“Bowls is my spot, brah,” said Cazimero, 23. “It was super small, challenging surf, but it just shows who the guys are that really know how to surf that wave and know where it’s going to break.”

Team HIC (R-L) Davin Jaime, Pauly Evangelista, Joel Centeio, Kekoa Cazimero. Photo: Heff

The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge teams are comprised of two team riders and two shop employees. Cazimero, confident about all of his teammates’ surfing ability, is eyeing the overall championship in June.

“We want to go up there with the same game plan,” he said. “Everybody on the team surfs solid, and we have a legit team with two pro guys that ride for HIC, as well as two guys who work at HIC. We got good people and good strategy so we’re looking to win the whole thing in Bali.”

While Cazimero had the most local knowledge of Ala Moana Bowls, his teammate, Davin Jaime, had the flare in the small surf. Jaime, an HIC employee, was the only surfer to land a reverse 360 in the Final nailing an 8.8 out of a possible 10 points for that ride. He was a part of Team HIC in 2011 when they won the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge in Hawaii, back when the Championship was held in Huntington Beach, California.

“I’m psyched we won this year again,” said Jaime, 25. “I’ve been to Bali a lot of times and it’s like my second home. I’m looking forward to surfing really good waves because you know Huntington sucks, so we’re really glad to have a really good spot to surf [for the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Championship].

Team HIC’s Joel Centeio echoed Jaime’s excitement for their upcoming trip to Bali. Centeio is a seasoned contest surfer, but he enjoys the team aspect of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge.

“This contest is so much fun and obviously it’s different because it’s a team thing and you don’t want to let your team down,” said Centeio, 30. “I always look forward to this contest because our team is super solid.”

Pipe Dreams Surf Co. had a strong showing taking second place, with newcomer Drift Surf taking third and five-time champions Town & Country Hawaii coming in a disappointing fourth.

Along with a free plane ticket to Bali and spending money, HIC will combat six other regional qualifiers for $10,000 in the Championship event, held in June at Keramas. The series makes its final regional qualifying stop at Newport Beach, California at the end of May. For all of the latest information including photos, video footage, results and more, check out surfshopchallenge.com.

Special thanks to Oakley, SURFER Magazine and other event partners, Bubble Gum Surf Wax, Futures Fins, New Era, SOL REPUBLIC, and Watermans Sunscreen for their support, without which the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be possible.

Final Results:

1. Hawaiian Island Creations (31.16 pts)
2. Pipe Dreams Surf Co. (28.60 pts)
3. Drift Surf (20.73 pts)
4. Town & Country Hawaii (20.12 pts)

2013 OSSC and OHSSTC Schedule:

• April 5 – Southwest – Seaside Reef, Cardiff, Calif.*
• April 9 – Southeast – Ponce Inlet, Fla.
• April 13 – Mid-Atlantic – Kitty Hawk or Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC
• April 16 – Northeast – Manasquan Inlet, Manasquan, NJ
• April 19 – Northwest – Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• May 10 – Hawaii – Ala Moana Bowls, South Shore, Haw.
• May 31-June 1 – West – 54th/56th Street – Newport Beach, Calif.*
• June 17-22 – National Championship – Keramas/Canggu, Bali, Indo.

*Denotes Oakley High School Surf Team Challenge stops

T&C's Travis Hashimoto. Photo: Tony Heff

The storied and unique event series pits four-man teams (two surf shop pros and two shop employees) against each other for a chance to win $10,000, an advertising spread in SURFER Magazine, and the title of best surf shop in the country. This year marks the second consecutive year for each regional qualifying team to also earn an enviable trip to Bali, Indonesia, a major coup in itself, despite the National Championship outcome.

Town & Country has been the dominant force in Hawaii with five regional victories including last year out of the nine years the event has run there. But, Hawaiian Islands Creations won back in 2011 and along with Hi-Tech Surf Sports and Pipe Dreams Surf Co. got a taste of the Final last year and will be looking to steal away the title and Bali trip from T&C this year.

Invited Hawaii teams:

Blue Hawaii Surf
Hawaiian Islands Creations
Hi-Tech Surf Sports
Local Motion Hawaii
McCully Bicycle and Sporting Goods
North Shore Boardriders Club Nukumoi Surf Co.
Pacific Vibrations Surf Shop
Pipe Dreams Surf Co.
Surf N Sea
Tamba Surf Company
Town & Country Hawaii
The complete 2013 Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Calendar:

• April 5 – Southwest – Seaside Reef, Cardiff, Calif. *
• April 9 – Southeast – Ponce Inlet, Fla.
• April 13 – Mid-Atlantic – Nags Head, Outer Banks, NC
• April 16 – Northeast – Manasquan Inlet, Manasquan, NJ
• April 19 – Northwest – Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• May 10 – Hawaii – Ala Moana Bowl, South Shore, Haw.
• May 31-June 1 – West – 54th/56th Street – Newport Beach, Calif. *
• June 17-22 – National Championship – Keramas/Canggu, Bali, Indo.

*Denotes Oakley High School Surf Team Challenge stops

Special thanks to Oakley, SURFER Magazine and other event partners, Bubble Gum Surf Wax, Futures Fins, New Era, SOL REPUBLIC, and Watermans Sunscreen for their support, without which the Surf Shop Challenge series would not be possible.

The competition will take place in two stages:
− 6 to 7 June 2013: the French shops and the English shop will face one another on the famous waves of Anglet.
− 9 to 10 June 2013: the Spanish and Portuguese shops will battle it out in the beautiful seaside city of San Sebastian.
− The winners from France and Spain will then face off in their quest to be crowned the European Oakley Surf Shop Champion. This will follow immediately after the Spanish event also in San Sebastian.

Each team will have 4 members: two shop
employees, one best customer and a pro junior (under 20).

All the teams will meet in a fun atmosphere where the public will be able to support their favourite shop, discover the latest innovations from Oakley and exchange information about the brand’s products before the prizes are awarded.

Oakley has looked at the big picture where prizes are concerned. No five-figure money prize, but better still – the shop that wins the first European Oakley Surf Shop Challenge will
be invited to the ASP WCT Oakley Pro Bali.

More information at www.surfshopchallenge.com/europe

We would particularly like to thank our media partner Surf Europe and Carlsberg for their support; without them, this European project would not have become a reality.

About Surf Shop Challenge
Originally conceived to provide a fun and competitive format for the hardcore surf shop riders, the SURFER Shop Team Challenge was one of the most popular and exciting Southern California contests of the early 1980s. Through the years the contest has evolved, with seven qualifying regional events around the country, culminating in a national championship in Bali, Indonesia for the first time in 2012. The underlying principles, however, have remained the same. The Oakley Surf Shop Challenge is still about giving back to the shops, the true backbone of the industry and the heart of the sport of surfing. Each year the competition level rises, the stakes become greater and the prizes become bigger.

About Oakley, Inc.
Established in 1975 and headquartered in Southern California, Oakley is one of the leading sports brands in the world. The holder of more than 600 patents, Oakley is continually seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. This philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. Oakley is famed for its insuperable lens technologies such as High Definition Optics® (HDO®) which is incorporated into all Oakley sun and prescription eyewear, and all premium Oakley goggles. Oakley has extended its leadership position as the world’s leading sports eyewear brand into apparel, footwear and accessories collections. Laser focused on the consumer, Oakley has both men’s and women’s product lines that target Sports Performance, Active and Lifestyle consumers. Oakley is a subsidiary of Luxottica Group. Additional information is available at www.oakley.com.

Media Contacts:

Ingrid Sirois
PR Manager EMEA, Oakley, Inc.
+41 44 829 6196
isirois@oakley.com

Stephanie Protet
Oakley France Core media
+33 61 11 12 532
stephanieprotet@mac.com