Surf comps go digital

The world's most popular under sixteen surfing competition, the Quiksilver King of the Groms, has gone digital in 2013. With the aim of opening this prestigious event up to the entire globe, organisers have substituted physical qualifying surf series events in each region around the world with one online qualifying campaign and a global final. The radical new format is a big shake up and after successfully running the series in its previous format for twenty years the new format is sure to bring a whole new dynamic to junior surfing and the way it is viewed globally. 

Previous winners of the event include Jeremy Flores (Fra), Aritz Aranburu (Esp) and Gabriel Medina (Bra) who have all gone on to qualify for the elite ASP World Tour. The Quiksilver King of the Groms really is the breeding ground for young talented surfers and the new 2013 format will allow audiences from all over the world to be part of the online voting process. Surfers under the age of sixteen from all corners of the globe are encouraged to log onto the event website (www.quiksilverlive.com/kotg/2013), get their campaigns going by filming, editing and choosing their soundtrack to accompany it. Video submissions should be no longer than 90 seconds and need to be filled with creativity and progression. The best videos must showcase performance in the water and portray the lifestyle around it. Once uploaded to the website, candidates need to get to work by promoting themselves and their video virally through all digital platforms possible. The more Facebook 'likes' that they accumulate the better their chances of winning.

The best videos from fifteen surfers from ten global regions as well as three wildcards will be selected by a combination of online votes and a panel of judges which include Quiksilver ambassadors Travis Logie (ZAF), eleven times World Champion Kelly Slater (USA),  Dane Reynolds (USA), Jake Paterson (AUS), Maz Quinn (NZL) and Miky Picon (FRA) to name a few. Also included on the panel is a host of reputable figures in the surf industry that have no affiliation to the Quiksilver brand. Zigzag assistant editor and surf photographer Alan van Gysen and ex World Tour surfer Paul Canning have both been selected by Travis Logie to represent Africa as judges for the competition. "I think that it's a really exciting new concept and I'm sure that there are going to be some surprises. Given the way that digital media is changing the face of media, eventing and marketing in general I think that the organizers have made a good call," commented Travis Logie.

The eighteen surfers, once selected by the judges, will be flown and accommodated at the Quiksilver Pro France World Tour event which will take place at the end of September. The eighteen qualifiers will get to rub shoulders with the best surfers in the world and experience surfing at its best at the beach breaks of La Graviere, France. The qualifiers will compete head to head in front of a capacity crowd and the world's elite surfers for the prestigious Quiksilver King of the Groms World Title. 

The event website is currently live and free music is now available for download. Candidates must use the music provided and submit their videos before 30 June 2013. On 1 July all videos will be published on the website and members of the public will have a chance to pick their favourites. Public voting will be over at the end of July and each region's top 20 videos will be presented to the pro panel of judges to determine the best video per region. On 15 August the final selected 15 videos will announced and the qualifiers will start planning their trip to France and their mission to become the King of the French beach breaks.

The Quiksilver Pro Junior and King of the Groms presented by Durban will still be going ahead as planned on 18/19 May at New Pier, Durban.

For more information go to: www.quiksilverlive.com/kotg/2013