Words: Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International has announced the 2014 world tour schedule, featuring the ASP Men’s World Championship Tour (WCT), ASP Women’s WCT and ASP qualification tours.
“There’s a huge commitment from new management to the core principles of our sport in putting the world’s best surfers in the world’s best waves,” Kieren Perrow, Interim Commissioner, said. “The 2014 ASP Men’s WCT, ASP Women’s WCT and qualification tours are designed to produce the world’s most comprehensive and exciting surfers. There’s a lot happening within the sport next year and it’s a very exciting time for professional surfing.”
The ASP Women’s WCT, which saw the crowning of two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW), 21, this season, will boast a nine-event schedule in 2014, including the addition of world-class venues Fiji, Trestles and Hossegor to the celebrated events of the Gold Coast, Margaret River, Bells Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Huntington Beach and Cascais.
“2014 will see the most talented collective of female surfers ever assembled in the ASP Top 17 and the new tour schedule is befitting of their talent,” Jessi Miley-Dyer, ASP Women’s World Tour Manager, said. “New ASP management have an unprecedented dedication to providing a quality platform upon which the world’s best female surfers can perform and that’s evident in the addition of major events to the 2014 schedule. Next year will be the most exciting year in the history of women’s surfing thus far, without a doubt.”
For the first time in organization’s storied 37-year history, next season will be the first time all of professional surfing’s initiatives from production to athlete care to marketing to operations to media and onwards will be centralized under the purview of the ASP, creating a well-resourced, fan-centric and athlete focused entity committed to celebrating the sport.
“As our transitional year draws to a close and we look ahead to 2014, we’re very excited by the passion, enthusiasm and interest with which our athletes and events as well as new and core media and sponsorship partners have supported us with,” Paul Speaker, ASP CEO, said. “Our foundational media platform with Google YouTube, Facebook/Instagram and ESPN is in place and we’ll be announcing our respective international linear broadcast partners in the coming weeks.”
“We truly have, in my opinion, one of the most dynamic and impressive global sporting properties in the world,” Speaker continued. “The more time I spend with our athletes, the more I come to respect them, their accomplishments and their affinity with the most dangerous and alluring frontier on the planet. We have tremendous admiration for the culture and heritage of the sport and we’re humbled and honored to be stewarding professional surfing into this next era of excellence. Good luck to our remaining competitors around the globe this season and we look forward to a huge 2014.”
2014 ASP Men’s World Championship Tour (WCT) Schedule:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast – March 1 – 12, 2014
Margaret River Pro – April 2 – 13, 2014
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – April 16 – 27, 2014
Billabong Rio Pro – May 7 – 18, 2014
Fiji Pro – June 1 – 13, 2014
Bali Pro – June 17 – 28, 2014
Billabong Pro Teahupoo – August 15 – 26, 2014
Hurley Pro at Trestles – September 9 – 20, 2014
Quiksilver Pro France – September 25 – October 6, 2014
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal – October 8 – 19, 2014
Billabong Pipe Masters – December 8 – 20, 2014
2014 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) Schedule:
Roxy Pro Gold Coast – March 1 – 12, 2014
Margaret River Pro – April 2 – 13, 2014
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach – April 16 – 27, 2014
Rio Women’s Pro – May 7 – 18, 2014
Fiji Women’s Pro – May 25 – 30, 2014
Vans US Open of Surfing – July 27 – August 3, 2014
Trestles Women’s Pro – September 9 – 20, 2014
Hossegor Women’s Pro – September 23 – 29, 2014
EDP Cascais Women’s Pro – October 1 – 6, 2014
A full schedule of 2014 events can be found at www.aspworldtour.com
ASP International will announce the Big Wave World Tour (BWWT) schedule for the 2014/2015 season in early January of 2014.
The 2013 ASP World Tour is currently completing its final events of the season with the Riyue Bay ASP Men’s World Longboard Championship in China and the Vans Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing on Oahu’s North Shore featuring the ASP Prime Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach and the season-ending Billabong Pipe Masters at the Banzai Pipeline.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
