This year's Padang Cup promises to be even better, and the opening ceremony is less than three weeks away. Rip Curl has extended the waiting period to five weeks, beginning July 25th and running through August 29th, to ensure catching a contest-worthy swell. The stakes will be higher as well, with a 65 million Indonesian rupiah prize purse and several performance incentives, including 5 million rupiah for the POWER BALANCE BEST BARREL AWARD and a brand new Kawasaki motorbike for the surfer with the highest heat score of the event.
“I can't wait for this year's event,” said defending champion Jamie O'Brien (Hawaii). “The Padang Cup is a special contest to me because the waves are so perfect and the people are so great. Most of the time you're stressed out in heats, but in Bali the waves never stop coming. I've never had so much fun in a surf contest in my whole life!”
O'Brien will be joined by 15 other elite international riders and 16 of Indonesia's best surfers. Among those already confirmed to compete are Koa Smith (Hawaii), Ozzie Wright (Australia), Anthony Walsh (Australia), Ry Craike (Australia) and Takayuki Wakita (Japan). Indonesia will be represented by Garut Widiarta, Rizal Tandjung, Dede Suryana, and 2006 Rip Curl Cup Champion Lee Wilson, among others. The complete list of 32 invitees will be released in the coming week.
“I think the invitational format is sick,” said Widiarta, who finished No. 2 on last year's ISC tour. “All the guys in the contest have different tube skills and they push us local surfers to learn more and keep improving, especially the guys from Hawaii. I'm really excited for this comp.”
For the first time in event history, fans will be treated to “Heats On-Demand” which can be viewed on the contest website minutes after they go down. You can also check the website for in-depth interviews with all the invited surfers and daily video features on all the hottest surfing and parties happening in Bali during the waiting period. See it all at www.ripcurl.com.
Rip Curl Cup Goes Green
In the Balinese language, Padang Padang means “green grass.” In an effort to preserve the natural beauty of this special place, Rip Curl has taken several steps to make this year's Padang Cup as “green” as possible. On contest day, recycling and trash bins will be placed throughout the premises to make it easy for everyone to dispose of their waste properly. Organic, chemical-free portable toilets will also be on site and available for the many spectators expected to attend. Following the awards ceremony, Rip Curl will host a beach cleanup at Padang Padang to ensure this annual event leaves the beach cleaner than before and the surrounding hills as green as the day they were named.
About the Rip Curl Cup
Now in its seventh year, the Rip Curl Cup Invitational at Padang Padang is Indonesia’s longest-running surfing competition and the only ISC tour event featuring top international surfers alongside Indonesia’s best. This year Rip Curl will continue to infuse the contest with international flavor and big names. The field of 32 surfers will be split equally between 16 of Indonesia’s all-time Padang surfers and 16 of the world’s best tube slayers. This invitational format, along with the allure of the wave at Padang and a 65 million rupiah prize purse, makes the Rip Curl Cup the most anticipated event of the Indo surf season.
Rip Curl has set aside a five-week waiting period to hold the “one-day, one-swell” event. The window will run from July 25th through Aug. 29th and the contest will be run entirely on the chosen day. When contest directors see an ideal “Padang swell” in the forecast, they will give the green light and the 32 competitors will have 24 hours to make it to Bali’s Bukit Peninsula.
Real-time contest status and updates can be found at www.ripcurl.com. A detailed event guide in PDF format is also available for download.
Media inquiries should be directed to: mediarelations@ripcurl.co.id
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