WORLD CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT INAUGURAL ISA WORLD ADAPTIVE SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday September 27th, 2015

Denmark’s Bruno Hansen Wins Prone, Brazil’s Fellipe Lima Wins Upright, USA’s Jesse Billauer Wins Assist and Australia’s Mono Stewart Wins Stand

Australia’s Mark “Mono” Stewart, Stand Gold Medalist of the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship. Photo: ISA/Reynolds

The inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship Presented by Challenged Athletes Foundation, Hurley, Stance and the City of San Diego, culminated on Sunday at La Jolla Shores in grand fashion, crowning the first-ever ISA World Adaptive Surfing Champions.

Demonstrating the international profile of this ISA World Championship, the Gold Medalists from four continents were greeted by a crowd of thousands. Adaptive surfers from 18 countries cheered them on, showcasing the international support that has been evident throughout the competition.

The newly crowned Gold Medalists were Bruno Hansen (DEN) in Prone, Jesse Billauer (USA) in Assist, Mark “Mono” Stewart (AUS) in Stand and Fellipe Lima (BRA) in Upright.

Fellipe Lima, who made history as the first athlete to receive a Gold Medal, said:

“I couldn’t be happier than I am now. It’s amazing to see this ISA World Championship happen. It has always been my dream, not just to be a World Champion, but also to see the sport grow. This is just the start.”

Brazil’s Fellipe Lima rides a wave on his way to earning the Gold Medal in Upright. Photo: ISA/Lockwood

The Upright Final was the first of the four Finals to take place, with Brazil’s Fellipe Lima scoring a heat total of 12.93 to earn him the title of the first ISA World Adaptive Surfing Champion. Following Lima were three athletes from the USA: Jeff Munson with Silver, Chris Oberle with Bronze and Freddy Carrillo with Copper.

USA’s Jesse Billauer got out to an early lead in the Assist Final that he never lost, earning Gold for the host country. Taking the Silver was fan favorite, 10-year-old Davi Teixeira from Brazil, followed by Juan Martin De Posadas from Uruguay with Bronze and the only female medalist, Darian Haynes from Hawaii with Copper.

Assist Gold Medalist, Jesse Billauer (USA), embraces the Silver Medalist, Davi Teixeira (BRA), after the Final. Photo: ISA/Reynolds

Billauer emotionally shared words with ISA President Fernando Aguerre after his heat.

“After I got injured, competition was not something that I thought about, and now I am the ISA World Champion. It’s amazing to be a part of this and have all of the countries involved.”

Bruno Hansen from Denmark put on an impressive performance en route to taking the Gold Medal in Prone. USA Team Captain, Christiaan Bailey, finished with the Silver Medal, Spain’s Alvaro Bayona with Bronze and USA’s Ryan Baker with Copper.

Hansen explained, “I’ve been training hard for ten years, trying to get my mind in the right place. I lost my way completely and Surfing brought me back to where I am.”

The Prone podium from left to right: Gold Medalist Bruno Hansen (DEN), Silver Medalist Christiaan Bailey (USA), Bronze Medalist Alvaro Bayona (ESP) and Copper Medalist Ryan Baker (USA). Photo: ISA/Reynolds

The Stand Final wrapped up the event in dramatic fashion. Australia’s Mark “Mono” Stewart narrowly earned the Gold Medal with a heat total of 11.13, edging out South Africa’s Antony Smyth’s score of 10.66. Rounding out the heat were Brazil’s Alcino “Pirata” Neto with Bronze and Hawaii’s Mike Coots with Copper.

The 52-year-old Stewart spoke about his accomplishment.

“It’s a dream come true. I think everyday I’ve had a tear in my eye seeing people who are so dedicated and love the ocean as much as I do.

“I’ve been waiting 35 years for this event, but I now know that the sky is the limit with Adaptive Surfing. The future is in the hands of all the young people you’ve seen here this week. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

ISA President Fernando Aguerre spoke after the Closing Ceremony.

“This is an ISA World Championship that will be talked about for years to come. Adaptive Surfing history has been made in La Jolla. I would like to congratulate the four athletes that received Gold Medals, but also at all 69 competitors who took part in this historic competition. All of the athletes will return home as ambassadors of Adaptive Surfing. This is only the start of something much bigger and wider reaching that we will see grow and develop in the years to come.”

For a full list of results, visit: http://isaworlds.com/adaptive/en/results/

Next, the ISA will head up the coast to Oceanside, California for the 2015 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship taking place from October 11 to 18: http://isaworlds.com/juniors/

WORLD’S BEST ADAPTIVE SURFERS SET TO CONVERGE IN LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA FOR 2015 ISA WORLD ADAPTIVE SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION, HURLEY, STANCE AND CITY OF SAN DIEGO

September 2, 2015

Event Art Created by Renowned Southern California Artist, Andy Davis, Stance Joins as Presenting Sponsor

Anticipation is growing for the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented by Challenged Athletes Foundation, Hurley, Stance and the City of San Diego. An international field of more than 65 athletes from 17 countries will feature the world’s top adaptive surfers to compete on the sport’s highest stage.

Southern California surfer and artist, Andy Davis, brought his passion and energy to the ISA World Championship by creating the official event art, which incorporated his signature mellow, feel-good style. Davis, who has years of experience creating surf art, spoke about this inaugural event:

“It’s an honor to be able to contribute to such a historic event. These adaptive surfers all have inspiring stories and radiate positive energy. It was fun to conceptualize and execute an adaptive surfing piece to represent that feeling. The simple, yet effective use of color celebrates the positive way that these athletes have overcome their obstacles.”

Andy Davis, a renowned Southern California surfer and artist, created the art for the official event poster of the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship.

Adding to the building momentum of the event, leading sock brand, Stance, recently committed to supporting the World Championship as a presenting sponsor. Founder and CEO of Stance, Jeff Kearl, expressed his excitement of supporting the event.

“Stance is built on the foundation of art, self-expression and innovation,” said Kearl. “With the way these adaptive surfers are breaking down barriers and performing their art form on waves, it makes great sense to align our brand with this unique, inaugural event. We are looking forward to watching these athletes go out there and push the limits of the sport.”

Jeff Munson, the winner of the Men’s Sit Division at the AccesSurf Adaptive Surf Competition, will represent Team USA at the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship. Photo: Jason Rose

ISA President Fernando Aguerre commented on the inaugural ISA World Championship, “The ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship will truly be a historic event for the sport of Surfing. It’s about the building of a better world, and the nurturing, healing role of riding waves. The pieces have all come together with great sponsors and athletes. Gathering competitors from 17 countries in this inaugural championship, provides a preeminent platform for the international growth and development of all disciplines of adaptive surfing, and the healing power of waveriding.”

The event schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, Sept. 24 – 8am-1pm:  Adaptive Surfing Clinic PST at La Jolla Shores
• Thursday, Sept. 24 – 5pm: Opening Ceremony at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park
• Friday, Sept. 25 – 8am-5pm: Live webcast of Day 1 of competition to begin at La Jolla Shores
• Saturday, Sept. 26 – 10am-3pm: Adaptive Surfing Symposium featuring keynote speakers about the future development of Adaptive Surfing at the CAF headquarters
• Sunday, Sept. 27 – 8am-5pm: Live webcast of Competition Finals at La Jolla Shores to culminate with the event’s Medal and Closing Ceremony.

About International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Surfing and Racing and all other wave riding activities. The ISA has been crowning World Champions in surfing since 1964, with the ultimate mission to develop surfing globally. To learn more, visit www.isasurf.org.

About Challenged Athletes Foundation
The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles. CAF believes that participation in physical activity at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. Since 1994, more than $64 million has been raised and over 11,000 funding requests from people with physical challenges in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. To learn more, visit challengedathletes.org or call 858-866-0959.

About Hurley
Founded in Huntington Beach in 1999, Hurley is a surf lifestyle brand which designs, markets and distributes industry-leading apparel, footwear and accessories. Fueled by innovation, inclusion and empowerment of youth, Hurley is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike Inc. with headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA and offices in Tokyo, Sydney, Barcelona and Bali. www.hurley.com www.facebook.com/hurley

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