OAKLEY SIGNS ON AS TITLE SPONSOR OF 2007 OAKLEY NEWPORT BEACH PRO PRESENTED BY JEEP

Stop Two of the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series presented by Jeep Heats Up
Newport Beach Sept. 18-23

DANA POINT, Calif. (Aug. 6, 2007) – Action Sports Group (ASG), publisher of leading surf publications SURFER and SURFING, is pleased to announce Oakley has signed on as title sponsor of the 2007 Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep®. The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) two-star event will take place Sept. 18-23, 2007 at Newport’s 54th Street Break in conjunction with the ASP Grade 2 Oakley Pro Junior and the 19th Annual Newport Beach Surf Championships. The event will serve as stop number two on the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series presented by Jeep.

“Oakley is amped to come on board as the title sponsor of the Oakley Newport Beach Pro in addition to maintaining our title sponsor role of the Oakley Pro Junior series,” said Ronny Nelson, surf marketing manager, Oakley, Inc. “The Trifecta series is providing more opportunities to ASP North American WQS and World Pro Junior surfers to shine, and the Newport Pro will undoubtedly set the stage for the conclusion of the series in Santa Cruz.”

As was proven last year, the Oakley Newport Pro is a pivotal stop of the three event series for the conclusion at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic presented by Jeep in October. Last year’s race heated up significantly at the Oakley Newport Pro when Nate Yeomans clenched a victory over then points leader Dustin Cuizon. Although the win didn’t give him the Trifecta Surf Series points lead going into the third and final stop, it gave him the fodder to pull off the win in the end with his strong finish in Santa Cruz.

2007 Jeep Body Glove Surfbout fourth-place winner Shaun Ward (Huntington Beach, CA), currently ranked number four on the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series ratings, will enter into the Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep in the drivers seat in the absence of ratings leaders CJ Hobgood (FLA), Dayyan Neve (AUS) and Gabe Kling (FLA), in first through third respectively. With a win at the Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep, Ward will be one step closer to becoming the Macy’s Trifecta Surf Series all-around points winner. In addition to a $10,000 cash bonus and valuable WQS points, the Trifecta overall winner will receive an all-new 2007 Jeep Patriot.

A similar race is heating up in the 2007 Oakley Pro Junior Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series with the addition of bonus cash and points up for grabs this year for the juniors. Oakley Wild Card Brent Dorrington secured a win at the first event at Trestles and will look to solidify his first place points ranking after the Newport event. He’s followed closely by top ranked juniors Eric Geiselman, Cory Arrambide and Nick Rozsa, respectively.

The Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep features 160 top-level professional surfers, a field of 48 junior competitors in the Oakley Pro Junior as well as 144 amateur participants. The events not only display some of the WQS’s premier surfers, but also provide the community with a chance to explore and celebrate Newport Beach’s storied surfing heritage. Past events have attracted some of the biggest names in surfing such as three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) and World Tour stalwart Taylor Knox (CA), while also supporting a strong draw of local competitors.

Although the contest continues to attract numerous professional competitors, the amateur division remains an essential part of surfing’s growth and evolution, as up-and-coming stars and local heroes are given the chance to standout and prove themselves in their own backyard. The 19th Annual Newport Beach Surf Championships, hosted by the City of Newport Beach, awards a collection of prizes valued at $5,000. The competition focuses on the sport of surfing in the community and is open to competitors of diverse ages and abilities. Divisions include: Elementary; Middle School; High School; College Men’s; Men’s, Masters; Legends and Girls.
As a part of the ASP North American tour, the 2007 Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep is supported by Oakley, Jeep, Macy’s, Jack’s and the City of Newport Beach. The event is pleased to have media support from Action Sports Group (ASG), publisher of SURFER, SURFING and Wavewatch, as well as FUEL TV, the action sports lifestyle network. For those who can’t make it, this year’s contest will be available to view online with streaming video and live scoring at  www.NewportBeachPro.com.