Bali, Indonesia – Thursday, 27th July 2023

The answer to the question surfing fans around the globe have all been asking will be revealed this Sunday when Rip Curl officially announces the 16 surfers – eight of Indonesia’s best and eight of the world’s greatest barrel hunters – invited to compete in the 20th Anniversary of the Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang presented by Samudera Indonesia.

The eight female surfers selected to compete in the first-ever Women’s Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang – split evenly between local and international athletes – will also be revealed.

The 24 total surfer invitations, as well as the men’s and women’s opening round heat draws, will be announced at the Rip Curl Cup Opening Ceremony on Sunday, 30th of July at Padang Padang. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the traditional festivities to bless the event with good waves and pray for the safety of the competing athletes.

Due to a lack of contestable swell at Padang during the month of July, the Local Trials will not be held in 2023. Instead, contest directors will select the four remaining Indonesian surfers qualifying for the main event based on their results in last year’s Rip Curl Cup.

These four “Trials Qualifiers” will be re-seeded along with the top-four Indonesian surfers from last year’s Rip Curl Cup – Mega Semadhi (2nd place in 2022), Mega Artana (3rd place in 2022), Mustofa Jeksen (equal 7th place/Semi-Finalist in 2022), and Garut Widiarta (equal 7th place/Semi-Finalist in 2022) – to once again represent Indonesia and compete against the world’s best tube riders at Padang Padang on the heaviest and most dangerous day of waves between 1st-31st of August.

“Unfortunately, the swell never reached the highest standard we need to run the Trials at Padang during the month of July,” said Contest Director James Hendy. “Therefore, we will resort to the cleanest, fairest Plan B option – we will take the back seeds from last year’s Rip Curl Cup Main Event. In other words, the eight local surfers from last year’s main event will be re-seeded into this year’s Rip Curl Cup based upon last year’s results.”

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t get to run the Trials and showcase the talent of all our amazing local surfers at Padang Padang, particularly the younger generation,” added Hendy. “But hopefully the slow July is a sign that we will see high swell activity during the month of August and a very special Padang swell for the 20-Year Anniversary of the Rip Curl Cup.”

The Opening Ceremony marks the start of the one-month Rip Curl Cup holding period, which runs for the full month of August. The Opening Ceremony celebration will begin promptly this Sunday at 3 PM on the sacred sands of Padang Padang Beach, followed by a meet and greet with the surfers and contest organizers. The day will conclude with the traditional Balinese Kecak Dance performance at sunset.

All media wishing to attend the Rip Curl Cup Opening Ceremony may RSVP to [email protected] by Friday, 28th of July to secure their credentials.

The 2023 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang will be webcast LIVE to the world at ripcurl.com and at worldsurfleague.com. Fans can also visit the Rip Curl website to check the official event swell forecast, real-time contest status, and video updates from Bali.

RIP CURL CUP PADANG PADANG 2023 EVENT SCHEDULE:

Main Event Holding Period

August 1st – 31st

Opening Ceremony

Sunday, July 30th at 3 PM, Padang Padang Beach, Bali

1. Media Gathering at 1 PM @ Grün Resort Uluwatu
2. Meet the invited athletes
3. Press conference
4. Traditional Balinese Kecak Dance performance

Official Rip Curl Cup Party

Friday, August 25th 5PM – Midnight.

Live performance by special guest at Ulu Cliff House

The Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang 2023 is presented by SAMUDERA INDONESIA

Sponsored by: ISLAND BREWING and ULU CLIFFHOUSE.

Supported by: Persatuan Selancar Ombak Indonesia (PSOI).

Official Internet Provider: Biznet

Media partners: World Surf League (WSL), The Asian Surf Cooperative (ASC) baliwaves.com and BaliBelly.com.

About Rip Curl – The Ultimate Surfing Company

Rip Curl is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, consistently at the forefront of the surf and snow scenes since its creation in the late 1960s.

Started by Brian Singer and Doug ‘Claw’ Warbrick in the coastal Australian town of Torquay in 1969, Rip Curl was initially a vehicle for the perfect lifestyle – a never-ending search by two mates for perfect waves, adventure and the fun that inevitably follows. They called it “The Search.”

The Search is the driving force that led to the creation of Rip Curl. It’s the one true thing that Rip Curl has that no one else does and it lives in the spirit of everything the Rip Curl crew do. It’s what makes Rip Curl unique. It defines who we are.

Rip Curl remains a company built by surfers for surfers. Endeavoring to make the best products, run the best events, support the best athletes, deliver the best customer service, communicate the best brand message and socialize with the best crew of people helps Rip Curl hold a vision of being regarded as The Ultimate Surfing Company.

For more information on Rip Curl, please visit www.ripcurl.com

About The Rip Curl Cup

Now celebrating “20 Years of Tubes,” The Rip Curl Cup Invitational at Padang Padang is Indonesia’s longest-running and most prestigious surfing competition, and the only World Surf League invitational contest featuring the world’s greatest tuberiders alongside Indonesia’s best.

in 2023 the Rip Curl Cup celebrates its 20-year anniversary with one of the most exclusive fields in professional surfing: just 16 invited surfers – eight of Indonesia’s finest and eight of the world’s elite. The limited number of surfer invitations ensures this will be a “one-day, one-swell” event, increasing the likelihood of spectacular conditions and incredible performances. When contest directors determine an ideal Padang swell lining up in the Indian Ocean, the green light will be given and competitors will have 48 hours to make it to Bali’s Bukit Peninsula.

The waiting period for the 2023 Rip Curl Cup spans an entire month, from August 1-31, during the peak of Indonesia’s prime swell season, providing the event with the highest chance of scoring the spitting green barrels the Balinese Pipeline is world-famous for.

The 2023 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang will be webcast live to the world at ripcurl.com. Fans can also visit the site to check real-time contest status and video updates from Bali.

#

Rip Curl Indonesia

Geby Amanda Putri

Media Communication Assistant

[email protected]

+62 812 1769 3423

World Surf League

Tom Bennett

Media and Communications Manager WSL Asia Pacific

[email protected]

+61 423 282 587

Asian Surf Cooperative (ASC)

Tim Hain

Media and Events

[email protected]

+62 8123606674