For Immediate Release – 2010 RAW NATIONAL TITLES AND THE REBEL SPORT PRO 2010 – Duranbah (Gold Coast), Queensland, 9th November – 14th November.

(Sunday, November 14, 2010. Duranbah, Queensland) – The 2010 Rebel Sport Pro tour has been dubbed as the best in history coming to a huge climax today at Duranbah Beach.

Today there were three possible contenders for the 2010 Australasian men’s title. Dave Winchester (Mullumbimby, NSW), Michael Novy (Sunshine Coast, QLD) and Chad Jackson (Perth, WA).

Winchester was knocked in the quarter finals, which meant to steal the title Novy and Jackson either had to win or place second.

Mitch Rawlins

Andrew Lester

Chad Jackson, was the first to miss out at a shot at the 2010 title, being knocked out in the dying seconds of the semi finals by fellow challenger Micheal Novy. Jackson could only look on in shock from the beach seeing Novy post a 6.50 ride to take 2nd place and progress.

The 30 minute final saw Andrew Lester (Cronulla, NSW), Michael Novy, Mitch Rawlins (Gold Coast, QLD) and Nathan Branch (Port MacQuarie, NSW), which was by far the highest performance final of 2010.

With Novy needing to place second to take the title he came out firing, the problem was that so did the rest of the field.

Novy moved from second to third several times during the heat, with all other riders putting on an onslaught of maneuvers including a perfect 10 from Mitch Rawlins and a 9.43 from Andrew Lester.

In the end the perennial performer Andrew Lester (Cronulla, NSW) was to strong, holding on with a 17.43 over Rawlins with 16.77, Novy 15.53 and Branch 14.94.

“I am Stoked. I cant believe it. I had a game plan for the whole comp just to sit of to the right and pick of these wedges that were coming through and it’s worked.

“My goal was to qualify firstly for the pipeline comp, I did that yesterday by making the quarters and once I had done that my goal was to win”.

“It’s hard when there are guys surfing for Aussie titles, you don’t really want to knock them out but at the same time it’s a competition and it’s happen to me plenty of times before.

That left the 2010 Rebel Sport Champion to be Dave Winchester from Mullumbimby in NSW.

Winny WINS!

“I am really happy to win the title this year” Said Dave.

“It makes it all worthwhile when all the boys are surfing on tour.

“This is a really good result for me, especially going into the final international event at Confital next month”.

The Drop Knee Mens Rebel Sport Pro was won by Dave Winchester with a huge 15.30, followed very closely in second by local rider Dane Pope with 15.17 and Jake Sharp (Coff Harbor,NSW ) 12.60 and John Gibson of Queensland with 10.06.

In a thrilling girls pro event four times world champion Stephanie Peterson (Gold Coast, QLD) dominated with 15.30 over Lilly Pollard (NSW) with 11.60, Kaitlin Murphy (NSW) 8.97 and Lauren Fletcher with 8.00.

The second placing was enough for Lily to secure yet another Australsian Title.

“I am so stoked, I am really happy to win the tour again, it was pretty close against Lauren Fletcher” say Lilly

“All the girls have been surfing really well”.

“I am planning on going home and saving really hard so that I can take off next year and do the world tour.

The 2011 Rebel Sport Pro tour will begin early April, back here at Duranbah for the 2011 QAB Pro.

The event is made possible thanks to Rebel Sport, RAW Bodyboards, Tweed Tourism, Burleigh Bodyboard Shop, Bodyboarders Surf Co, Inverted Bodyboarding, Dunes, the International Bodyboarding Association Australasia and the Queensland Bodyboarding Association.

Semi Final Results

Semi Final 1: Andrew Lester 15.60, Micheal Novy 14.00, Chad Jackson 13.64, Sam Bennett 11.04
Semi Final 2: Mitch Rawlins 16.97, Nathan Branch 14.50, Cade Sharp 11.46, Ben MacKinnon 10.30

Rebel Sport Pro Mens Results
1) Andrew Lester, 17.43 (NSW)
2) Mitch Rawlins, 16.77 (QLD)
3) Michael Novy, 15.53 (QLD)
4) Nathan Branch, 14.94 (NSW)
5) Chad Jackson (Western Australia)
5) Sam Bennett (Port Macquarie, NSW)
7) Cade Sharp (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
7) Ben MacKinnon (New Zealand)

END OF RELEASE

FOR FURTHER MEDIA INFORMATION CONTACT:

TIM DOMAN
INTERNATIONAL BODYBOARDING ASSOCIATION AUSTRALASIA MEDIA MANAGER
0438 385 280
TIM@SURFINGSOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

SOLDIERS BEACH PRO PRESENTED BY BEACHIN-SURF 2010, WYONG SHIRE COUNCIL, NSW. APRIL 15 – 18 2010

THURSDAY, April 15 2010, Soldiers Beach, Wyong Shire Council

Today, after a near three year hiatus, International Bodyboarding has returned to Australian soil for the Soldiers Beach Pro Presented by Beachin-Surf. With punchy waves in the 3 to 4 feet range (1.0 metre), it was the perfect return of competitive bodyboarding to Australia. Amongst the many known bodyboarders in the competition, Cronulla’s legendary Andrew Lester has made an impromptu return to the competitive scene. Andrew took a two year break from bodyboarding, however recently signed a new contract with Turbo bodyboards and is now back in the water. Lester is a seasoned competitor with many accolades to his name, today he showed that he is still comfortable in a rash vest putting on a radical display of new age bodyboarding. It took Lester only three waves to take his heat, putting together a combined wave total of 13.87, which rivals Eric Medcalf, Trent Cowan and Glen Sullivan could not match.

“I had a chat to my new employee Greg from Turbo bodyboards and he said that it would be good for me to do a few competitions, so it’s not really a comeback…. unless I do well!” said Andrew jokingly.

“It’s weird I haven’t really been bodyboarding much over the past few years and as soon as I threw the rashie on it felt like I hadn’t left. ”As I have been away from the scene for a little while, I am looking forward to seeing the young Aussie’s surfing in this comp” Said Andrew. One of the great battles of the day was in heat six between central coaster Mark Parsons and Newcastles John Cruikshanks. Cruikshank led the heat for twenty minutes, before Parsons exploded with a 8.53 for a massive ARS, shortly backing in up moments later with a 6.93 moving from forth to first place, in a few minutes. ”I struggled a bit at the start of that heat, then I got the eight which I was happy with and it got me too second, then I got another solid one and I was in the lead” said Mark Mark has come off a recent semi final result at the QAB Pro on the Gold Coast, the opening round of the Australasian Rebel Sport Pro Tour and now looks sure to ruffle some feathers in this event.In total one hundred of the worlds best bodyboarders are taking to the water over the next four days.

Tomorrow sees the worlds top 16 riders hitting the water and includes the likes of world champions Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii), Mike Stewart (Hawaii), Ben Player (Australia), Damian King (Australia) and 2010 Pipeline champion Amaury Lavernhe (Reunion Islands).

The event has been made possible with thanks to the Wyong Shire Council, Beachin-Surf, Star 104.5 FM, Dunes, Chico, Rebel Sport, RAW, IBA, The Beachcomber Hotel and The Greater Toukley Vision.

A super stoked winner!

STOP ONE: THE REBEL SPORT PRO TOUR 2010, DURANBAH BEACH, TWEED HEADS, QLD. APRIL 9 – 11

The Rebel Sport Bodyboarding Pro Tour has launched into its first official event with the QAB Pro this weekend at Duranbah.
The two star event worth AUD$4, 000 has attracted some of the worlds greatest bodyboarders, including multiple world tour winners from Hawaii Mike Stewart and Jeff Hubbard.
2009 World Champion, Jeff Hubbard made an early exit from the event finishing third in his round two heat, whilst Mike Stewart put on a great show to a star struck crowd, making it through to the semi finals where he narrowly missed out on progressing by 1.83 points.
Conditions at the renowned D-Bah were small however the international and domestic riders put on a radical display of new age bodyboarding.
In a surprise twist to the event, Japan’s Hayato Kiramoto took out the comp with a massive combined wave total of 16.83.
Hayato is out visiting Australia for a holiday and happened to be on the Gold Coast in time for the event.
The Japanese rider took out Jarrod Houston from South Africa with 14.53, Jake Stone from the Sunshine Coast with 13.10 and Jones Russell of Port Macquarie, NSW with 11.33.
“I am so happy, this is my first contest ever in Australia”  Said Hayato
Hayato reveled in the Japanese like small conditions, and is now known for his massive ARS’s (Air Rolls Spins).
“The Australian bodyboarders surf very well, the surf in Japan is normally small so it’s similar to today”.
The event also held the first Rebel Sport Pro Tour Drop Knee leg with South Africa’s Daniel Worsley bagging the winners cheque, over Stevie Lloyd, Gal Larar and John Gibson.
The QAB Pro was made possible thanks to The Queensland Bodyboarding Association, Bodyboard Surf Co, Burleigh Bodyboard Shop, Inverted Bodyboarding Stores, Rebel Sport and IBA Australasia.
The Rebel Sport Pro Tour moves to Soldiers Beach on Thursday for the Soldiers Beach Pro, the Internationally rated event will showcase the worlds best bodyboarders and caries a US$20,000 prize purse.

PHOTO CREDITS:  IBA AUSTRALASIA

The 2010 Soldiers Beach Pro presented by Beachin’ Surf and The Beachcomber will be the 2^nd event on the 2010 IBA World Men’s Tour and will also be dual sanctioned as an IBA Australian Rebel Sport Pro Tour 5 Star event.

The event will also be coupled with round 1 of the NSW State titles so the week will see some 250 competitors taking to the waters off Soldiers Beach.

Nine times world champion Mike Stewart will headline a star studded field that includes current World Champion Jeff Hubbard (Hawaii), Jared Houston (Sth Africa) French wiz-kid Pierre Louis Costes and Pipe winner Amaury Laverhne (Reunion Island)

In fact the event will showcase several Former World champions who between them have notched up an impressive 16 World Titles.

• Mike Stewart 9
• Jeff Hubbard 2
• Ben Player 2
• Damian King 2
• Andrew Lester 1 (ISA World Amateur Champion)

The event will be surrounded by a series of promotions and the first one will be on Monday 12^th at 5pm at the Village green in Toukley. All the bodyboarding idols from the event will be there and Marty Simpson (Australian Idol) will be playing live followed by a movie night under the stars. The 2010 IBA World Tour will head to South America after Australia with events in Chile, Brazil & Peru. It will stop in 10 different countries over 16 events before concluding in December in Gran Caneria with the Confital Pro.

ABOUT THE EVENT

The International Bodyboarding Association World Tour is the sports official tour and each year crowns the World Bodyboarding Champion. The NSW State titles will take place from Monday 12^th April till Wednesday 14^th April and will feature around 150 riders from Byron Bay to Eden. The IBA World Tour Men’s event will begin Thursday 15^th April and conclude Sunday 18^th April with a presentation at the Beachcomber Hotel.

The Soldiers Beach Pro event is carrying 1000 ratings points and a cool USD$20,000 prize purse as well as 5 Star points on the IBAA Rebel Sport Pro Tour.

The Soldiers Beach Pro is presented by Beachin’ Surf & The Beachcomber. Supported by Rebel Sport, RAW Bodyboards, www.ibodyboard.com Chiko suncream and Dunes

More info can be found at www.ibaworldtour.com or by calling event director Terry Mckenna on 0401023661