surfrider foundation LaunChes pro team

Surfrider Foundation
Launches
Pro Team
By Chelsea Murphy
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This past summer the Surfrider Foundation made
history by uniting nine of the world’s best surfers
to collectively represent the Foundation and its
efforts to protect and preserve our world’s oceans,
waves and beaches. The Surfrider Foundation Pro
Team is led by twelve-year World Championship
Tour (WCT) veteran and star of the Endless
Summer II, Pat O’Connell. Joining Pat is threetime consecutive and current World Champion
Andy Irons, six-time Triple Crown winner Sunny
Garcia, 2001 World Champion CJ Hobgood,
free surfing icon Rob Machado, former WCT
competitor and big wave charger Shane Dorian,
and current WCT surfers Tim Curran, Damien
Hobgood and Taylor Knox.
Instead, each of the athletes will be donating
their time and energies to the program. As team
members, the surfers will be using their highprofile status to advocate on behalf of the Surfrider
Foundation. Additionally each team member has
agreed to donate two volunteer days per year to
assist the Foundation in such activities as filming
public service announcements, outreach and
fundraising appearances, beach clean-ups and
other activities.
“The goal in putting together this team is to bring
together the very best surfers our country has to
offer and work with them to increase awareness
of the Surfrider Foundation and our efforts to
protect our beach and coastal environments,” says
Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of
Marketing. The Surfrider Foundation is also working on
securing a number of women athletes to round out
the pro team as well. “Since the women have been
traveling on a different WCT circuit, it’s taking us
a little longer to lock them in,” says McClain. “We
expect to have the full team rounded out by the
time the season closes out in Hawaii this Winter.”
Unlike other industry teams, the Surfrider
Foundation team members are not compensated.
The Surfrider Foundation pro team will be featured
in upcoming public service announcements.
“I’m really excited to be leading this team,” said
Team Captain Pat O’Connell. “I know all the guys
are super supportive of the Surfrider Foundation
and all the work they do.”
ASP / TOSTEE
ANDY IRONS
VIPE DESAI
ASP / TOSTEE
ANDY IRONS
DAMIEN HOBGOOD
TOM COZAD
ROBERT DURON
ASP / TOSTEE
ROB MACHADO
PAT O’CONNELL
TIMMY CURRAN
Making Waves recently
caught up with a number of
Surfrider Foundation’s new
professional surf team at the
Boost Mobile Pro WCT event
at Lower Trestles in Southern
California. Here’s what they
had to say:
“I’m stoked and looking
forward to do whatever I can
to help out.”
– Andy Irons
TOM COZAD
“The Surfrider Foundation is
the watchdog for our oceans.
Anyone who enjoys or has
anything to do with our oceans
should support Surfrider.”
- Damien Hobgood
“I want to do whatever I
can to support the Surfrider
Foundation and keep our
beaches and oceans clean.”
– Taylor Knox
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