 2013

Wanning, Hainan Island, China

La Jolla, California, November 7, 2012 – The International Surfing Association (ISA) is proud to announce the second edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival, which will take place in Wanning, Hainan Island, China.

From January 25 to 30, 2013, China will become the international surfing capital of the world.

“After the great success of the inaugural Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival in 2012, which produced the largest media audience ever in the history of the ISA, I’m very excited in bringing the ISA back to China,” said ISA President Fernando Aguerre.

“This will now be the second consecutive year that the ISA will deliver both the World’s top eight National Surfing Teams for the ISA China Cup, and the ASP Men’s 4-Star Hainan Classic.  Our partners at Womei Advertising, led by its CEO, Mr. Yang Dunhao, have once again delivered all of the financial and political resources needed for the 2013 Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival to be the most important event on the global surfing calendar next year.  The opportunities for the development of surfing in China are endless, and this new event will continue our path in the right direction.”

As the opening event in the Festival, from January 25 to 27, the ISA China Cup will be invitation-only featuring the top eight surfing nations in the world based on the National Team results from the 2012 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship held last July in Playa Colorado, Nicaragua.

The eight invited National Teams are Hawaii, Australia, Brazil, USA, Japan, France, Peru, and Portugal. Japan, Portugal and Hawaii will be new to the event.

Glenn Hall (IRE) started the year with the right foot by winning the Hainan Classic and then went to make it into the the ASP World Tour top 32. Photo: ISA/Muñoz

Each National Team will include their country’s best four men and two women shortboarders, who will compete for Team and Individual Gold Medals and the honor of representing their nations.

Australia won the Gold in the Team Standings in the first edition of the ISA China Cup in January 2012, with Sofía Mulanovich (PER) winning the Gold in the Open Women division and Heath Joske (AUS) winning the Gold in the Open Men division.

Following the completion of the ISA China Cup, the International Surfing Festival will continue with the Hainan Classic, January 28 to 30, which the ISA has confirmed will have an ASP Men’s 4-Star rating with a total prize purse of 95,000 USD.

This historic competition will be the second ASP event ever in China, both produced by the ISA, that count towards the ASP Men’s World Ranking.

Irishman Glenn Hall was crowned winner of the event last January. His victorious start to the year set him up for his best ASP season ever, which he hopes results in qualifying for a coveted spot on the 2013 ASP World Tour.

For the 2013 Hainan Classic, the ISA is expecting a field of 96 athletes, including a number of surfers of Chinese descent, including 1999 ASP World Tour Champion Sunny Garcia, who is also planning to compete for Hawaii in the ISA China Cup.

The ISA selected the left point break at Riyue Bay on Hainan Island off the coast of southeast China, after consulting with the late Sean Collins, legendary founder and President of Surfline (www.surfline.com). Collins was considered the world’s foremost surf forecaster. He conducted a historical analysis of the surf along the east coast of Hainan and, after visiting the Island in March 2011, he reported that Riyue Bay held the best opportunity for world class waves and the ISA events.

What Sean Collins said was confirmed months later, when the world’s best surfers arrived to China. They were introduced to a land with a perfect left pointbreak, which held  barreling overhead waves that broke for ten straight days during the 2012 competition.

With a global media audience of more than 78 million who followed the 2012 ISA China Cup and Hainan Classic online, in print and on TV, China was introduced to the surfing world is all its glory.

The second edition of the Hainan Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival will be a historic event, the result of the combined efforts of the ISA, its partner in China, Womei Advertising, the Governments of Hainan Island and the City of Wanning.