OCEANSIDE, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Team Reef earned the taste of sweet redemption when it dominated the third qualifying round in the inaugural Jim Beam® Surftag® U.S. Nationals on Sunday. The victory carries a cash prize and the chance to win in November''s championship competition.
After finishing second in the previous qualifier, Team Reef overcame the sluggish waves and inconsistent sets that threatened each heat and ultimately wreaked havoc on the rest of the teams. Outpaced, contenders Happy Endings, FCS Chargers and Man Sandwich failed to complete all three waves, culminating in a 40-point win for Team Reef.
"There is definitely extra pressure on you because you don''t want to let your team down, but you can also count on your team to pick up your slack," said Chris Waring, a member of Team Reef. "This is a great event!"
Team Reef has a chance to face off against top contenders from other qualifying rounds in the finale to be 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.
Third Qualifying Event Results: 1st PLACE - Reef
Total Points: 113.6 - Teddy Navarro 22pts; Sean Marceron 25.1pts; Chris Waring 14pts; Chris Abad 28pts; Nick Rosza 20.5pts.
2nd PLACE - Happy Endings
Total Points: 66.4 - Pascal Stansfield 17.5pts; Noah Erickson 17.9pts; Danny Estes 15pts; Macy Mullen 13pts; Adam Virs 3pts.
3rd PLACE - FCS
Total Points: 64.6 - Jamie Meistrell 16.5pts; Kyle Knox 20.5pts; Anthony Petruso 14.5pts; Ricky Whitlock 8.6pts; Justin Swartz 4.5pts.
4th PLACE - Man Sandwich
Total Points: 61.3 - Benji Weatherley 14.3pts; Josh Hoyer 13.5 pts; Chippa Wilson 16.5pts; Jason Harris 15.3pts; Betet Merta 1.7pts.
Registration for the three qualifying rounds was open to the public. Five-member teams representing clubs or local breaks signed up online at http://www.jimbeamsurftag.com/. All team members had to be listed on the registration form and be 21 or older on competition day. Up to 16 teams could participate in each event.
Please visit http://www.surfline.com/jimbeamsurftag or http://www.jimbeamsurftag.com/ 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. , 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 http://www.beamglobal.com/ and http://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 http://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. http://www.globalsurftag.com/.
Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2009
James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.
Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.
CONTACT: Paige Guzman of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, +1-847-691-9183,
Paige.Guzman@BeamGlobal.com; or Michelle Theilmann of Padilla Speer Beardsley,
+1-612-455-1751, mtheilmann@psbpr.com, for Beam Global Spirits & Wine
Web Site: http://www.jimbeamsurftag.com/
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http://www.globalsurftag.com/
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