Daphne's and Kelly Slater Offer Two More Spots on "Team Daphne's" to Local Under-18 Surf Talent

CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After choosing eight young Southern California surf stars as the core of "Team Daphne's" on July 6, 2011, Daphne's and (www.Daphnes.biz) 10-time world surf champion, Kelly Slater, are offering two alternate spots on the surf team in a voting contest on Surfline.com.  A group of eight boys and girls under the age of 18 who have caught the attention of Slater have been submitted as contenders. Their surfing videos, photos and profiles will be posted on Surfline.com on August 26, 2011 for fans to vote on the final determination. The two winners to be chosen September 24, 2011, will be mentored by Slater and gifted with healthy California-inspired Mediterranean grinds at Daphne's.

The list of contenders includes: John Mel, Colt Ward, Scott Weinhardt, Colin Moran, Frankie Farrer, Kylie Loveland, Nikki Viesins and Malia Ward.

"When we bought Daphne's last year," said Daphne's CEO Bill Trefethen, "we wanted to find a way to support the community, and promote active living and a healthy diet. Our intention with building Team Daphne's is to provide exposure and support to young talent as well as expose them to healthy eating alternatives to properly fuel their bodies to support their athletic pursuits. And, of course, being mentored by a professional like Kelly is a once in a lifetime opportunity improve their technique and contest strategy. The next two kids who become part of Team Daphne's will be getting one very unique opportunity. It feels good to affect positive nourishment habits on young people who show so much athletic promise. We'll be watching them carefully as they grow into their potential."

The winners of the Surfline contest will join charter members of Team Daphne's who include: Corey Colapinto, 15, Jake Davis, 14, Josh Benjoya, 15, Lani Doherty, 18, Kulia Doherty, 15, Meah Collins, 10, Griffin Colapinto, 12, and Tia Blanco, 15.

"Together with Daphne's we found a group of young talent who we felt best fit the profile of what made sense for the brand; good, young, local, up-and-comers," said Kelly Slater. "Our objective is to support them in staying healthy and focus on their surfing. I think this is a win-win for everybody. I know I would've been stoked on the free food as a teenager! I'm really happy with the team. Together we intend to help them become better competitive surfers and mentor them toward their optimal performance. We hope to help them develop the skills to become future champions."

"Surfline is proud to provide the voting platform for a contest that is offering such an amazing opportunity to two young surfers," said Surfline's VP of Sales, Robin Walker. "With 120,000 visitors per day, Surfline can give the contestants' videos and photos tons of exposure, giving each boy and girl a great shot at winning a spot on the Daphne's surf team and being mentored by Kelly Slater."

Daphne's California Greek is the country's largest chain of company-owned Mediterranean and Greek-inspired fast casual restaurants with 57 corporate or licensed locations throughout the western-half of the country. Established in 1991, the brand was bought by Wreath Equity LLC in August 2010 and re-positioned with brand ambassador, 10-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, to communicate a new commitment to healthy California lifestyle. Daphne's represents a new genre of food: fresh California cuisine influenced by Mediterranean flavors and dishes. The extensive menu features the best selection of high quality ingredients including healthy fats, whole grains, grilled meats and seafood, as well as flavorful herbs and spices. The company strongly believes in responsible business practices and is committed to supporting its local communities. For more information visit www.daphnes.biz.

About Surfline/Wavetrak, Inc. Surfline is the leading provider of surf cams and reports, wave and wind forecasts and editorial surfing content to consumers, businesses and government agencies worldwide. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, Surfline delivers timely, accurate and comprehensive data on a daily basis via wireless web and the Internet. Surfline has an extensive camera network of over 150 surf cams with over 100 cams serving high-definition (HD) streams. The company's world-renowned website, Surfline.com, is visited by over 100,000 unique people per day and over 1,300,000 per month -- the largest and most loyal audience of surf and beach enthusiasts in the world. Since 1985, Surfline has merged premier surf report, forecast and editorial talent with industry-leading technology to produce content of unparalleled quality aimed at active participants in the sports of surfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and bodysurfing. Surfline/Wavetrak, Inc. also produces Buoyweather.com, which provides marine weather and forecasting charts and data for user specific points or passages around the world. Buoyweather is an in-depth marine forecasting tool utilized for fishing, marine weather and forecasts, boating, yachting and more.

Press contacts:

Daphne's California Greek
Alyson Dutch / Cheryl Lynch
BROWN + DUTCH PR, 310.456.7151
[email protected], [email protected]

Kelly Slater
Shelby Meade / Sandy Fenton
Fresh + Clean Media, 310.313.7200
[email protected], [email protected]

Surfline
Baylee Hassett
714.374.0556
[email protected]

SOURCE Daphne’s California Greek