Surfing Queensland

Rip Curl MP Classic & Surfboard Festival Set To Ignite Aussie Surf Season

28/1/2010

AUSTRALIAN Michael Peterson (aka The King of Kirra) dominated surfing throughout the 1970s. He was his era's ultimate competitor and biggest name, winning three straight Rip Curl Pro titles ('73, '74, '75) and many more professional accolades over the decade.

MP was a star that faded quickly though. An undiagnosed schizophrenic, the Gold Coast local despised his fame and eventually retreated into a sheltered world away from surfing’s limelight. Surfing lost a hero and Australia lost a superstar athlete.

Rip Curl was his major sponsor at the time and has forever remained in close contact with the Peterson family. Today, MP's legend lives on through the Rip Curl MP Classic presented by Air Asia X - a three-day surfing carnival held in his honour every year at Kirra Point.

The Gold Coast skyline and packed summer beaches provide the perfect backdrop for the event, while Australia’s leading surfers do what they do best in the perfect warm water waves.

An exciting addition to this year's event is the Rip Curl Surfboard Festival, which will be held at Marine Parade (across from Mick Fanning's Rip Curl store) on Sunday, January 31. The Surfboard Festival will showcase Rip Curl's newest range of boards, while giving beachgoers the opportunity to meet with Rip Curl's shapers and pro surf team, while testing out new surfboard shapes and models.

ASP World Champions and Gold Coast locals Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore will be attending the event and surfing various surfboard expression sessions, as will team mates Owen Wright, Dean Brady, Davey Cathels and Matt Wilkinson. Local shaper Darren Handley will be performing shaping demonstrations onsite, joined by Wollongong shaper Phil Byrne and Hawaiian big wave board guru Wade Tokoro, who is flying into Australia for the weekend.

"We're excited about giving surfboard lovers the chance to meet our shapers and surf team, and talk with them about boards and surfing equipment," said Chris Rowley, Rip Curl International Surfboards Manager. "We're inviting anyone that surfs or wants to surf down to the event, because we'll have all of our surfboards onsite and available for test rides and demos. It's going to be a great day!"

Rip Curl has also invited a few of the Gold Coast's best young musicians to the event, so there will be plenty happening on the day and on the beach.

The Rip Curl MP Classic & Surfboard Festival is supported by Connecting Southern Gold Coast.

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Rip Curl MP Classic & Surfboard Festival Timetable

January 29 – A Lay-Day has been called for the first day of the 2010 Rip Curl MP Classic. The surfing component of the festival has been rescheduled for Saturday and Sunday (morning).

January 31
8:30am: Rip Curl Surfboard Festival open to public on Marine Parade & public board testing begins.
10:30am: Live music onsite.
11am: Surfboard shaping demonstrations and one-on-one public opportunities with Rip Curl shapers Darren Handley, Wade Tokoro, Phil Byrne, Laurie Byrne and Gunther Rohn.
11:30am: Rip Curl pro team demo session #1 (30 minutes)
12:30pm: Rip Curl pro team signing session
1pm: One-on-one opportunity for public to speak with Rip Curl pro team about board design and shaping.
2:30pm: Rip Curl pro team demo session #2 (30 minutes)
3:30pm: Rip Curl Surfboard Festival closes.

Current ASP Men's World Champion And Coolangatta's Own Mick Fanning Will Be Appearing At This Year's Rip Curl MP Classic & Surfboard Festival