Sponsor Me Sunset Open Day 1

SUNSET BEACH, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Day one of the Da Hui Presents Sponsor Me Sunset Open commenced in chocolate colored, 8-10 foot surf out of the West North Westerly direction. The Da Hui Presents Sponsor Me Sunset Open is the first contest of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) of 2011. This is the first of four qualifying events for local ASP Hawaii competitors to qualify for the prestigious $1 Million Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series, the climax of the season.  

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Sunset Beach power surfers Pancho Sullivan and Marcus Hickman destroyed Sunset's shifting peaks. Pancho and Marcus posted the highest two-wave combined totals of 17.10 and 16.75 out of 20 points respectively. Pancho and Marcus were also counting the day's highest single waves scores of 9.35 out of 10 points. Maui's Hank Gaskell also scored a 9.35 and 7.0 posting the 3rd highest heat total of 16.35. All three surfers brought their A-game to the beach today.

Sponsor Me team riders Makuakai Rothman and defending champion Myles Padaca both advanced together in a highly competitive heat. Makuakai actually came in halfway through his 25 minute heat due to an injured rib.  "I scored an 8.5 on my first wave then I slammed my rib. It hurts really bad when I breathe."  Despite finishing early Makuakai walked away with the win.

Kauai surfers Kawai Lindo, Chris Foster, Dylan Goodale and Gavin Gillette all advanced to another heat in the round of 32 tomorrow.  Gillette put together a stellar heat with his best wave coming in at 9.0 points and backed it up with a 6.0 for a 15.00 heat total.  Three huge hacks in the throat of a Sunset beast and topped it off with style and flare.  

Competition will resume today, Wednesday at 8:00 am HST.  Heat 14 will be the first to hit the water, and in that heat will be Billy Kemper, the 2010 HIC Pro Champion and last year's finalist of this very event. Following Kemper will be Six Time Triple Crown Winner and 2000 ASP World Champion Sunny Garcia.  

With the swell tapering down, and a new swell expected, look for all of your favorite surfers to be charging all that Sunset has to throw at them. Conditions are expected to rise above the 12-15 foot plus range.

The 2011 Da Hui Presents Sponsor Me Sunset Open is produced by Sponsor Me and ASP Hawaii, and partnered with SONY, Da Hui, and Tamba Surf Company.  The event is being broadcast LIVE in HD Worldwide by Ubiquity Broadcasting Corporation.  Check the event out on your mobile device including Apple's iPad and iPhone at www.sponsorme.com and special in Hawaii on Time Warner Oceanic Cable TV channels 250 and 1250 for HD viewing.  

About:

Sponsor Me

Sponsor Me is the premier action-sports social media group. Sponsor Me is creating a signature contest series for both professional and amateur athletes in the action sports of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, motocross, MMA, drifting and others. The contests are supported by live webcasts via the Sponsor Me site and delivered to mobile devices. Sponsor Me competitions will be held regionally, judged by the pros, and the winners will go on to compete on a national level where fans will have the opportunity to vote online and via SMS.  The founders of Sponsor Me grew up competing and participating in all areas of action sports, and some continue to compete at a professional level today. For more information please visit www.sponsorme.com

Apple Inc.

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players, as well as sells various related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells various third-party Macintosh, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store.

Ubiquity Broadcasting Corporation

Redefining content creation and distribution for the digital age, Ubiquity Broadcasting Corporation is a next-generation company, creating the world's first ubiquitous network, where content distribution is platform and screen independent.  With more than 60 worldwide patents and patents-pending, Ubiquity is accelerating the ultimate convergence of media: mobile, internet and television.  In addition to its technology developments, Ubiquity Broadcasting Corporation also produces and distributes video coverage for the upcoming "Sponsor Me" series of Action Sports events.  The company is privately held, based in San Juan Capistrano CA.  

For more information on Ubiquity's technology, applications and innovations, please visit www.ubiquitybc.com

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

ASP was formed in 1982 to protect the interests of professional Surfers. The association organizes the six professional surfing circuits including the World Championship Tour or WCT, which was renamed to the ASP World Tour in 2007.

Time Warner Oceanic Cable

Time Warner Cable (TWC) makes coaxial quiver. The company is the #2 US cable company, after Comcast, with operations in 28 states. TWC has about 14 million basic cable subscribers, mostly consumers, including about 9 million digital video customers. It provides broadband Internet access to about 9 million customers primarily through ISP Road Runner. The company also offers VoIP digital phone service to about 4 million customers in conjunction with Sprint Nextel.

Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is engaged in the development, design, manufacture and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments and devices. Sony operates in five segments: Electronics, which develops, designs, manufactures and sells electronic equipment, instruments and devices for consumer and professional markets; Games, in which Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. develops, produces, markets and distributes PlayStation 2 (PS2), PSP (PlayStation Portable) (PSP) and PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) hardware and related software; Pictures, which encompasses motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, and digital content creation and distribution; Financial Services, which includes the activities of Sony Financial Holdings Inc. ,and All Other, which comprises Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. (SMEJ). On October 1, 2008, it acquired Bertelsmann's 50% interest in SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (SONY BMG). Sony Electronics is the largest unit of Sony Corporation of America, the holding company for Sony Corporation's US-based electronics and entertainment businesses. Sony Corporation of America's consumer electronics unit makes and markets products to tap into Sony's music, films, games, and other businesses. The electronics arm sells PCs (the Sony VAIO) and their peripherals, as well as TVs, VCRs, PDAs, DVD and MP3 players, digital cameras, camcorders, CD players, and car audio items. The company's also a retailer and operates about 60 Sony Style retail shops in the US, mostly in California, Texas, and Florida.

SOURCE Sponsor Me Inc. Author Jason Shibata