MORE THAN $110,000 UP FOR GRABS AT THE 2007 O’NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC PRESENTED BY JEEP AND OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR ASP NORTH AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIPS

ASP 4-Star WQS and Grade-3 Pro Junior Conclude the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series Presented by Jeep Oct. 9-14, 2007 at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane

Santa Cruz, Calif., September 26, 2007 – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4-star O’Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep and Grade-3 Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships will draw top professional and junior surfers from all over the world to Santa Cruz, California’s legendary Steamer Lane, Oct. 9-14, 2007. With a $75,000 prize purse for the WQS event, $15,000 for the Pro Junior, and the additional Macy’s California Trifecta bonus cash and prizes, the event will dole out more than $110,000 at the conclusion of the six-day world-class competition. The event also marks the final WQS event on the U.S. mainland and the ASP North America Championships for the Pro Juniors.

Now in it’s 20th year, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic has a storied history tapping into a legacy of surfing talent with previous winners including legends Ritchie Collins, Martin Potter and Tom Curren, local Santa Cruz favorites Kieran Horn and Adam Replogle and Foster’s World Tour standouts Taylor Knox, Joel Parkinson and Bobby Martinez. Brimming with local pride, Steamer Lane’s cold, rough conditions and natural arena-like setting provide the perfect backdrop for Northern California’s pre-eminent surf competition.

As the final stop of the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series presented by Jeep, the Cold Water Classic will award an all-new Jeep Patriot and $15,000 bonus cash purse to the top three finishers in the series. After the second event in Newport Beach, the Trifecta points leaders have been shaken up with Adam Virs (2,138 pts) taking the lead from Shaun Ward (1,744 pts) who dropped down to third. Two-time Newport Beach Pro and reigning Trifecta champion, Nate Yeomans (2,006 pts), has moved back into contention in second. Austin Ware (1,650 pts) and Micah Byrne (1,594 pts) sit in fourth and fifth respectively.

The Trifecta was formed in 2005 as part of a three-year plan to strengthen surfing in America by uniting the Jeep Body Glove Surfbout presented by Jeep, the Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep and the O'Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep under one banner. In last year’s Trifecta, the title went to Nate Yeomans, and the year prior was claimed by Asher Nolan.

This year, the juniors will also receive a Trifecta bonus purse of $5,000. After Newport, Aussie Brent Dorrington (805 pts) maintains his lead and Nick Rozsa (765 pts) jumps from fourth to second in the standings. For his win in Newport, Adam Wickwire (725 pts) has rocketed to third with Cory Arrambide (700 pts) dropping to fourth and Eric Geiselman (680 pts) to fifth.

The Oakley Pro Junior at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep will serve as the North American Championships and is the final opportunity for the ASP North American junior competitors to advance to the Billabong Junior World Championships in Australia. Only the top four competitors will move on to the championships, so the small field of 48 and the competitive draw will ensure a climactic finish.

Live streaming video and scoring will broadcast the event to the world at www.oneill.com for all six days of competition, and FUEL TV will once again telecast highlights of the event on the Weakley Update presented by Boost Mobile. For dates and air times visit www.fuel.tv.

Special thanks to the Cold Water Classic sponsors: O’Neill, Oakley, Red Bull, Coors, Plantronics, Surfer Magazine, Surfing Magazine, WaveWatch, and FUEL TV. For more information on the Macy's California Trifecta Surf Series visit www.catrifecta.com.