Eight-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) is set to launch aerial surfing to new heights with an innovative “Game Show” format showcased at the Boost Mobile Surf Show presented by LG at Surfers Paradise Beach in April ’07.
Slater and Burrow, who both revolutionised aerial surfing, will headline the interactive style surf show format and headline an international field of the world’s top aerial surfers. All vying for AU$30,000 prize money.
“I’ve always been a strong advocate of bringing innovation into surfing competitions and testing the limits of traditional formats. The guys at Boost Mobile came to us with this great concept and it’ll be awesome to see surfers perform tricks that they spin up on the wheel… As a Boost Mobile team rider I’m stoked to be a part of it” said Slater.
Frothing for the unparalleled competition format is ASP world tour no.4 surfer Taj Burrow (Western Australia, AUS), who as a Boost Mobile team rider will join Slater in the innovative tournament.
“It’s going to be total entertainment to watch the world’s best aerialists pull off big moves in front of thousands of spectators… I can’t wait for the chance to have a go at the tow-in session in front of a big crowd in the heart of Surfers.” said Burrow.
The imaginative surf show will put both Slater and Burrow against the likes of American aerial whiz Tim Curran (California, USA) and Hawaiian kingpin Jamie O’Brien (Oahu).
The cream of Australia’s aerial specialists will also be invited to compete including; Dave Reardon-Smith (Coolum), Ozzie Wright (Narrabeen), Dion Agius (Currumbin), Ry Craike (Kalbarri, W.A.), Wade Goodall (Caloundra, Qld), Yadin Nicol (Western Australia, Aus) and Dru Adler (Gold Coast). All have been invited with direct access to the main event on Sunday 15th April and are expected to be fly high in the no holds barred, winner-take-all tournament.
“I’m stoked about the return of aerial surfing in this dynamic new way,” said former Airshow series winner Dave Reardon-Smith (Yaroomba, Qld), who was one of the surfers involved in the the Surf Show planning and development.
The competition criterion was formulated over many meetings between Boost Mobile, their athletes and Surfing Queensland. A final all day meeting involving Australia’s best aerial surfers, contest organisers and media partners came up with the final format for the event.
“Boost Mobile came to the table with a unique, spectator friendly concept and then allowed the surfers to have a big say in something that I believe is going to revitalise the sport. The format is going to be entertaining from the on-site big screen, to the spinning wheel that decides your manoeuvre and to the talent in the line-up,” said Reardon-Smith.
Surfing Queensland CEO Andrew Stark is well aware of the enormity of the surf show stating, “This is the most exciting and futuristic surfing event to ever take place in Australia.”
The three day surf show will open with the Boost Mobile Surf Show schools ‘teams’ challenge on Friday 13th of April; a teams format open to 16 schools nationally. The winning team will walk away with national glory and an all expenses paid trip to Perisher Blue to watch the Boost Mobile Snow Show in September ‘07. Each team will consist of two under 16 surfers and three open surfers.
The action continues on Saturday 14th of April with sixty of Australia’s finest aerial exponents fighting it out for AUD$10,000 and one of six spots into the AUD$20,000 Boost Mobile Surf Show. The format is as per a standard Airshow with six surfer heats.
Wrapping up the exciting, all weekend surfing festival will be the invitational Boost Mobile Surf Show presented by LG on Sunday 15th of April, 2007. Twenty of the world’s best aerial surfers will surf against each other in a one day; winner takes all AUD$20,000 surf show.
The format will be based around a large spinning wheel (Boost Mobile Surf Show Wheel) that will dictate the aerial tricks to be performed. Four Surfers in the water will have only 10 minutes to perform each trick spun on the wheel. Every 10 minutes a new group of four hit the water and the wheel will be spun again to find the next new trick.
Surfers’ manoeuvres will be given the thumbs up, or thumbs down by a three guest judge’s panel; two out of three thumbs up signifies a completed aerial trick.
Any surfer who completes an aerial trick will receive a letter. Surfers are aiming to spell “B-O-O-S-T”. Once 25 qualification heats are completed, the top 8 surfers with the most completed aerial tricks (B-O-O-S-T) will enter the Boost Mobile Surf Show final.
The final will feature only 3 spins of the wheel, with each spin eliminating half of the surfers who are slowest to complete the trick.
Adding to the already high stakes is the Boost Mobile Jet Ski Tow-In Expression Session. Aided by a jet ski, Boost’s global surf team consisting of Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow, Julian Wilson and Garrett Parkes will attempt to launch themselves as high as possible off a wave into the air, completing a technical aerial move at the same time. This session is bound to be a crown pleaser.
On top of all the action in the water there will also be a bunch of entertainment on the beach. Friday night will see a surf movie festival, surfer come entertainer, Tim Curran, is scheduled to play on Saturday and wrapping up the event will be a Boost Beach Bash after party. All the entertainment kicks of after each days surfing from 4pm onwards.
Airshows have created a sub-culture for the world’s most innovative and futuristic surfers and have attracted a strong cult following around the world.
In Airshow surfing contests, judges only score manoeuvres performed in the air, as opposed to the more traditional approach of judging surfing manoeuvres on a wave.
Boost Mobile has gained great support from handset manufacturer LG Mobile. “The phrase ‘Life’s Good’ is embodied perfectly in surf culture and the great Australian outdoor lifestyle, so naturally LG was excited with the event concept that Boost Mobile brought to the table. Not only is it a great event but a great way for LG Mobile to showcase its mobile phones and associated product partnership with Boost” said Carli Wilson, Marketing Manager, LG Mobile Communications.
Boost Mobile have stepped up to ensure the locals are blown away with the event, including a 80m by 40m beach structure, 4m x 4m mega screen, global webcast and an integrated music event on site at the beach on Cavill Ave on the Saturday night.