- WSL / Steve Robertson
- WSL / Steve Robertson

World Surf League is proud to announce that they will be officially sanctioning this year's Jeep Asia Cup of surfing. The event is to be held at the left hand point of Riyue Bay in Wanning province on the Beautiful island of Hainan, China.

The event will run as a WSL Specialty event and will play host to competitors from countries all over Asia including China, Japan, Taiwan, India and the Philippines in both men's and women's and short and longboard divisions. The aim of the event is to create a bond between surfers in the region and help the developing surfers get a taste of international competition.

WSL Australasia's Steve Robertson sees this as an amazing opportunity for not only the competitors involved but for the growth of professional surfing as a sport in this region.

"Having WSL and Jeep on-board for this year's Asia Cup gives the event some real legitimacy," Robertson said. "The countries involved all have great surf and great surf communities, just not as much exposure as other countries in the area."

The event will run in conjunction with the Jeep World Longboard Championships at Riyue Bay from December 4th meaning competitors from the Asia Cup will be rubbing shoulders in the surf with the best longboarders in the world.

"Having these guys see how a professional surfer not only handles themselves in the water but during a contest as big as the Jeep World Longboard Championships will hopefully help to inspire them."

This will definitely be the case for the highest ranked Chinese surfer's in the longboard division, as they will be given a wildcard into the Jeep World Longboard Championship.

"Having the WSL sanction means that we can use the 2015 Asia Cup as the local trials event and springboard the highest ranked Chinese surfer in both men's and women's longboard into the World Championship event which will be a big boost for these two individuals."

The Jeep Asia Cup will run from 4th of December with finals over the weekend of December 5 and 6. For information on event winners and local wildcards checkwww.worldsurfleague.com.

Darci Liu in Round 1 of the 2014 GoPro World Longboard Championships China Local Darci Liu will be one to watch during the Jeep Asia Cup - WSL / Will H-S
World Surf League
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