Katin Team Challenge

The Pier Huntington Beach
January 2009

LEGENDARY KATIN TEAM CHALLENGE SET TO RETURN TO HUNTINGTON BEACH

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 March, 2008 : - - Huntington Beach – The legendary Katin Team Challenge is set to return to the Huntington Beach Pier in January 2009.  Founded in 1977 by Nancy Katin, the camaraderie-driven event boasts a rich and memorable history, with a roster of winners that includes world champions Shaun Tomson, Tom Curren, Martin Potter, Sunny Garcia and Kelly Slater.

Against the backdrop of Katin’s golden anniversary, the team challenge is tentatively slated to run January 14 to 18.  The format will feature 24 teams of four surfers competing in the same four-person, open-draw format that Nancy originally envisioned.  Team results will be determined by the placement of individual competitors.

“We’re excited to return the Katin Team Challenge to Surf City USA,” said Robert Schmidt, Katin USA President.  “The event brings an unparalleled history and tradition to the pier, and we’re looking forward to building upon that heritage.”

In its early days, the Katin Team Challenge was a specialty event that lured the world’s elite surfers—Mark Richards, Mark Occhilupo, Joey Buran, Michael Ho and Larry Bertleman among others. 

But true to Nancy’s dream, the event also drew hot young kids from surf towns in California, Hawaii and Florida to compete alongside their heroes.  Some of these up-and-comers – Shane Beschen, Rob Machado, Pat O’Connell, Chris Brown, Peter Mel and many more – would go on to standout careers.  The Katin Team Challenge ran uninterrupted from 1977 to 1989, then from 1992 to 1999.

“The buzz is already building among the team managers, brands and surfers,” said Katin’s Scott Waring.  “Our dates provide a great window before the ASR trade show and the start of the world tour, so we expect a large industry turnout.”

About Katin
Kanvas by Katin was founded in 1959 by Nancy Katin in Surfside, Calif., when she and her husband Walter transformed a canvas boat cover business into one of the nation’s first surfwear brands, specializing in high quality surf trunks.  Currently enjoying a resurgence in interest, today the Katin brand is carried in surf shops and specialty stores throughout the U.S. and worldwide. 

www.katinusa.com
www.katinsurf.com

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Mike Kingsbury

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