San Luis Obispo County, CA (September 19, 2019) – Surfers of Tomorrow, a Pismo Beach based nonprofit, and Visit SLO CAL, the countywide nonprofit destination marketing and management organization, announced a new partnership to host two surf competitions this coming winter. The SLO CAL Open series will include contests in Pismo Beach and Morro Bay as part of the World Surf League Qualifying Series events.
The new series will rebrand the Pismo Beach Open, formerly in October, into the SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach, taking place from January 30 to February 2, 2020. The second contest will be the brand-new SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay from February 27 to March 1, 2020. Surfers from all over the United States and over one dozen countries will be competing in both men’s and women’s divisions with 96 Male and 32 Female competitor slots.
The SLO CAL Open series will draw global attention, as the World Surf League promotes the events to surfers and broadcasts them live online to viewers from around the world. The international promotion will expose a new audience to SLO CAL during the winter travel season and encourage them to participate in the events or visit the destination.
“Our partnership with Surfers of Tomorrow expands SLO CAL’s national and international exposure to the passionate surfing community,” said Chuck Davison, President & CEO of Visit SLO CAL. “Over the coming years, we hope to grow these events to attract new more and higher-level surfers to SLO CAL and to increase opportunities for local surfers to participate in the professional surfing circuit.”
There are currently only 3 qualifying World Surf League competitions in California. The new SLO CAL Open series will fill a need in the state for the QS1,000’s. Since these events are relatively smaller than other World Surf League events, they provide a rare opportunity for young people to enter the sport in a competitive way.
“There’s value for us to be a part of the larger, state-level promotion of the sport of surfing,” said Davison. “Visit California promotes September as California Surf Month and surfing as the state’s official sport. I can think of no greater way to partner with them and ride this wave of opportunity.”
Proceeds from the events will help support surfing nonprofits and related initiatives, like Surfers of Tomorrow and the local high school surf teams, that use surfing as a way to improve athleticism, character and confidence.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for business and organizations to take part in the SLO CAL Open surfing competition series and the increased exposure being cultivated. Contact Surfers of Tomorrow at their website, www.surfersoftomorrow.org for more information. Together, the SLO CAL community can work to support these two events and the non-profit organizations and programs they benefit.
Contact Madison Quiring for additional information or to arrange interviews, (805) 541-8000, Madison@SLOCAL.com.
About Surfers of Tomorrow
Surfers of Tomorrow is a Pismo Beach-based nonprofit, founded by Andy McKay in 2017. Their mission is to promote the growth of competitive surfing through events that have limited impact on the environment, while highlighting coastal and ocean awareness through education and support of like-minded charities. Their goal is to inspire local youth surfing through their SLO Junior Surfers Program and to also inspire all California competitive surfers by hosting World Surf League sanctioned events.
About Visit SLO CAL
Visit SLO CAL is a small, but mighty team of destination marketing professionals who work with, and on behalf of, our community, our local partners and our investors to promote SLO CAL (San Luis Obispo County, California) to travelers from around the world. As the sole countywide non-profit destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for SLO CAL, our goal is to work with our partners to build the SLO CAL brand through a data-driven, efficient and dynamic marketing program. Built on research with a strategy of continuous improvement, this program aims to establish SLO CAL as a favorite West Coast destination that is known for its signature slower pace of life and unique mix of incredible, immersive guest experiences. For more information, go to SLOCAL.com.