FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW NAME BUT SAME OLD RIVALRIES; RED BULL RIDERS CUP
KICKS OFF ITS THIRD ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL SURFING TOURNAMENT

West Palm Beach, FL – (April 4, 2008) - The third annual Red Bull Riders Cup, formally known as Red Bull High School Cup, comes to Carlin Park in Jupiter on April 15-17, as one of weight stops on a national tour to find the nation’s top high school surf team.  The National Surf League presents the Red Bull Riders Cup as the premiere high school surfing tournament, bringing together the best young surfers in each region. 

Thirty two schools from eight regions will battle it out in games sanctioned by the National Surf League until a champion is crowned.  The winner of each region will be invited to attend the national finals from June 13-15 for the chance to become the best high school surf team in the country.

South Florida’s high school surfers are just too good to ignore. This year’s national championships includes a battle of the top surfing schools in South Florida at Carlin Park on April 15-17. Local host Jupiter High School takes on Martin County High, Cardinal Gibbons High from Fort Lauderdale, and Calvary Christian High School from Clearwater in a winner-takes-all “Game Format” high stakes surfing duel for a shot to go to the Nationals. Competition starts 3:30pm daily.

The Red Bull Riders Cup will use “The Game” format for its tournament. The format is modeled after traditional team sports like basketball and football. The Red Bull Riders Cup is the first step to bringing a new outlook to the sport of surfing through the community and a structure people are familiar with. NSL founder Brad Gerlach says, “The Game creates an easier understanding of surfing as a sport. The entire game spans less than two hours, with three periods, coaches and time outs. Family and friends are encouraged to come out and show support.”

The Red Bull Riders Cup will feature professional surfers coaching each high school team during their competition. Some of the professional surfers include Jamie Sterling, Ian Walsh Pat O’Connell, CJ Hobgood, Damien Hobgood, Austin Ware, Jeremy Sherwin, Omar Etcheverry, Nat Yeomans, Ratboy, Peter Mel, Mike Losness and many more.

The National Surf League and Red Bull have partnered to help bring the sport of surfing to a new and exciting level. “The NSL and Red Bull are both companies that are passionate about innovation and bringing out the best performance in surfing. I am very excited to see how we will grow and create a more entertaining and easier way to watch the sport,” says Gerlach.

The NSL is a revolutionary competitive surfing organization established in 2001 by legendary pro surfer, Brad Gerlach. The NSL is dedicated to the pursuit of surfing excellence, building awareness for the sport of surfing while creating a fun competitive landscape for all types of surfers.

Participating High Schools:          

West Coast

South Bay
Mira Costa High
Redondo Union High     
South Torrance High
Palos Verdes High

Santa  Cruz:
Aptos High
Soquel High
Santa Cruz High
Harbor High
Scotts Valley High

Golden State
Carpenteria High
Ventura High
Malibu High
Palisades High

Orange County
San Clemente High
Huntington Beach High
Edison High        
Newport Harbor High

San Diego
Carlsbad High
San Dieguito Academy
Torrey Pines High
Point Loma High

East Coast

South Florida
Cardinal Gibbon High School
Calvary High School
Martin County High School
Jupiter High School

Central Florida
Cocoa Beach High School
Satellite High
Melbourne High
Sebastian River High School

New Jersey
Ocean City High
Atlantic City High
Manasquan High
Middletownship High

Competition Schedule:
(West Coast start time 4:00pm/East Coast start time 3:30pm)

April 1-3               California-South Bay-Hermosa Beach
April 7-10             California-Santa Cruz-Pleasure Point
April 15-17           South Florida-Carlin Park, Jupiter
April 22-24           Central Florida-Pelican Beach Park, Satellite Beach
May 6-8                California-Golden State/Ventura- C-Street
May 13-15           New Jersey- Ocean City 3rd Street
May 20-22           California-Orange County- Huntington Beach Pier-South Side
May 27-29           California-San Diego-Seaside Reef
*June 13-15                        California-TBD

For media inquiries please contact Crystal Garrett at Crystal.Garrett@us.redbull.com. For local inquiries, contact Marcos Smith at Marcos.Smith@us.redbull.com.

For more information go to www.redbullsurfing.com