First Place: Town and Country. (L-R) Ryan Sugihara, Garrett Sugihara, Robert Grilho, Travis Hashimoto. Photo: Ladd
National Champion To Be Decided October 6-7 at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California @surfshopchallenge #shopchallenge
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 19, 2016 – Town & Country Surf Factory secured the win at the seventh and final leg of the 2016 Oakley Surf Shop challenge at Ala Moana Bowls in Honolulu. The single-day event matched up Hawaii’s favorite wave-sliding retailers in four-man teams to battle for a golden ticket to the national championship at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, October 6-7.
2016 Hawaii Regional Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Winners T&C Surf Factory. Photo: Brock Ladd
With building swell looking promising for the contest and the teams excited to represent their respective shops, the event kicked off with lots of energy. Round 1 was full of paddle races to the channel marker and making sure team members claimed their best waves to get a chance to double (aka whammy) their score.
In the end, HIC Ala Moana, T&C Surf Factory, Town & Country, and Hi-Tech secured their spots into the Final. The Final was a close race for the last few waves of the heat to determine the winner, but T&C Surf Factory had a clutch couple waves in the last set to put them on top of the leader board and that’s where they stayed.
Ironically, T&C was the only team that did not have a professional surfer in their mix and still took the win. They will join the other finalists from six other regions on Oct. 6-7 at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.
Hawaii Final Results:
1 – T & C Surf Factory (32.42 pts)
2 – HIC Ala Moana (30.02 pts)
3 – Town & Country (29.55 pts)
4 – Hi-Tech (23.33 pts)
2016 Oakley Surf Shop Finalists:
• Southwest – Surf Ride
• Mid-Atlantic – Sweetwater Surf Shop
• Northeast – Heritage Surf & Sport
• Southeast – Quiet Flight
• Northwest – Pacific Wave
• West – Huntington Surf and Sport
• Hawaii – Town & Country Surf Factory
For all of the latest information including photos, video footage, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.
Special thanks to Oakley, SURFER Magazine and event partners, Futures Fins, GoPro, Xcel Wetsuits, JS Industries and Official Forecaster Surfline.com for their support, without which the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be possible.
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 seven qualifying regional events around the country, culminating in a national championship in Bali, Indonesia for the first time in 2012. The underlying principles, however, have remained the same. The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge is still about giving back to the shops, the true backbone of the industry and the heart of the sport of surfing. Each year the competition level rises, the stakes become greater and the prizes become bigger.
About Oakley, Inc.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading product design and sport performance brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is a culture of creators, inventors, idealists and scientists obsessed with using design and innovation to create products and experiences that inspire greatness. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with products that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is known for its High Definition Optics®, which feature unparalleled optical clarity and precision along with impact resistance and UV protection, incorporated into all of the brand’s sun, prescription eyewear and premium goggles. Oakley extended its position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel and accessories. Oakley has men’s and women’s product lines that appeal to Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.
About SURFER
In 1960, SURFER Magazine began as the original. After a long history of delivering provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and award winning state-of-the-art photography, SURFER remains the authoritative voice of the surfing world and thus earned the moniker “the bible of the sport.” The SURFER brand has also grown to include SURFERmag.com, Fantasy SURFER, and the SURFER message boards. All of these assets combine to make the SURFER network the most current and reliable channel of information to the surf community. The magazine is published by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, which reaches more than 45 million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. To learn more, visit SURFERmag.com.
About TEN: The Enthusiast Network
TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world’s premier trans-media network of enthusiast brands, such as MOTOR TREND, AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, SURFER, TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING, and GRINDTV. With more than 60 websites, 50 publications, 50 annual events, the Motor Trend OnDemand subscription video-on-demand service, as well as the world’s largest automotive and action/adventure sports media platforms, TEN inspires enthusiasts to pursue their passions. For more information, visit enthusiastnetwork.com.