Internationally renowned big-wave charger Chris Bertish has launched an innovative range of sponsorship initiatives, including a comprehensive website, to assist in raising the funds required to participate in the three prestigious big wave events in the USA in November and December to which he has been invited.

The website, aptly named www.pleasesponsorchrisbertish.co.za, gives full details of the events he has been invited to compete in, the reasons for his fund-raising functions, a history of his achievements challenging the world’s biggest waves over the past decade and plenty of action images and video footage of his extreme exploits, along with unique ways in which sponsors and donors can benefit from supporting his quest.

“For the past 10 years I have dedicated my life to pursuing and riding some of the most challenging waves on the planet, and with your assistance, I’m hoping to take the South African flag even further,” says the 35-year-old Capetonian, explaining that while he has support from some of his loyal sponsors, mounting a challenge on these three international events requires a great deal more funding than he can afford.

The events at the notorious monster wave spots of Mavericks in California, Nelscott Reef in Oregon and the Hawaiian Mecca of Makaha, where he will represent South Africa in the inaugural Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) World Championships, all have long holding periods to ensure premium waves and conditions which means Bertish must spend a couple of months overseas waiting for the contests to be run.

By donating any amount over R250, donors will have their name or company logo printed on a label and stuck on the surfboards Bertish will ride in the events and when he is practicing while waiting and practicing abroad. By donating R1 000 or more, a sticker twice the size will be pasted on his boards so all donors truly feel like they are part of this unique project.

And in the spirit of true watermen who not only look after themselves in giant surf, but also watch out for the well-being of others in the line-up, 10% of all funds received via these sponsorships will be donated to the Reach For A Dream Foundation to help youngsters with life-threatening illnesses to achieve their dreams too.

Bertish has also organised a fund-raising function in Cape Town on Sunday 11 October that promises to be both a gathering of the local big-wave fraternity and a great social event. Set for Banana Jam in Kenilworth and running from 3pm-9.30pm, the function features a jazz band, giant screen surf films, freebies to the value of R150 per person and an assortment of unique items that will be auctioned and raffled – all for the price of a R90 entrance ticket.

The items up for grabs include the Naish SUP on which he conquered Dungeons, two of his big-wave surfboards, a voucher to accompany Grant Spooner of Marine Scene to watch surfers riding Dungeons, a new Firewire surfboard, Freestyle dive-watch, Ocean Minded Footwear, Coreban and Naish SUP paddles and more.

And in keeping with his credo of ‘Sharing is Caring’, Bertish will also donate the first R1 000 raised at the function to the Reach For A Dream Foundation.

An accomplished marketing expert who has built and grown several major multi-national brands both in South Africa and internationally, Bertish has compiled a comprehensive plan to publicize his trip and activities that will be featured in all branches of both the mainstream and new media outlets, including a website, Facebook, Twitter and his personal Blog site.

He will also be posting unique video footage of big wave surfing on the internet. See the latest example of never-before-seen footage of him riding one of the biggest paddle days ever surfed at Todos Santos Island off the coast of Mexico at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwAmcCKNwZo

Full details for the fund-raising function on 11 October, which is sponsored by Banana Jam Café, Corona Premium Beer, Red Bull and Olmeca Tequila, are:

Watch the media for further news of this exceptional athlete’s exploits and details of the fund-raising activities that will provide further unique opportunities to get up close and personal with Chris and the global big wave scene.

Chris Bertish can be contacted via chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com or 079 524 8344 and additional information can be found at www.pleasesponsorchrisbertish.co.za

Ends

Issued on behalf of:

Chris Bertish
C: 079 524 8344
E: chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

Pictured: Chris Bertish, riding a 3 metre surfboard, paddles into and successfully negotiates the drop on a four-storey high wave at Dungeons in Cape Town Photo: © Kimi Stewart

South African Chris Bertish, renowned for conquering many of the world’s most challenging big waves, has been invited to compete in three prestigious international big-wave surfing events including the inaugural edition of the of the Stand Up World Tour which will crown the first Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) World Champion later this year.

Invitations to the Mavericks Surf Contest in California, the Nelscott Reef Paddle-in Classic in Oregon and the Stand Up World Tour event at Makaha in Hawaii are recognition for the 35-year-old Capetonian’s pioneering exploits in huge surf around the globe over the past decade.

“I’m truly honoured to be invited to these events where only athletes who have proven themselves in the world’s heaviest waves make the cut,” Bertish said. “I love surfing big waves, it’s my passion, and to be representing South Africa amongst the elite 24 invitee’s from around the globe at Mavericks, the 12 at Nelscott Reef and to be seeded into the top 16 in the world for the first ever SUP World Champs is a huge honour and privilege.”

Bertish’s string of ground-breaking feats include becoming the first surfer to paddle into and ride waves at the primarily tow-in venues of Jaws (Maui, Hawaii), Ghost Trees (California) and the Cribber (Cornwall, England) while at home he introduced Stand Up Paddleboarding at the daunting Dungeons break near Hout Bay and Whale Rock in Table Bay along with being the first to tow-in at Seal Island in False Bay, statistically the most densely populated Great White shark venue in the world.

His accomplishments are not limited to daredevil stunts in mountainous seas as in 2001 he was the first, and to date only, South African surfer to win the Monster Paddle division of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, the Oscars of big wave surfing. And he has reached the final of the Red Bull Big Wave Africa event at Dungeons, finishing third in 2006, amongst other notable local and international results and award nominations.

A former Sales & Promotions Manager for Billabong SA, Brand manager for Gul Wetsuits in the UK and for multi-national apparel and wetsuit giant O’Neill in SA, Bertish boasts an impressive marketing CV. In 2007 he introduced the O’Neill Raw Courage Awards which focus on paddling into and riding the biggest waves within the borders of South Africa and recognise and credit the achievements of the country’s rapidly growing brigade of big wave chargers.

Now a brand ambassador and agent for O’Neill and new media marketer for True Blue Surf Travel, Bertish will be conducting various fund-raising activities to assist in covering the considerable costs of his planned two-month campaign to attend these events in California and Hawaii at the end of the year.

“After almost a decade of investing huge amounts of my time, energy and my personal finances, I have now reached the point where I have received invitations to this trio of highly prestigious International events. With a start-up business and the current tight financial situation I need further backing and support to be able to participate in these events,” Bertish explains.

The savvy marketer has already created his own personal blog & Facebook account and will be posting a weekly journal on two high profile South African websites where the public will be able to follow his activities in addition to the media generated from competing in the events. He will also be posting video clips on various new-media platforms, including never before seen footage of riding huge waves taken from a Go Pro camera mounted on his surfboard.

Watch the media for further news of this exceptional athlete’s exploits along with details of the fund-raising functions that will provide unique opportunities to get up close and personal with both Chris and the global big wave scene.

Chris Bertish can be contacted via chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com or 079 524 8344

Ends

Issued on behalf of:

Chris Bertish

C: 079 524 8344
E: chris.oneillrsa@gmail.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

MASSIVE SOUTH AFRICAN WAVES ROCK THE 2010 BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARDS;

GABEIRA RIDES BIGGEST EVER BY A WOMAN — BURLE, LONG & BAKER ALSO GO HUGE

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — (August 13, 2009) — A mad dash from their homes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Cape Town, South Africa paid off for Maya Gabeira and tow surfing partner Carlos Burle as they rode the biggest waves of the season at the notorious Dungeons break this week.  Photos of the South American pair in action are now among the leading contenders in the Biggest Wave category of the 2010 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy.  The entered images may be viewed at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

Also captured challenging some massive walls at the infamously sharky break were Grant “Twiggy” Baker (Durban, South Africa), Andrew Marr (Cape Town, South Africa) and Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA).  All three have either won or been finalists in the XXL Awards in recent years.

Gabeira, 22, has already won the Billabong Girls Best Performance Award three years running, but on August 11 she reaffirmed her status as the top female in big wave surfing when she charged down an enormous, bumpy face after being towed in by Burle on a personal watercraft.  The duo arrived in Africa five days ahead of the giant swell in order for Gabeira to obtain her skipper’s license to legally operate the jet-powered craft.

According to Gabeira, “My days previous to the big day were the biggest mission ever! The swell came with onshore winds which the waves and ocean bumpy. But in the end of the day everyone had managed to get some bombs and safely finish a day of big surf.

“My biggest wave was just one drop and had a crazy boil in the face that I managed to jump through it,” said Gabeira.  “It was exciting to get that much speed down the face and manage to make such an irregular wave on my backside. Thanks to Carlos I had the biggest waves of my life that day!”

Gabeira was able to return the favor, putting her new driver’s license to work and towing Burle into his share of monsters along the spooky offshore reef.

The tenth annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards season runs through March 19, 2010 and acknowledges the biggest and best ridden waves of the year based on the photographic evidence.
Additional entries have also been arriving daily from around the world in all the key event categories including Monster Paddle, Monster Tube and the $50,000 XXL Ride of the Year.

In addition to all the latest entries in each category, full event details including formats, rules and archives of past XXL years can be seen at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecast, Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Honda Aquatrax the official watercraft.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui airlines.

ends

PRESS CONTACT
Bill Sharp    SurfNewsEd@aol.com     949-548-6740

Issued on behalf of:   
Billabong South Africa
Contact:            Peter Nicholson
Telephone:        +27 (0) 42 200 2600
Email:               peter.nicholson@billabong.co.za          

Issued by:
Life’s a Beach Communications 
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za