CHANELLE SLADICS REIGNS SUPREME AS BIG CROWDS, PERFECT WAVES, RECORD HEAT AND HEAVY SNOWFALL HIGHLIGHT BOARDFEST® ’07 IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Nation’s Original All-Girl Action Sport, Music & Empowerment Festival To Celebrate Fifth Anniversary During Labor Day Weekend 2008 HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Labor Day Weekend 2007 – Despite record heat topping 100 degrees at the famed Huntington Beach Pier, more than 100 athletes, 350 surf/skate clinic participants, 10,000 empowerment attendees and 100,000 mostly tween, teen and young adult spectators braved the elements to attend Boardfest® ’07. The nation’s largest and most unique event of its kind celebrates anniversary number five when Boardfest returns over Labor Day Weekend 2008.
“It’s very gratifying to watch Boardfest grow each year and exciting to know that our fifth anniversary is just around the corner,” said Event Director Cherie Whyte. “What started as just a concept for women has now blossomed into a major regional event with national impact. To have 100,000 spectators during a stifling heat wave is truly a testament to how far Boardfest has come in such a short period of time.”
Boardfest received heavy airplay in So Cal where media partners KTLA 5 and radio station KIIS FM broadcast more than 100 advertorial spots. Go211.com online coverage reached several million unique visitors while a forthcoming Boardfest television special airing on Planet X will target 90 million homes in 100 broadcast markets. Editorial coverage was again significant with segments airing on all LA-based network affiliates (multiple live spots on KTLA, FOX and ABC). The Orange County Register “embraced” Boardfest with A-1, blogs, sports and metro articles.
Against the backdrop of near perfect surfing conditions and heavy snowfall, 22 year-old professional snowboarder Chanelle Sladics (Oceanside) took “girl power” to new heights in winning the first-ever Go211.com Boardfest Triple Threat™, a cross-over sporting competition featuring surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. Sladics defeated pro skateboarder Heidi Kreis and pro surfers Holly Beck and Allison Arvizu to capture the endurance-testing title. "Wow, this is like a triathlon," Sladics said. "You've just got adrenaline to keep you going. You're going from one thing to the next. This event (Boardfest) is really a dream come true!"
The Huntington Surf & Sport (HSS) Pro-Am shortboarding final featured four World Qualifying Series (WQS) rated surfers competing in glassy four to six foot hurricane-driven waves—some of the best contest conditions in recent memory. Carlsbad's Kyla Langen defeated Courtney Conlogue, a semifinalist at the recent U.S. Open of Surfing with Erica Hosseini coming in third and Kim Mayer fourth. In the longboard division, Portugal's Cristina Pires took the victory over Kamalehua Keohokapo. Kaleigh Gilchrist won the 16-and-under amateur division, while Shelby Detmers took the 13-and-under competition.
While the surf was pumping and the snow falling, the SKECHERS concert Stage was entertainment central at Boardfest; featuring a number of acoustic performances, dance troupes, KIIS FM DJs, Polynesian dancers and myriad empowerment activities. Thirty five companies participated in Boardfest ’07, a 20 percent increase over 2006, including sponsors Jeep, KTLA, SKECHERS, Aquafina and exhibitor’s like Kajeet, Tedweena.com, Nirve Bikes, Jamba Juice, Spam, Direct TV and many more.
Battling three times the number of snowboarders from 2006 and raucous fans on the adjacent pier, Mountain High team rider Nirvana Ortanez was victorious in the Jeep Snow Zone rail jam competition. Her winning ride was a “switch backside 270 to 180 out on the fun box and a front-side stall to fakie on the quarter-pipe”. “The comp was really fun,” said Ortanez who also competed in the pro surfing division. “It (Boardfest) had a lively vibe and I was super stoked to be there. There were a large number of really solid female riders and the crowd on the Pier made the whole experience worth the unseasonably warm weather.”
On land, Hanna Zanzi won the pro-am skate competition for the second consecutive year. Located close to the water’s edge and adjacent to the Snow Zone, clinic girls and competitors alike spent quality time on the 100 by 60 foot custom-built Go211 street course, made in Germany of Finnish Birch. A “massive” mini-ramp added a new and exciting competition element this year challenging both the skaters and the Boardfest Triple Threat competitors.
Where action sports, music and life collided, Boardfest ’07 offered something for every level of involvement, synergistically weaving professional and amateur surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding competitions featuring high-caliber women athletes, surfing and skateboarding clinics, makeovers, education, games, entertainment, activities, motivational speakers and attractions.
SKECHERS, Jeep and KTLA-CW are Boardfest ’07 partners. Sponsors included Planet X, HSS, Mountain High, Go211.com and Aquafina. Special appearances included the San Diego Charger Girls on behalf of the Girl Scouts of Orange County.
Boardfest is produced by MKM, a Huntington Beach-based firm that specializes in non-traditional public relations, experiential marketing and special event production. For nearly 20 years, MKM has promoted world-class sporting events, music festivals, athletes, products and brands. Clients include IMG, U.S. Open of Surfing, TOMY, USA Water Polo, Surf City USA Marathon, Reactor Watches and The Buddy Group. For information please visit www.teammkm.com or call (714) 375-2188. Press/Sponsorship Contacts: Cherie Whyte cherie@teammkm.com (714) 375-2188
