TONIC | FUTURE EVENTS
CHIKO MP
CLASSIC
ONE OF QUEENSLAND’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS SURFING EVENTS - THE CHIKO MP
CLASSIC, THAT HONOURS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST ICONIC SURFERS - MICHAEL
PETERSON (1952 - 2012), TO BE HELD AT ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS
WAVES - KIRRA, HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ASP 1-STAR RATED EVENT.
This exciting announcement will see surfers in
the event not only compete for Chiko Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC) points,
but also ASP Qualifying Series points and
prize-money. The ASP sanction also means
that elite ASP Top 34 surfers the likes of Gold
Coast locals Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and
Bede Durbidge will now be able to don an event
rashie and compete in honour of one of their
surfing heroes, MP.
“Surfing Queensland is excited to announce
this upgrade to the Chiko MP Classic,” Gillies
said. “ASP sanctioning for the 2014 Chiko MP
Classic will bolster opportunities for Queensland’s elite surfing talent to surf in Qualifying
Series event in their backyard. The ASP ranking now also provides the option for some of
the world’s best surfers who reside within the
area to compete in an iconic event named after
the late Michael Peterson.”
Bede Durbidge (AUS), current ASP WCT campaigner and Gold Coast resident is looking forward to having the opportunity to surf in such
a special event in the lead up to his 10th year
competing at the elite level.
“Winning the Chiko MP Classic is one of my
favourite memories, my whole family was
down there and I had so much support from
my friends and also it was a lot of fun,” Parkinson said. “It’s going to be really cool being
an ASP event next year, I’m really excited to
go there and try to defend the title. The level of surfing at that competition is always really high so it will be tough,” said 2012 Champion
Mitch Parkinson.
“I think it’s unreal that the MP Classic is now
going to be ASP event,” said Durbidge. “Michael
Peterson is such an iconic surfer renowned
around the world and it’s only fitting that his
contest be ASP rated so the best surfers in the
world can compete.”
Surfing Queensland CEO Scott Gillies is grateful for the continued support from Chiko
and to see a sentimental favourite event get
upgraded to an ASP 1-Star rating. The Chiko
MP Classic is the first event on the respected
and highly regarded Chiko Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC).
Michael Peterson is one of Coolangatta’s original ‘Coolie Kids’. He was on the forefront of the
shortboard revolution in Australia in the 1970s
and was one of the most successful professional surfers of his era, winning at Bells Beach
three times, and claiming the first ever manon-man surfing competition event win at the
Stubbies Pro at Burleigh Heads, in classic conditions over Mark Richards.
MP passed away in 2012 and will forever be
remembered as one of Australia’s favourite
surfing sons because of his feats in competition and because of the way he dominated sessions at Kirra as featured in the cult surf film
Morning of the Earth.
“Michael Peterson
was on the forefront
of the shortboard
revolution in
Australia in the 1970s
and was one of the
most successful
professional surfers
of his era”
20 – SUMMER ISSUE