PRO SURFERS TO CHALLENGE HURRICANE HERNAN

SAN CLEMENTE, CA - (September 4) Hurricane Hernan gave the world's best surfers a day of spectacular warm-up waves at the Lower Trestles break as they prepared for tomorrow's start of the Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong. With the biggest waves pushing the 12-foot mark in face height, the 48 Association of Surfing Professionals touring pros more than backed up their reputations as the best in the wave-riding business.

Contest Director Mike Parsons spent much of this morning testing the surf conditions amid supervising the construction of the Boost Mobile Pro's contest scaffolding. "I've been surfing Trestles for nearly 25 years," said Parsons, "and this was the best single day of action ever seen here...maybe the best ever anywhere in America. But just wait until the competition gets started tomorrow."

Based on an extremely upbeat forecast issued by Surfline's Sean Collins, the Boost Mobile Pro's five days of World Championship Tour competition have been set to include Thursday and Friday, September 5 and 6, in order to capitalize on Hurricane Hernan. After a one day break on Sept. 7, the action will resume at Lowers Sunday Sept. 8 with the arrival of a new major south swell generated by a storm east of New Zealand last weekend. The Boost Mobile Pro will continue on Tuesday Sept 8 and will conclude with the final heats during the expected peak of the swell on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Picking an event favorite in the booming lefts and rights of the Trestles peak was all but futile given the barrage of great surf and surfing. ASP ratings leader and defending Trestles champ Andy Irons of Kauai set a blistering tone in today's warm-up, but with a single wave 6-time World Champ Kelly Slater erased any question marks that may have surrounded his return from retirement. Wildcard Bruce Irons and Western Australian Taj Burrow also showed world-beater form, while California's Boost Mobile Pro hopes were buoyed by local knowledge of Trestles regulars Pat O'Connell of Laguna Beach and Taylor Knox of Carlsbad.

Surfers continuing today's pace going forward will be amply rewarded - the Boost Mobile Pro will feature an assortment of prizes designed to inspire avant-garde surfing performances. The Oakley Over-The-Top award will provide a $2000 daily bonus to the surfer who pulls off the single maneuver decreed to be the most innovative of the day. The judges will look at every move - it may be a floater, backside air, layback snap, huge gouging turn, or even a "Superman" aerial. The wildest wins.

Airborne surfing maneuvers will have their own moment in the spotlight on the Boost Mobile Pro's concluding day - Tuesday Sept 10. That's when the climaxing heat of the Billabong/Boost Air Show take place just before the ASP pro final. Also known as "Boosting," the Air Show will scored by a special panel of judges only on those surfing stunts that take place above the wave. The preliminary rounds of theBillabong/Boost Mobile Air Show will go off on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Salt Creek Beach Park in Dana Point.

The Boost Mobile Pro Presented by Billabong is the richest surfing competition ever held in the US. The cash prize purse for the men's competition is US$250,000, of which US$30,000 goes to first place. Additionally, the winner will receive a JEEP WRANGLER SE worth US$16,275. The Oakley Over-The-Top bonus will add US$10,000 and the Billabong/Boost Air Show will contribute another US$10,000 to the mix. All together, US$286,275 will be distributed.

The day after the event's conclusion - on the morning of September 11 - the surfing community will conduct a "Freedom Paddle-Out" ceremony at Lower Trestles to honor the victims of last year's tragedies. From world champs to raw beginners, surfers and non-surfers of every sort are invited and encouraged to participate.

Upcoming Round One Heats in the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Billabong

• H1: Luke Egan (Aus); Kelly Slater (USA); Paul Canning (SAfr)
• H2: Kalani Robb (Haw); Lee Winkler (Aus); Darren O'Rafferty (Aus)
• H3: Joel Parkinson (Aus); Pat O'Connell (USA); Victor Ribas (Brz)
• H4: Danny Wills (Aus); Nathan Hedge (Aus); Phil MacDonald (Aus)
• H5: Shea Lopez (USA); Jake Paterson (Aus); Guilherme Herdy (Brz)
• H6: Cory Lopez (USA); Taylor Knox (USA); Neco Padaratz (Brz)
• H7: Michael Lowe (Aus); Shane Powell (Aus); Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz)
• H8: Andy Irons (Haw); Trent Munro (Aus); Bruce Irons (Haw)
• H9: Mark Occhilupo (Aus); Dean Morrison (Aus); Shane Beschen (USA)
• H10: CJ Hobgood (USA); Richard Lovett (Aus); Marcelo Nunes (Brz)
• H11: Taj Burrow (Aus); Shane Dorian (Haw); Paulo Moura (Brz)
• H12: Sunny Garcia (Haw); Nathan Webster (Aus); Luke Hitchings (Aus)
• H13: Peterson Rosa (Brz); Flavio Padaratz (Brz); Michael Campbell (Aus)
• H14: Mick Fanning (Aus); Greg Emslie (SAfr); Russell Winter (UK)
• H15: Damien Hobgood (USA); Fabio Gouveia (Brz); Maz Quinn (NZ)
• H16: Keiren Perrow (Aus); Renan Rocha (Brz); Beau Emerton (Aus)

For more information on the Boost Mobile Pro, see www.BoostMobile.com