Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival
January 25 to 30, 2013
Wanning, Hainan, China
From January 25 to 30, China will become the focus of the surfing community when the world’s top surfers will compete in the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival for the second consecutive year.
As the opening event of the International Surfing Festival, the ISA China Cup will feature the top eight surfing countries based on the results from the 2012 ISA World Junior Championship held in Panama last April.
Following the ISA China Cup will be the Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP contest, where the best professional surfers from around the world will compete for a piece of the $ 95,000 prize purse.
The ten things you need to know about the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival are:
1. The Event
The Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival consists of two competitions:
- ISA China Cup is taking place January 25 to 27.
- Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP is taking place January 28 to 30.
2. The Competitions
The ISA China Cup will be a team competition, where the top eight National Teams from the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship competed last April in Panama. An Open Men’s, Open Women’s and Team Gold Medals will be up for grabs.
The Hainan Classic will gather the world’s best surfers as rated by the ASP competing for a total prize purse of $ 95,000.
3. The Participants
The eight nations that will compete in the ISA China Cup are:
- Australia
- Brazil
- France
- Hawaii
- Japan
- Peru
- Portugal
- United States
The Hainan Classic, 4-Star Men’s ASP will feature a maximum draw of 96 athletes including women. The 2012 Hainan Classic had the largest number of women in the history of a Men’s ASP event, and the ISA is expecting an increase in women surfers this year.
4. The History
This is the second edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival. The 2012 ISA China Cup was won by Team Australia, the Open Men’s winner was Heath Joske (AUS) and the Open Women’s winner was Sofia Mulanovich (PER).
Irishman Glenn Hall won the inaugural Hainan Classic in 2012, which launched his successful campaign of qualifying for the 2013 ASP World Tour.
5. The Mission
The ISA’s mission is to develop the sport of surfing across China’s long coast, and the ISA has partnered with Beijing Womei Advertising, the China National Water Sports Association, the Hainan Culture and Sports Department and the Wanning Sports Bureau, who are all working together for a better surfing future.
6. The Numbers
For the ISA China Cup each team will include:
- 4 Men
- 2 Women
- 2 Team Officials (coaches and team managers)
The Hainan Classic will have a maximum of 96 competitors from around the world.
7. The Schedule
The second edition of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival will officially open on January 25 with the ISA’s signature “Parade of Nations” and “Sands of the World Ceremony” at the Sheraton Hotel beach in the city of Wanning. The participating countries will pour sand from their favorite local beaches into a handmade glass container, representing the peaceful union of the nations through the love of the sport of surfing.
Full schedule below:
- Jan 25 – Parade of Nations, Sands of the World and Opening Ceremonies
- Jan 26 – ISA China Cup Competition Begins
- Jan 27 – ISA China Cup Finals and Closing Ceremony
- Jan 28 – Hainan Classic Competition Begins
- Jan 29 – Hainan Classic Competition Continues
- Jan 30 – Hainan Classic Finals and Awards Presentation
8. The Facts
The event is taking place in the world’s most populous country, with over 1.3 billion people and more than 9,000 miles of coastline. Riyue Bay is located on the southeast side of Hainan Island, about 20-30 minutes from the center of Wanning City, China.
Respected surf forecaster Sean Collins, Founder and former President of Surfline.com, was responsible for identifying China’s most consistent and dependable surf spot for a major international surfing competition. After the research that took him over three months to analyze, and included a 10 day visit to China, Collins who has since passed away, recommended Riyue Bay.
9. The Prize
ISA China Cup:
- Team- Gold (1st), Silver (2nd), Bronze (3rd), Copper (4th)
- Open Men’s- Gold (1st), Silver (2nd), Bronze (3rd), Copper (4th)
- Open Women’s- Gold (1st), Silver (2nd), Bronze (3rd), Copper (4th)
Hainan Classic:
- One Champion and a $ 15,000 check to the first place finisher.
- $ 95,000 Total Prize Purse
10. The Expectation
Big names in surfing, including some former world champions, are expected to be part of the Hainan Wanning Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival.