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Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Fueled by Muscle Milk Names First of Five Regional Champs
June 4, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

The first event of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge fueled by Muscle Milk has set the bar for this five-part regional series. The Northeast shops arrived at the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, last week ready to do battle, and the contestable conditions on tap throughout the event provided an ideal setting.

The first of two hour-long heats saw a vicious exchange between retail powerhouses Barooo, Heritage Surf Shop, Ocean Hut, and Coastal Edge--the only non-Jersey shop in the contest. Lucas Rogers of Coastal Edge punted some huge airs and provided a solid base for his team, while Heritage Surf Shop's John Barrie used the contestable conditions to show off his impeccable technique and style. The teams were neck and neck throughout most of the heat, with each team member doing their part to beef up the overall score. In a contest like the Surf Shop Challenge, however, it is not always enough to surf well and pull big scores. This event is unique in that each team has one member designated as the "whammy rider," who can receive a double score on one of his waves by claiming it with a pair of fists in the air. The importance of selecting the right ride to whammy can be the determining factor between keeping their team in the running for the title and bombing out completely. This lesson was one that 14-year-old local ripper Pat Schmidt of Inlet Outlet and Coastal Edge's Lucas Rogers had to learn the hard way. Both pulled competitive scores early on in their heats, but chose to hold out hoping for even better scores that never materialized.

Andrew Gesler, the captain of Heritage Surf Shop, however, made two smart double whammy claims that, coupled with solid performances from teammates John Barrie, Zach Humphreys, and Ian Bloch enabled the team to claim the Regional title for a second year in a row, with a winning final score of 45.16. Coastal Edge trailed by just over three points. Coastal Edge may have lost the contest, but they certainly did not go home empty-handed. Team member Bryce Humphrey was the winner of the FCS Award for Functional Creative Surfing with multiple snaps capped off by a smoothly executed reverse-360 on his final ride. The prize package, worth nearly $1000, consisted of a huge selection of FCS and Gorilla Grip travel gear including fins, board bags, deck pads, leashes, backpacks, and more.

Final Scores for the Northeast Regional Qualifier:

Place
Team
Final Score
First
Heritage Surf Shop
45.16
Second
Coastal Edge
41.67
Third
7th Street
31.83
FCS AWARD
Bryce Humphrey from Coastal Edge
-

From the Jersey shores the contest heads West to Newport Beach, California, for the Southwest Regional Qualifier on Friday, June 5, 2009.

About Surf Shop Challenge:

Originally conceived to provide a fun and competitive format for the hardcore surf shop riders, the SURFER Shop Team Challenge was one of the most popular and exciting Southern California contests of the early 1980s. Through the years the contest has evolved, with five qualifying regional events around the country, culminating in a national championship at the famed Huntington Beach Pier in sunny Southern California. The underlying principles, however, have remained the same. The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge fueled by Muscle Milk is still about giving back to the shops, the true backbone of the industry. Each year the competition level rises, the stakes become greater and the prizes become bigger.

Regional winners this year will not only earn an expense-paid trip to the national championship for the opportunity to win the $10,000 grand prize, but each will also receive a full page shop profile in SURFER Magazine, a Muscle Milk fridge and supply of Muscle Milk, a set of 59 custom New Era hats designed by the winning shops, VIP treatment at the 2009 SURFER Poll and Video Awards, and product from all sponsors. Additionally, FCS has created the award for Functional Creative Surfing, awarding a travel prize package worth nearly $1,000 to the contestant who pulls off the best maneuver of the event.

Special thanks to Oakley, Muscle Milk, and other event partners New Era, FCS, Gorilla Grip, SURFER Magazine, and WaveWatch for all their support. Without their involvement the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be what it is today.

For photos, video footage, results and more check out http://www.surfshopchallenge.com/.