VENTURA, Calif., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- After emerging victorious from the first round of the Jim Beam® Surftag® U.S. National Series, Team Happy Endings rode to another win in Saturday's second qualifying round. Victory in the inaugural series carries a cash prize and the chance to win in November's championship competition.
Happy Endings entered the final heat trailing the Reef team, which had a slight lead thanks to huge scores from Reef's Nick Rosza and Chris Waring. In the competition's last seconds, Happy Endings' Yves Bright seized the win by 1.4 points. Wave choice and aggressive surfing played a huge factor in the second qualifying round of the inaugural series.
"I love it," says Noah Erickson of Team Happy Endings. "I hope the Jim Beam Surftag Series continues and builds recognition in the United States."
Team Purp's Posse from Ventura clinched third place after narrowly escaping defeat by Team J7 in the semifinals. J7, the fourth-place winner of the first qualifying round, failed to catch the last wave, while Purp's Posse grabbed four bonus points by returning to the beach first. By one point, Purp's Posse's Sean Hayes carried the team to the final heat.
Happy Endings bested crews from boardriding clubs around California in the Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 competitions. High-scoring teams from this round have a chance to face off against top contenders from other qualifying rounds in the finale held Nov. 13-14. Jim Beam® Surftag® will award a total of $25,000 in cash prizes throughout the series and the title of "No. 1 Surf Club in California."
Jim Beam®, the world's No. 1-selling Bourbon, is launching the first Surftag® U.S. Nationals competition in partnership with IMG Sports & Entertainment. Surftag® is a relay competition in which the five members of each team must catch three waves and then return to the beach to tag the next team member. The contest started in Australia in 2001 and has grown into that country's largest team boardriding competition.
Final Heat Results (2nd Qualifying Event):
1st PLACE - Happy Endings
Total Points: 77.5 - Pascal Stansfield 19.5pts; Danny Estes 17.5pts; Macy Mullen 16pts; Noah Erickson 14.5pts; Yves Bright 10pts.
2nd PLACE - Reef
Total Points: 76.1 - Chad Abad 16pts; Nick Rosza 21.6pts; Chris Waring 21pts; Sean Marceron 14.5pts; Scott Hammonds 3pts.
3rd PLACE - Purp's Posse
Total Points: 68.5 - Sean Hayes 17pts; Kai Ellison 12.5pts; Kyle Collins 11pts; Chad Compton 18pts; Tyler Anderson 6pts.
4th PLACE - FCS
Total Points: 66.6 - Hank Gaskel 16.8pts; Ricky Whitlock 12.3pts; Jamie Meistrell 17pts; Anthony Petruso 16.5 pts; Justin Swartz 4pts.
Registration for the third and final qualifying round on Oct. 11 in Oceanside is open to the public - though spots are filling quickly. Five-member teams representing clubs or local breaks can sign up online at www.jimbeamsurftag.com. There is no entry fee and one member can register for the entire team (all team members must be listed on the registration form). All contestants must be 21 or older on competition day. Up to 16 teams will participate in each event.
Please visit www.surfline.com/jimbeamsurftag for all the latest updates and news.
About Beam Global Spirits & Wine:
Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Maker's Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, EFFEN® Vodka, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, Teacher's® Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper® Cordials and Liqueurs and Knob Creek® Bourbon. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), a leading consumer brands company recently named one of the World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.
About IMG Sports & Entertainment
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses include: product and brand licensing; consulting services; event ownership and management; collegiate marketing, media and licensing; fashion events and models representation; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.
About Global Surftag
The Jim Beam Surftag is Australia's premier team surfing series with World Tour surfers Mick Fanning (Kirra), Joel Parkinson (Snapper Rocks) and Taj Burrow (Yallingup) representing their local boardriding clubs. The Jim Beam Surftag provides a national competition for boardriding clubs to compete against each other and to determine Australia's No.1 club. The Jim Beam Surftag is run under the popular tag team format with each club represented by five surfers. In relay style each surfer catches three waves and then returns to the beach to tag their team's next surfer. www.globalsurftag.com.
Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2009
James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.
