Iconic surf-lifestyle brand Quiksilver is thrilled to announce its collaboration for the upcoming fourth season of the Netflix Original Series Stranger Things. The show will be released in two parts, with Volume One premiering on May 27 and Volume Two premiering on July 1. In alignment with the show’s multiple release dates, Quiksilver will drop multiple capsule collections throughout the season, delivering a nostalgic throwback to the brand’s surf-inspired ’80s era while integrating elements from the Stranger Things 4 storyline. Quiksilver has never partnered with a brand on this level, and is excited and honored to bring this Stranger Things collaboration to life. The apparel collaboration aims to seamlessly introduce both brands in a fresh and exciting way to new audiences worldwide.
Over the past three years, Quiksilver and the Netflix costume team have worked closely, diving into the Quiksilver design archives to not only take design and style inspiration for the cast wardrobe, but also to revive some of the most iconic pieces and develop collaborative apparel collections available for consumer purchase. The Stranger Things series takes place in the 1980s, and with access to classic styles from the Quiksilver archive, Netflix and Quiksilver have been able to develop truly original and era-specific collections reflective of the show’s setting and Quiksilver’s roots. The official Quiksilver x Stranger Things 4 collections will feature exclusive Quiksilver pieces worn by the cast throughout the show, fashion-forward pieces inspired by the Quiksilver 1980s archive, and Season 4 episode-specific merchandise.
To celebrate and amplify the apparel-collection launch, Quiksilver plans to hold unique consumer-facing pop-ups and larger-scale activations globally. The apparel collections will be available for purchase worldwide via Quiksilver.com.
Surfers Not Street Children was founded in 1998 by activist and surfer, Tom Hewitt MBE. Originally under the name Durban Street Team (DST), it was run by a maverick crew of social workers, carers and activists scouting the streets of downtown Durban to identify and assist homeless street children. The organisation fused mentorship and care with arts and sports programs—including surfing, which the children totally embraced, leading to the organisation to be renamed Surfers Not Street Children. The organisation has played a major role in the response to the street children phenomenon in Durban, and empowered many children to leave street life. Many have gone on to engage in global advocacy and fight a frontline battle for the rights of local street children, and they’ve had a great impact on changing how society perceived and treated street children in South Africa. Through it all, surfing has been the heart and identity of the organisation, and the model of fusing surfing with mentorship and care became the backbone of the work that continues today in Durban and Tofo.
O’Neill is proud to announce a new chapter in our decade-long partnership with Africa’s transformative, community-based surf mentorship program, Surfers Not Street Children (SNSC).
Surfing can transform lives, and nobody understands that better than the incredible crew of young surfers and mentors over at SNSC. For more than 20 years, the organisation has helped street children in South Africa and Mozambique find safety and stability on land, and pure joy in the water. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with SNSC through financial support and product for the organisation and the children they work with.
O’Neill and Jordy Smith have been allies of ours for many years,” Says Sandlie Mqadi, the Country Director for SNSC South Africa. “This next chapter in our partnership could not have arrived at a more important time. Now is when the most vulnerable children need even more support. Thank you to O’Neill and Jordy Smith for standing with us at this time, and for journeying with us in the past. Together we can transform more lives. Siyabonga Kakhulu!”
Producer: O'Neill Directed by: Timothy Hay Assistant Director: Kyle Judd Smith Sound: Ryan Hall Camera operators: Kyle Judd Smith, Gregg Kitto, Timothy Hay Water Camera: Timothy Hay Drone pilot: Simon Mulholland Edit: Timothy Hay
Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Callum Robson won theBoost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl, the first stop of the World Surf League 2022 Challenger Series. After 4 days straight of flawless waves at Snapper Rocks, the front edge of a massive East Coast Low began to show its face off the Gold Coast which caused wild and wooly conditions for Finals Day with competitors battling in strong-onshore winds and three-to-five foot waves. The conditions never detracted from the action with massive scores being dropped throughout the day.
16-year-old Caitlin Simmers Wins Opening Challenger Series Competition of the Season
Today’s victory marked the second Challenger Series win for 16-year-oldCaitlin Simmers(USA). Simmers won the US Open of Surfing last year and also earned the final spot for the elite Championship Tour (CT). After Simmers declined the spot on the CT for 2021,Molly Picklum (AUS) received entry as the next on the qualification list. Given how close they were on the 2021 Challenger Series rankings, it was no surprise to see the two matched up in the first Final of the Challenger season here at Snapper Rocks.
“I’m so happy to win the first Challenger Series event of the year,” said Simmers. “It was really tough out there and I didn’t even know where I was for half of the heat. I was kind of just guessing on that last one and I guess I got the score, but Molly is my favorite surfer. She’s so gnarly so it’s so fun to share the Final with her. My goals for the season are definitely to try and win the Challenger Series, I’d love to do that.”
“I’m so happy to win the first Challenger Series event of the year,” said Simmers. “This has been an incredible event with amazing waves even though today, it was extremely tough out there. The wind and rain was howling and it was victory at sea out there. I really had no idea what my situation was in that final minute but I felt I needed a good second wave score – I got that last wave and just surfed it as best I could and managed to get the score – A goal for the season is definitely to try and win the Challenger Series – I’d love to do that.”
The Final between Simmers and Picklum witnessed an intense matchup as the two battled the stormy conditions for the first Challenger Series win of the season. Picklum stayed busy throughout the heat, locking in a 6.50 and 4.77 (each out of a possible 10). Although Simmers had a strong opening ride, she was left chasing a back-up score to overcome the Australian. In the final minute of the heat, Simmers utilized her priority for one last opportunity. Only needing a 5.45, Simmers overcame the requirement with a 6.03 to take the win away from Picklum.
“I’m a little disappointed,” said Picklum. “It is always nice to take the win, but I am so stoked for Caity. She’s an incredible surfer and an incredible competitor, and not everyone has those two things. I can’t wait for our year together and hopefully, we will be in a bunch of Finals together. Of course, hopefully, I get her one of these Finals. I’m ready for Manly next week. That will be a different event surf wise but I’m looking forward to the next stop on the Challenger and this entire series.”
Australians Callum Robson and Sheldon Simkus Take First and Second at Boost Mobile Pro
The men’s Final saw an all-Australian matchup between Callum Robson and Sheldon Simkus. Robson, representing Evans Head, is a current rookie on the 2022 CT and carried over his recent success into today’s Challenger Series Final to claim a win over Gold Coast local Simkus. The win marks Robson’s first Challenger Series victory, following his breakthrough second-place result on the CT at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach last month.
“It’s been a big day for me and an amazing event with fantastic surf and to win is incredible for me,” said Robson. “The year to date has been better than I could have imagined. I’ve had enormous support from the entire community from my hometown at Evans Head to surf this tour and I’m stoked to repay them and put Evans Head on the map.”
Hometown hero Simkus was a standout performer all event posting big scores and picking some of the best waves of the event, showing local knowledge is key at all locations around the world. In the end, Simkus fell just shy of the ultimate result but was proud to fly the Coolangatta flag on Finals Day in front of a home crowd of friends and family.
“It’s been a huge few days for me and such fantastic surf at my home break for this great event,” said Simkus. “It’s been a goal of mine for a long time to surf in this event, I just scraped into the field this year and to make the Final and surf against Callum in front of my home crowd has been amazing. It’s a really good start to the Challenger Series season and I have the confidence to keep going on this series.”
Australian icon Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) fell in the Semifinals to eventual winner Simmers. Fitzgibbons entered into the Challenger Series after missing the Mid-season Cut following the Margaret River Pro Championship Tour event. Although with a solid third-place finish at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro, Fitzgibbons was awarded WSL CT season wildcard for 2023 and will get to bypass Challenger Series qualification and rejoin the world’s best surfers next season. As the 2023 WSL season wildcard, the 31-year-old will also be the first replacement surfer on the CT for the next half of the season.
For highlights from the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro pres. by Rip Curl, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro pres. by Rip Curl Women’s Final Results: 1 – Caitlin Simmers (USA) 11.86 2 – Molly Picklum (AUS) 11.27
Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro pres. by Rip Curl Women’s Semifinal Results: HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 16.50 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 7.67 HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) 16.23 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 15.66
• Lau, Coffin and Fioravanti Find Form at Snapper Rocks • Simmers and Rapoza Lead The Charge for the Next Gen on Day 3 • Event Big Names Eye off Finals Day on Gold Coast • More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com
The Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl, stop one of the 2022 World Surf League Challenger Series (CS), has seen a wet and drizzly day with more epic waves. Snapper Rocks has continued to deliver yet again with waves in the three-to-four foot range running down the point for surfers in the the Men’s Round of 48 and women’s Round of 32.
Ezekiel Lau, Conner Coffin and Leonardo Fioravanti Find Form at Snapper Rocks Fresh off the disappointment of falling below the Mid-season Cut line and losing their spot on the Championship Tour, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) and Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA above) have come into the first stop of the Challenger Series looking like they mean business. Today was a big day for both competitors as they each claimed impressive heat wins and progressed into the Round of 24 and closer to the business end of competition. For Fioravanti, it seemed to be a cruisy win as the lightning fast natural footer found a few long walls to dispatch of 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in what was a bitter-sweet victory for the Italian.
“That heat really went to plan for me and I’m stoked how it played out,” said Fioravanti. “To surf against Kelly Slater is always an honor and I want to say now a big thank you to Kelly Slater - he has been my inspiration and he has done so much for the sport for a long time. I’m also very appreciative of all the support here from the Italian community who have turned up to support me - It’s fantastic.”
For Lau (above), there was a little more work needed as he came up against event standout Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) and Brazilian duo Lucas Silveira (BRA) and Matheus Navarro (BRA) in what ended up being a tight clash. With three surfers claiming excellent scores, Lau needed something big towards the end of the heat to guarantee his spot in the next round, and that is what he got, dropping into a thick tube behind the Snapper Rock and disappearing from sight before flying out and laying several of his trademark frontside gouges to post a near perfect 9.57. Lau ended up winning the heat with a two-wave total of 18.07 (out of a possible 20) which was the highest of the event so far.
“That was a crazy heat” said Lau. “I was patient early and had to wait quite a while for my first wave and my competitors were getting good scores but then I got a great score and then managed to get that late final ride and take the heat at the end but it was a stressful heat throughout. I’ve scored well here in past years and the waves are great so I’m feeling good and confident to keep going here for sure.”
Conner Coffin (USA, above) looked in incredible step with the waves at Snapper Rocks with the Santa Barbara local taking a convincing win in his Round of 48 heat. Coffin will be hoping to build momentum through the event as he looks to build confidence ahead of the rest of the 2022 CS season.
Next Generation Step Up to the Plate Being the battleground to qualify for the Championship Tour, the Challenger Series is the first opportunity the world gets to lay eyes on the next generation of elite level competitive surfers and today in pumping waves at Snapper Rocks a handful of the next gen put on impressive displays to move closer to Finals Day and get their Qualification Campaigns off to a great start.
Adur Amatriain (EUK), Dylan Moffat (AUS above), Timothee Bisso (FRA), Oscar Berry (AUS), Maxime Huscenot (FRA) and Nolan Rapoza (USA) were some of the main names that stood out with their scores and results on Day 3 of competition. Moffat was impressive with an excellent two-wave heat total to win his heat whereas it was the composure of Californian Rapoza to claim a heat win over an inform Julian Wilson that really impressed surf fans today.”
“I’m so stoked to be surfing the Challenger Series and putting myself up against surfers like Julian Wilson who has been an idol of mine for many years,” said Rapoza. “I need to surf against and beat these guys to get to where I want to be, which is onto the Championship Tour and I’m definitely up for the challenge.”
Another young Californian who continues to impress is Caitlan Simmers (USA above) who progressed through her Round of 32 heat today in second place behind form surfer Malia Manuel (HAW). It was an epic matchup with Manuel taking on two prodigy’s in Simmers and Sierra Kerr (AUS) who earned her spot through winning the trials. Kerr looked in good touch but it was Simmer’s who was able to find the best waves when it mattered, claiming the second spot behind Manuel.
“I am really enjoying competing in waves like this - these are easily the best competition waves I’ve ever surfed in,” said Simmers. “ My goals this season are about enjoying all these locations that we get to surf more than anything - qualification is a goal but enjoying the experience is the most important and I’m loving the Gold Coast.”
Big Names Come to Play at Snapper Rocks Jadson Andre (BRA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS, above), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Isabella Nichols (AUS), Conor O’Leary (AUS), Jackson Baker (AUS) and Julian Wilson (AUS) were some of the more established names that saw success on Day 3 at Snapper all finding their way into the next Round of competition.
For some, this success is all about building confidence ahead of the rest of the CT season whilst for others, it’s a fantastic opportunity to grab an early result on the Challenger Series while they look to reinstate themselves at the elite level.
Watch LIVE All Challenger Series events will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the competition's Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com and SporTV.
