Team News

Rip Curl Now Searching Lofoten Island Starring Tom Curren, Elise Garrigue and others

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 January, 2008 : - - Inspired by the spirit of the Search, Rip Curl is organising, from the 5th to the 30th of april 2008, a never-done-before Surf Trip to one of the most breath-taking archipelagos on the planet: the Lofoten Islands. On the edge of the Arctic Circle...

Considered as one of the best surf spots in the country, the Lofoten Islands are a small group of islands off the coast of Norway. Situated north of the Arctic Circle, they stretch out like a wall of mountains in the sea, and form an amazing combination of snowy peaks, sheltered bays, sandy beaches and vast immaculate spaces.

Always on the look-out for new thrills, the Rip Curl team riders are off to explore the wonders of the Arctic, by taking on the northern-most waves in the world. Thrust right into the core of nature, they will experience an unforgettable adventure in the crystal clear waters of the arctic fjords, illuminated by the Aurora Borealis.

ON THE ROAD TO... LOFOTEN ISLAND !

Getting there …
Flight: Paris-Bodø
Ferry connections: (5 hours)
Bodø – Røst or
Bodø – Værøy
Flight connections: (30 minutes)
Superficie : Area : 1 227 km2
Largest Town : Vestvågøy
7 main islands : Austvågøya, Gimsøya, Vestvågøya,
Flakstadøya, Moskenesøya, Voeroy and Rost
Official language : Norwegian
Time Zone : GMT+1 (like Paris)
Currency : Norwegian Krone
Total Population : 24 000

A bit of history...The first human traces on the Lofoten Islands date back 6000 years, when man lived from hunting and fishing. An important place for the Viking civilisation of the 8th century, the region experienced a boom in the 12th century thanks to the dried cod industry. At the time, the fishermen lived in “Rorbu”, a kind of hut on stilts typical of the Lofotens, which today are used as tourist accommodation!

If fishing is still the main economic activity, tourism is also expanding rapidly; the Lofoten Islands are definitely up there amongst the most beautiful islands in the world.

Oslo, the capital of Norway surrounded by mountains, forest and sea, is the departure point for this Surf Trip to the tip of Europe. The surfers will set off in a camper-van to cover the 1 216 km’s of coastline up to the Lofoten Islands. On the way, they will come across curiously formed archipelagos,
deep fjords, snowy peaks...and some Arctic Ocean waves which they should be ready to take on!

ON THE WAY TO THE SURF...

Nominated as the European Capital for Culture 2008, the medieval town of Stavanger, situated to the north of Jaeren on the North Sea, will be the first stop on the trip, before going by jet-ski, through fjords and open seas, to the island of Kvitsoy. Continuing northwards, our intrepid surfers will pass through Molde, a small, charming coastal village named “the Town of Roses”, famous for the exceptional panoramic vista of the 222 snowy peaks which surround it.

Between surf sessions, they will discover the historical heritage of Norway: Trondheim, the city of Viking kings, which since the middleages has been a place of gathering and pilgrimage. All the kings of Norway have been crowned here, and it is here that the crown jewels of Norway can be seen.
The last stop before crossing to the Lofoten archipelago is Bodo. The city of the sea eagle is framed by magnificent scenery and has an amazing view of the Lofoten islands, the final destination where our adventurous surfers will spend the last days of this trip...

4 SURFERS TAKE ON THE IMPRESSIVE WAVES OF THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS !

TOM CURREN (USA)
Surfer • 43 3x ASP World Champion. A living legend in the surfing world, Thomas Roland Curren revolutionised surfing with his unique style, often copied but never equalled. Always looking for new thrills in his performance, he is sure to find them in the waves of the Lofoten Islands where he will be testing the Rip Curl H-Bomb, the first wetsuit in the world to incorporate an internal heating system!

PABLO GUTIERREZ (Spain)
Surfer • 26 Born in Santander, Cantabria, Pablo threw himself onto the European circuit at a young age. Nicknamed “El Matador”, he has a real desire to win, which makes him a tough competitor. Showing the way to the younger generation in line-ups as selective as Teahupo’o, Pipeline or Sunset, he is, at 25 years of age, one of the legends of Iberian surf.

ELISE GARRIGUE (Hawaï)
Surfer • 23 This franco-hawaian breaks with tradition by combining the roles of athlete and model. Born in France to a surfer father, Elise left with her mother to Maui. She decided to turn her back on competition to live her dream : travelling the world, dividing her time between surf trips, photos and raising public awareness for the protection of the environment.

JAYCE ROBINSON (UK)
Surfer • 18 English junior champion in 2007, this young surfer has been blending his passion with competition for more than ten years already. At just 16 years of age, he is ready to take on anything that comes his way, and is treating this trip as a real challenge. His sole objective... to have fun !

EXCLUSIVE ! BE THE ONE! LOG ON TO RIP CURL.TV

Rip Curl is making news by inviting, for the first time, 4 amateur riders to come along side-by-side with the Rip Curl team, and to share in the “Search” experience… All adventurous, thrill-seeking surfers and snowboarders are invited to apply from the 1st of December*, by logging on to Ripcurl.TV.

You then have to get the maximum number of votes to be on the list of potential candidates, amongst whom a jury will select the lucky 4 to take part in this hard-core trip.  Ripcurl.TV will also make it possible for everyone to follow the adventure step by step, through photos, videos and commentaries posted regularly on-line.

Ripcurl.TV : a real TV channel on line! At the cutting edge of web-site creation, Ripcurl.TV has been designed to provide HD quality programming, the comfort of full-screen viewing, and an improved interactivity with web users! The channel will broadcast the best of on-demand videos, the latest Surf and Snowboard contests, spectacular free-sessions, private archives of the Rip Curl team stars, and the possibility for web-users to broadcast their own footage.

To inaugurate the official launch, Ripcurl.TV is organising the broadcast of the Rip Curl film “Somewhere”, on the 11th of January at 11h11 (GMT) as a global avant-premiere. One single showing of these amazing images, on a computer screen near you!

As for all its events, Rip Curl is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. In accordance with Rip Curl Planet, Rip Curl’s environmental initiative and partnership with the WWF*, several initiatives have been put in place:

• A “carbon neutral” expedition…Whilst attempting to limit its movements, Rip Curl will also off-set all the CO2 emissions generated by the trip(international flights, camper-van trips, jet-ski), by paying back the equivalent in euros to an organisation which finances the development of renewable energies.

• The use of ecological boards: Rip Curl’s new environmental challenge is to unite its passion with the protection of the planet ! Elise Garrigue, eco-ambassador for Rip Curl and the Rip Curl Planet movement will take advantage of the opportunity to let her team-mates test the new eco-friendly boards. Unlike classic boards, they are made of 40% soya foam and 60% MDI. This substance produced by Homeblown (England), is a foam whose components and manufacturing process are non-toxic, unlike traditional foam, which contains toluene, benezene and other poisonous substances.

• A meeting with the representatives of WWF* Norway to gain a better understanding of the region’s ecological issues.

• An analysis and study of Norways’ exemplary behaviour in relation to ecological issues.
• Press releases printed on paper from sustainable forests.

www.ripcurl.com

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Julie Pollet

Team - Surfersvillage