Shea Lopez signs exclusive agreement with Hot Tuna
Shea Lopez : photo ASP/Aaron Chang
SHEA LOPEZ SIGNS WITH HOT TUNA
Surf Icon Joins Heussenstamm and Atkins on International RosterSurfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 September, 2006 : - - COSTA MESA, Calif.‹-Hot Tuna (International) PLC (AIM: HTT) today announced it has signed an exclusive agreement with pro surfer Shea Lopez, a veteran of the World Championship Tour (WCT), one of the most successful athletes still competing, and brother of WCT standout Cory Lopez.
"Shea is without question one of the most well-liked and respected personalities in surfing today, a class act in and out of the water, and we¹re honored to have him on our roster,² says Alain Mazer, Hot Tuna¹s international marketing director. ³He¹s an incredible surfer in any conditions, he has tremendous insight and experience to add to the business, and he¹s the perfect ambassador to lead our growing list of talent."
Shea is a U.S. Open of Surfing Champion (WQS 6-Star), a two-time U.S. National Champion and four-time U.S. East Coast Champion, and he was rated as high in the pro ranks as No. 11 in the world in 2000 and 2002. In 2003, he suffered a knee injury in the late rounds of the WCT finale at Pipeline on Hawaii¹s North Shore, but still finished No. 12 in the world and rebounded quickly in 2004 with a second consecutive Gold Medal performance in the ESPN X-Games. A definite ³one to watch² on tour, he is slated to be featured on the cover of Happy magazine, which will additionally include his first spread advertisement for Hot Tuna.
"I'm ecstatic for the opportunity of being a part of the team at Hot Tuna," says Shea. "Representing a company that has such deep roots in the surf
industry is very much a priority to me. Hot Tuna has put together a strong group of people committed to a successful and a fun endeavor."I had been waiting for the chance to be more than another team rider and Hot Tuna has put me in a position to directly affect the business in a
positive way. I'm looking forward to helping grow the brand and catching plenty of good surf along the way."Shea joins recent Hot Tuna pro surfing additions Bron Huessenstamm, currently featured opposite soccer phenom David Beckham in Pepsi ads internationally, and Toby Atkins, arguably the hottest up-and-coming surfer in the United Kingdom.
Bron, an accomplished surfer in his mid-20s, finished as the No. 2 surfer in America¹s NSSA rankings at age 18, and was No. 3 on the U.S. Pro Junior Tour when he turned pro at 19. He travelled on the WQS Tour for four years, wracking up an array of impressive standings, including a WQS win at the prestigious Body Glove Championship in Morro Bay, California.
Equally impressive, Bron successfully balanced his surfing career with an education at the University of Southern California, where he received his degree in Business Entrepreneurship.
With his schooling behind him, Heussenstamm is focused on competitive surfing, and reasserting his presence in surf publications and on television globally. He inaugurated his relationship with Hot Tuna last month at the British Professional Surfing Association¹s fourth stop, the Hot Tuna ³Summer of Œ69² Surf Championship at St. Ives, Cornwall, where he won an impressive four heats consecutively before the swell subsided and he finished in the semi-finals.
Toby, current No. 2 on the BPSA Tour and a "Best Surfer on Tour" designate from his BPSA surfing peers, is originally from Australia but has been settled in Constantine Bay, Cornwall, for the past four years. With a 10th-place finish on the BPSA Tour in 2005, he is this year improving on the competitive circuit, and his free-surfing is regarded by many as some of the most progressive in the country.
This year Toby is concentrating on securing a BPSA UK Tour title, while working on his various video parts, including spots in "Mr B¹s Performing Monkeys," and his own video project with Micah Lester, "99p Volume 2."
About Hot Tuna (International) PLC:
Born Down Under in the summer of ¹69 to serve the apparel needs of sojourning surfers, the Hot Tuna brand grew to global prominence in the '80s and '90s, and went public in the UK in late 2005. While headquartered in London, Hot Tuna (International) PLC (AIM: HTT) maintains offices in Sydney, Australia, and in Southern California in the USA.
The apparel brand serves core retail, drawing its inspiration from international surf culture and global fashion, and the Company is committed to the timeless values that its iconic Piranha logo has come to embody:
authenticity, creativity and good times.More USA/Cen Amer. surfing news available here
Check the latest West Coast Surf Reports and Forecasts
New! Get the latest news with Surfersvillage News-AlertsHot Tuna USA: Alain Mazer
Hot Tuna UK: Chris Dewbury
Hot Tuna Oz: Dean HarriganTeam News - Surfersvillage
