Thailand's surf cred grows with Asian surf awards

2011 ASC champ Raditya Rondi © Tim Hain / ASC

Quiksilver Open Phuket Thailand

ASC / ISC 6 Star event
Patong Beach, Phuket Thailand
12 - 15 September 2012

Thailand to Host 2012 Asian Surfing Championship Awards on September 15th

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 September, 2012 : - - In an exciting climax to the Asian Surfing Championships second year, Asia’s surfing champions will be crowned at Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand on September 15th in conjunction with the conclusion of the final event of the 2012 season, the Quiksilver Open Phuket 6-star dual-sanctioned Asian Surfing Championship and Indonesian Surfing Championship surfing competition that will run from September 12-15.

2012 is the fourth year for Phuket’s fast growing surfing community to play host to annual international surfing competitions, thanks to the tremendous support of Quiksilver Thailand, Surfing Thailand (the International Surfing Associations’ governing body for surfing in Thailand) and the Asian Surfing Championships.

Hundreds if not thousands including surfers and their families, friends, tourists and locals will be treated to Asia’s best pro surfers going ballistic on Phuket’s fun waves during the 4-day surfing competition, and with the variety of beach activities and nightlife on offer, it will be non-stop fun and entertainment all day and far into the night!

Immediately following the announcement and awarding of the winners of the Quiksilver Open Phuket on Saturday night, the 2012 Asian Surfing Champions in the Men’s Open, Master’s, Women’s, and Longboard divisions will be called up onto the beachside stage and presented with their championship trophies, after which the celebration will go into overdrive in Thailand’s most favorite holiday beach destination.

The inaugural 2011 ASC season saw Thailand boasting it first every surfing champion, Patong Beach’s own Decha Sithidej in the Master’s Division, and though he is leading the points race going into this final event he still needs to finish third or better if Tostzikazu Kirusuji (JPN), Hazimin Harun (MAL), Ketut Juliarta (INA) or Sujari (INA) win the Quiksilver Open Phuket in order to retain his title.

Annissa Flynn from Kata Beach (Thailand) is currently leading the race for the Women’s Championship ahead of last year’s champion Yasnyiar “Bonne” Gea from Indonesia and Nilbie Blancada from the Philippines, but she is in the hot seat as Blancada needs only a third place finish to take the 2012 championship, even if Annissa wins the final event. You can bet Annissa will have her “Kata Crew” out on the beach during each heat riotously cheering her on.

In the Longboard Division only 250 points separate the leader Arif “Mencos” Nurhidayat of Indonesia from second place Luke Landrigan of the Philippines, and with a host of proficient longboard surfers slated to attend the Quiksilver Open Phuket those two will have their work cut out for them in order to make it through to the finals and dual it out for the win and the championship title.

Last year’s Open Division champion Raditya Rondi from Indonesia has a decisive lead coming into this year’s final event and looks to have the lock on his second ASC title, having competed in all but one event during the 2012 ASC tour season. He was also the winner of last year’s Quiksilver Open at Patong Beach, however Rondi needs to be wary of fellow countryman Tipi Jabrik, who holds down second place in the rankings.

Jabrik has also won in Phuket, at the 2010 Quiksilver Thailand event held at Kata Beach, so is certainly capable of a strong finish if not a win. Should Jabrik win this final event and Rondi fail to finish in 5th place or higher, Jabrik would take the 2012 ASC Open Championship away from Rondi, so you can bet that both surfers will be going full stop in each heat knowing what’s at stake.

The 2012 ASC season got started in 2011 with the Taitung County International Surf Challenge presented by Quiksilver in November, then continued with three events in Malaysia, first the Terangganu Quiksilver Best Event, followed by the Billabong Cherating Pro, and the Monsoon Mayhem presented by Bigfoot Industries.

Three events in Indonesia were dual sanctioned ASC and ISC (Indonesian Surfing Championship), the Oakley Pro at Canggu in Bali, the Rip Curl Pro Mentawai at Macaronis, and the Quiksilver Open in West Java, and a women-only event the Roxy Siargao International Surfing Cup held at Cloud 9 in the Philippines in May.

The final event of the 2012 season will be the Quiksilver Open in Phuket, Thailand, which will culminate in the crowning of the champions at arguably the most festive spot in the region.

The 2013 ASC season is slated to commence with a 6 star men’s only event at Cloud 9 in the Philippines from 23-29 September before going to Kuta Beach in Bali for the dual sanctioned Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival from 20-21 October. Next up is the Taiwan Open of Surfing in Taitung from 14-18 November, and then the next three events will be in Malaysia starting in December and into January.