The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing celebrates its 30th anniversary

HONOLULU – (Tuesday, October 9, 2012) – The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with $1Million in prize money, and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater (Florida) has signed on for the 3-event series, as has defending champion John John Florence (Hawaii). Slater last won the title in 1998. This year, there will be a one-time $100,000 winner-takes-all cash bonus for the Triple Crown champion. The largest global broadcast of professional surfing in history will take the Vans Triple Crown into more than 200 million homes worldwide.

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is the world’s premier series of professional surfing events that runs from November 12 through December 20 in the famous winter waves of Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaii. The final event of the 3-event series — the Billabong Pipe Masters — is the final event of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour and will crown the ASP World Surfing Champion.

The Vans Triple Crown champion title is awarded to the top performing surfer after all three of the events of the series:
 
THE REEF HAWAIIAN PRO
Nov. 12-24, Haleiwa Ali’i Beach
ASP Prime Prize Purse: $250,000
Defending Champion: Taj Burrow (Australia)

THE VANS WORLD CUP OF SURFING
Nov. 25-Dec.6, Sunset Beach
ASP Prime Prize Purse: $250,000
Defending Champion: John John Florence (Hawaii)

THE BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS
Dec. 8-20, Banzai Pipeline
ASP World Tour Prize Purse: $425,000
Defending Champion: Kieren Perrow (Australia)
 
Defending Vans Triple Crown champion John John Florence is a Pipeline prodigy who is comfortable at every break on the North Shore. He competed in his very first Triple Crown at the tender age of 12. Last December, aged 19, he became the youngest surfer to ever win the Triple Crown title. He will be hoping for a repeat this winter given the unprecedented bounty up for grabs: $100,000, a $30,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle from JN Automotive, and a custom $10,000 jewel encrusted Nixon watch. But he is just one of 25 of the top 32 ranked surfers in the world who is entered into the series this winter, guaranteeing an epic battle.

“When I think back, it’s pretty crazy,” says Florence of his early childhood years growing up watching the world’s best surfers compete in the Vans Triple Crown.

“I used to sit all day watching guys like (Kelly) Slater and Andy (Irons) battling it out. Then there’s all the crazy heats that have happened and the world title moments. Growing up and and actually being a part of it when I was really young, and then surfing it over and over and finally winning it last year – that’s been a crazy, crazy, build up. There was a lot that happened building up to that moment, and then all of sudden I was winning it.”

The Hawaiian Airlines AirShow returns again this year, offering 250,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles to the surfer who executes the most spectacular aerial maneuver of the series. California’s Nat Young netted the miles last year.

Last winter the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing set an action sports webcast record with more than 10.4 million live streams during the contest. This year a global television distribution agreement with IMG will see the series broadcast around the world to more than 200 million homes. A list of networks and stations by country will be posted to www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com as soon as it is available.

Each of the three events of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing has a two-week holding period within which to run, requiring just 3-4 days of excellent surf to be completed.