Shawn Alladio
02-07-2007, 07:38 PM
Local tow-surfers ready for world tour qualifying contest
By Laura Eberly Of the News-Times
Central coast tow-surfers Ollie Richardson, 28, left, and Dan Hasselschwert, 31, recently received major sponsorship from O’Neill Wetsuits and Rebel Surfboards as they bid for a spot in the Association of Professional Towsurfers World Tour. (Courtesy photo)
At any moment, local tow-surfing team Dan Hasselschwert and Ollie Richardson will receive the call telling them the Association of Professional Towsurfers (APT) Open World Qualifying Maui Tow-In Surfing Championship is a go - and they have “three days to pack all our stuff and get on a plane - and hope we didn't forget anything,” Richardson said, as they head to Hawaii to surf 40-foot-plus waves in hopes of securing a place on the first-ever APT World Tour.
The open qualifying contest is one of two APT tow-surfing competitions that will determine which of the world's top athletes will compete on the APT Professional World Tour Tow-Surfing Circuit, a series of contests that will ultimately end with one team receiving the APT World Title Crown.
The top 10 teams in the Maui contest will join the top 10 teams in the APT Bank of Hawaii North Shore Tow-In Surfing Championship invitational - which has a holding period concurrent with the world qualifying event - to comprise the 20 teams that will kick off the world tour, with stops including upcoming contests in Puerto Escondito, Mexico, and Iquique, Chile.
Among the professional and amateur tow-surfers registered to compete in the Maui contest are Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala, who took first place at the 2006 Nelscott Reef Tow-In Classic held in December at Tackle Buster Reef in Lincoln City and who won last year's North Shore tow-in contest.
While the Lincoln City invitational drew top surfers from throughout the world - and to date is the only professional contest held off the shores of the continental United States - its organizers chose not to register the contest as an APT event and also elected not to reserve “wild card” slots allowing local participants to compete. In contrast, both upcoming APT events preserve world surfing tradition by reserving slots for local competitors - whether professionals or not.
The Maui contest itself goes a step further by providing “a fair, unbiased, consistent, competitive way to qualify at a high level,” commented Richardson. “It's all about the athletes and it's about the sport.”
“Now everyone's got the opportunity,” said Hasselschwert. Anyone who feels he or she has the ability to compete with the world's top tow-surfing athletes, and who holds the required safety certifications, is welcome to register for the event.
Primary contest organizer Eric Akiskalian, APT founder and president, has watched the sport of tow-surfing gain momentum throughout the past decade as it has grown in popularity from its birthplace in Hawaii, taken off along the coastlines of South Africa and Australia, made its way up the California coastline, and finally taken hold in northern West Coast waters, where during the past three to four years Richardson and Hasselschwert have been part of a close-knit group of tow-surfers scouting out big waves and paving the way for future athletes - while trying to keep the best spots uncrowded by guarding at least some of their secrets.
While APT maintains offices in Hawaii and California, Akiskalian is a longtime Oregon tow-surfer and has watched Richardson and Hasselschwert progress in the sport. “Those guys are by the book,” Akiskalian said. “We're pretty happy to have them in the contest.”
Ocean safety and respect
The inherent danger of playing in waves the size of three- or four-story buildings hit home for tow-surfers with the 1994 death of top athlete Mark Foo, who was crushed by giant waves at Maverick's off the coast of Northern California. The tragedy led to increased safety awareness, however, and underscored the potentially serious consequences always facing big-wave riders.
Hasselschwert and Richardson recently returned from Santa Cruz, Calif., where they completed a two-day ocean safety educational program that certified them for the Hawaii State Tow-In License, which is required for all persons tow-surfing in Hawaiian waters. The course, brought to the mainland for the first time through joint cooperation between the State of Hawaii and APT, included topics related to California boating laws as well as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and certified both athletes to teach tow-in surfing.
Richardson and Hasselschwert also hold Oregon Boater Education Cards, which are required for all personal watercraft (PWC) operators in the state.
In preparation for the upcoming contest, Richardson and Hasselschwert have also entered an amped-up training program including surfing nearly every day along with pool time at least three days a week for power laps and exercises holding their breath; the goal is to be able to stay under water at least 45 seconds, the estimated time a person could be pinned under by a succession of two giant waves crashing overhead.
“We've been hitting it hard,” Hasselschwert said. “Ollie and I are really competitive guys, we've been into sports our whole lives.”
“We're really excited,” said Richardson. “We've been given an opportunity to compete at the highest level and we're doing everything we can do prepare for that.”
Lifelong athletes
Hasselschwert owns and operates Ossie's Surf Shop in Newport and is a real estate agent with Emerald Coast Realty. Raised in Ohio and Michigan, he held the Ohio State Kickboxing Title and the Northeast United States Professional Karate Commission (PKC) Kickboxing Title, and later graduated from Defiance College in Ohio on football scholarships.
“I've just always needed something athletic to do with that energy,” he said. His lifelong involvement with boardsports includes skateboarding and snowboarding, and his move to the Oregon coast 10 years ago let him pursue his interest in surfing.
Hasselschwert received his master's degree from Portland State University, and accepted a full-time position at Waldport Middle School “to be close to the ocean,” he said, where he taught for six years and established a student surf club. It was his involvement with the club that brought him into contact with Ossie's Surf Shop and eventually led to his purchase of the business. He also teaches the state's only college-accredited surf course through Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Hasselschwert and Richardson met in 2004 during The Gathering, Rogue Ales' annual longboard classic held in South Beach: Richardson had a tow-board and Hasselschwert was getting ready to purchase a personal watercraft (PWC). They joined forces and shortly after Hasselschwert acquired his PWC they went to Humboldt, Calif., and trained with Craig Spuit, a pioneer of West Coast tow-surfing.
_“I couldn't ask for a better partner,” Hasselschwert said. “We really compliment each other - Ollie's more detail oriented and I'm more into the big picture. I've never met anyone as fearless in big surf as Ollie and I think we really keep pushing each other further.”
Richardson was raised in Coos Bay and went through most of college on soccer scholarships, finishing his schooling at Oregon State University where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. He's surfed along the Oregon coast since he was 9, when he and his dad first paddled out together.
He instructs strength training and video production at Newport High School, where he has taught since 2004. “I love it here, I love the ocean. I can still remember catching my first wave, the rush. It only takes one wave to change the rest of your life,” Richardson said. “There are days I've come in and I'm grinning for a week - it just stays with you.”
Richardson organized and leads the Central Coast Surf Club, a local 4-H Club for area youth, and has been offering formal surf lessons through Ossie's Surf Shop for several years. “If I wasn't involved with the ocean, I don't know what I'd be doing,” he said.
“Ollie and I are super stoked to have this opportunity,” Hasselschwert said, “and for the support of all of the people and sponsors who are helping us to take advantage of this chance.”
Both surfers acknowledge the importance of the support they receive from the people around them, including their longtime girlfriends. Hasselschwert's girlfriend Heather Dodge lives in Portland where she is studying to become a physical therapist; she has already accepted a contract with Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport. Richardson's girlfriend Asia Liberty is currently a student at Oregon Coast Community College and is preparing to transfer to Western Oregon University in the fall.
As news of their upcoming challenge in Hawaii has gotten around, O'Neill Wetsuits, Rebel Surfboards, and Rusty Surfboards have stepped forward as major sponsors of the Hasselschwert-Richardson team, joining standing sponsors Envision Surfboards and www.towsurfer.com.
The contest window for both the invitational and open world qualifying Hawaiian contests continues through March 31. For more information and contest updates, visit the APT website at www.protowsurfers.org. For information about opportunities to help Oregon's only tow-surfing team compete in the upcoming contest, contact Ossie's Surf Shop at 574-4634 (www.ossiessurfshop.com).
Laura Eberly is a reporter for the News-Times. She can be
reached at 265-8571 ext. 217, or lauraeberly@newportnewstimes.com.
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2007/02/02/sports/sports01.txt
__._,_.___
By Laura Eberly Of the News-Times
Central coast tow-surfers Ollie Richardson, 28, left, and Dan Hasselschwert, 31, recently received major sponsorship from O’Neill Wetsuits and Rebel Surfboards as they bid for a spot in the Association of Professional Towsurfers World Tour. (Courtesy photo)
At any moment, local tow-surfing team Dan Hasselschwert and Ollie Richardson will receive the call telling them the Association of Professional Towsurfers (APT) Open World Qualifying Maui Tow-In Surfing Championship is a go - and they have “three days to pack all our stuff and get on a plane - and hope we didn't forget anything,” Richardson said, as they head to Hawaii to surf 40-foot-plus waves in hopes of securing a place on the first-ever APT World Tour.
The open qualifying contest is one of two APT tow-surfing competitions that will determine which of the world's top athletes will compete on the APT Professional World Tour Tow-Surfing Circuit, a series of contests that will ultimately end with one team receiving the APT World Title Crown.
The top 10 teams in the Maui contest will join the top 10 teams in the APT Bank of Hawaii North Shore Tow-In Surfing Championship invitational - which has a holding period concurrent with the world qualifying event - to comprise the 20 teams that will kick off the world tour, with stops including upcoming contests in Puerto Escondito, Mexico, and Iquique, Chile.
Among the professional and amateur tow-surfers registered to compete in the Maui contest are Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala, who took first place at the 2006 Nelscott Reef Tow-In Classic held in December at Tackle Buster Reef in Lincoln City and who won last year's North Shore tow-in contest.
While the Lincoln City invitational drew top surfers from throughout the world - and to date is the only professional contest held off the shores of the continental United States - its organizers chose not to register the contest as an APT event and also elected not to reserve “wild card” slots allowing local participants to compete. In contrast, both upcoming APT events preserve world surfing tradition by reserving slots for local competitors - whether professionals or not.
The Maui contest itself goes a step further by providing “a fair, unbiased, consistent, competitive way to qualify at a high level,” commented Richardson. “It's all about the athletes and it's about the sport.”
“Now everyone's got the opportunity,” said Hasselschwert. Anyone who feels he or she has the ability to compete with the world's top tow-surfing athletes, and who holds the required safety certifications, is welcome to register for the event.
Primary contest organizer Eric Akiskalian, APT founder and president, has watched the sport of tow-surfing gain momentum throughout the past decade as it has grown in popularity from its birthplace in Hawaii, taken off along the coastlines of South Africa and Australia, made its way up the California coastline, and finally taken hold in northern West Coast waters, where during the past three to four years Richardson and Hasselschwert have been part of a close-knit group of tow-surfers scouting out big waves and paving the way for future athletes - while trying to keep the best spots uncrowded by guarding at least some of their secrets.
While APT maintains offices in Hawaii and California, Akiskalian is a longtime Oregon tow-surfer and has watched Richardson and Hasselschwert progress in the sport. “Those guys are by the book,” Akiskalian said. “We're pretty happy to have them in the contest.”
Ocean safety and respect
The inherent danger of playing in waves the size of three- or four-story buildings hit home for tow-surfers with the 1994 death of top athlete Mark Foo, who was crushed by giant waves at Maverick's off the coast of Northern California. The tragedy led to increased safety awareness, however, and underscored the potentially serious consequences always facing big-wave riders.
Hasselschwert and Richardson recently returned from Santa Cruz, Calif., where they completed a two-day ocean safety educational program that certified them for the Hawaii State Tow-In License, which is required for all persons tow-surfing in Hawaiian waters. The course, brought to the mainland for the first time through joint cooperation between the State of Hawaii and APT, included topics related to California boating laws as well as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and certified both athletes to teach tow-in surfing.
Richardson and Hasselschwert also hold Oregon Boater Education Cards, which are required for all personal watercraft (PWC) operators in the state.
In preparation for the upcoming contest, Richardson and Hasselschwert have also entered an amped-up training program including surfing nearly every day along with pool time at least three days a week for power laps and exercises holding their breath; the goal is to be able to stay under water at least 45 seconds, the estimated time a person could be pinned under by a succession of two giant waves crashing overhead.
“We've been hitting it hard,” Hasselschwert said. “Ollie and I are really competitive guys, we've been into sports our whole lives.”
“We're really excited,” said Richardson. “We've been given an opportunity to compete at the highest level and we're doing everything we can do prepare for that.”
Lifelong athletes
Hasselschwert owns and operates Ossie's Surf Shop in Newport and is a real estate agent with Emerald Coast Realty. Raised in Ohio and Michigan, he held the Ohio State Kickboxing Title and the Northeast United States Professional Karate Commission (PKC) Kickboxing Title, and later graduated from Defiance College in Ohio on football scholarships.
“I've just always needed something athletic to do with that energy,” he said. His lifelong involvement with boardsports includes skateboarding and snowboarding, and his move to the Oregon coast 10 years ago let him pursue his interest in surfing.
Hasselschwert received his master's degree from Portland State University, and accepted a full-time position at Waldport Middle School “to be close to the ocean,” he said, where he taught for six years and established a student surf club. It was his involvement with the club that brought him into contact with Ossie's Surf Shop and eventually led to his purchase of the business. He also teaches the state's only college-accredited surf course through Oregon State University in Corvallis.
Hasselschwert and Richardson met in 2004 during The Gathering, Rogue Ales' annual longboard classic held in South Beach: Richardson had a tow-board and Hasselschwert was getting ready to purchase a personal watercraft (PWC). They joined forces and shortly after Hasselschwert acquired his PWC they went to Humboldt, Calif., and trained with Craig Spuit, a pioneer of West Coast tow-surfing.
_“I couldn't ask for a better partner,” Hasselschwert said. “We really compliment each other - Ollie's more detail oriented and I'm more into the big picture. I've never met anyone as fearless in big surf as Ollie and I think we really keep pushing each other further.”
Richardson was raised in Coos Bay and went through most of college on soccer scholarships, finishing his schooling at Oregon State University where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. He's surfed along the Oregon coast since he was 9, when he and his dad first paddled out together.
He instructs strength training and video production at Newport High School, where he has taught since 2004. “I love it here, I love the ocean. I can still remember catching my first wave, the rush. It only takes one wave to change the rest of your life,” Richardson said. “There are days I've come in and I'm grinning for a week - it just stays with you.”
Richardson organized and leads the Central Coast Surf Club, a local 4-H Club for area youth, and has been offering formal surf lessons through Ossie's Surf Shop for several years. “If I wasn't involved with the ocean, I don't know what I'd be doing,” he said.
“Ollie and I are super stoked to have this opportunity,” Hasselschwert said, “and for the support of all of the people and sponsors who are helping us to take advantage of this chance.”
Both surfers acknowledge the importance of the support they receive from the people around them, including their longtime girlfriends. Hasselschwert's girlfriend Heather Dodge lives in Portland where she is studying to become a physical therapist; she has already accepted a contract with Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport. Richardson's girlfriend Asia Liberty is currently a student at Oregon Coast Community College and is preparing to transfer to Western Oregon University in the fall.
As news of their upcoming challenge in Hawaii has gotten around, O'Neill Wetsuits, Rebel Surfboards, and Rusty Surfboards have stepped forward as major sponsors of the Hasselschwert-Richardson team, joining standing sponsors Envision Surfboards and www.towsurfer.com.
The contest window for both the invitational and open world qualifying Hawaiian contests continues through March 31. For more information and contest updates, visit the APT website at www.protowsurfers.org. For information about opportunities to help Oregon's only tow-surfing team compete in the upcoming contest, contact Ossie's Surf Shop at 574-4634 (www.ossiessurfshop.com).
Laura Eberly is a reporter for the News-Times. She can be
reached at 265-8571 ext. 217, or lauraeberly@newportnewstimes.com.
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2007/02/02/sports/sports01.txt
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