Final Red Bull Ice Break qualifier goes of in New Jersey

Red Bull Ice Break

New Jersey Qualifier
8th Street, Ocean City NJ
15 Sept - 15 December 2002

Final Red Bull Ice Break qualifier goes of in New Jersey

Ocean City, New Jersey, December 12th 2002

In the third and final qualifier to determine the entrants of the Red Bull Ice Break main event to be held this upcoming winter, contestants of the New Jersey qualifier were greeted with solid nor´easter conditions and head high surf at 8th street in Ocean City, New Jersey. The first heat began promptly at 7:45 am with ocean water temperature dipping into the low 40´s.

Emerging from a field of 30 regional surfers, eight contestants made it through a series of preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals to solidify their position in the Red Bull Ice Break main event. Youngsters, Dalton Johnson (15) and Andrew Kessler (17), proved youth rules with their impressive showcase of airs, off the lips and whacks. Brian Heritage, owner of the infamous Heritage Surf Shop, and Danny Margagliano, manager of 7th Street Surf Shop, utilized local knowledge and patience to secure a place in the main event. Swooping cutbacks and power surfing were the key ingredients for Patrick Emery and Kevin Morris as the two blazed through the morning heats and landed in the main event by the afternoon. John Barrie and Kevin Richards also surfed consistently, securing their positions in the main event.

This qualifier took place between the waiting period from September 15th to December 15th to ensure optimal surf conditions and the biggest surf of the fall season. In order to have a wide representation of the northeast surf community three qualifiers were held in New Jersey, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Forty-eight competitors were admitted to each regional qualifier. All participants were residents of the northeast surfing community / anywhere from Broadway Beach in south New Jersey to the seldom-surfed northern region of Maine.

The top 8 finishers from each qualifier will be invited to compete in the Red Bull Ice Break main event, taking place at an undisclosed location on the New England coast. A waiting period from January 15th to April 15th has been established to allow for the biggest and ugliest surf the Atlantic can produce. Think big nor´easter, big guns and lots of rubber. The 24 surfers in the main event will be vying for a piece of the $10,000 cash purse.

New England surfers are some of the most diehard and dedicated surfers in the world. While many visualize surfing in clear blue water off balmy white-sand beaches as their paradise, New Englanders have found their own winter wonderland on the snow-covered beaches and in the howling arctic winds on the northeast coastline.

These winter warriors, used to the steely gray seclusion of northeast surfing, challenge piercing-cold water hovering in the mid-30’s while battling inclement walls of water for a few precious moments of a ride. New England surfers are truly a breed all their own. Red Bull Ice Break will expose the talent and skill of the most forgotten population in surfing…the northeast surfing community.

Final Qualifier Standings:

New Jersey Qualifier December 12, 2002 / Final Eight

Dalton Johnson / Pleasant, New Jersey
Andrew Kessler / Ocean City, New Jersey
Brian Heritage / Ocean City, New Jersey
John Barrie / Ocean City, New Jersey
Kevin Richards / Ocean City, New Jersey
Danny Margagliano / Ocean City, New Jersey
Patrick Emery / Long Beach, New Jersey
Kevin Morris / Ocean City, New Jersey

The above eight from the New Jersey Qualifier will now meet the following sixteen from the Rhode Island and New Hampshire qualifier listed below. This field of 24 is now entered into the Red Bull Ice Break Main event to take place later this winter between a waiting period from January 15 to April 15.

New Hampshire Qualifier : November 7, 2002 / Final Eight

Adam Coates / Hampton, New Hampshire
Zen Gartner / Cambridge, Massachusetts
Joe Carter / Hampton, New Hampshire
Kevin Grondin / Hampton, New Hampshire
Dean Randazzo / Atlantic City, New Jersey
Eric Spangler / Hampton, New Hampshire
Mike Morin / Hampton, New Hampshire
Steve O´Hara / Seabrook, New Hampshire

Rhode Island Qualifier : October 14, 2002 / Final Eight

Ron Belanger-Connecticut
David Levy-Narragansett, Rhode Island
Nico Evans-York, Maine
Curt Niles-Narragansett, Rhode Island
Josh Clements-Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Chris Causey –Rhode Island
Bryan Burns-Newport, Rhode Island
Greg Levy-Narragansett, Rhode Island

Previous reports:
# 1 : Red Bull Ice Break/New Englands frozen realm for surfers
# 2 : Red Bull Ice Break New Jersey Qualifier gets green light

Go to RedBullIceBreak.com for more information.

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Joshua Kendrick

(310) 460-5254
Joshua.Kendrick@us.redbull.com

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