Curren and Occhilupo face off in heritage series

The event runs in conjunction with the J-Bay Open.

The ASP Heritage Series, making its debut in South Africa, is designed to celebrate and honour the foundation contributors to the sport of surfing — athletes, venues, happenings and culture.

The J-Bay Open, the sixth stop of 11 on the 2014 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), hosts the world’s best surfers this week and in the hunt for the world surfing crown.

This year, as part of the ASP Heritage Series, the world’s best surfers will pay tribute to Curren and Occhilupo as the two square off in a single heat of competition.

“When you think of modern surfing, you’d be hard-pressed to find two surfers who have had more of an impact than Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo,” ASP commissioner Kieren Perrow said.

“The ASP Heritage Series is a great initiative to honour and celebrate professional surfing’s pioneers and icons and tie the sport firmly to its foundations.

“We’re all very excited to have Tom and Mark here in South Africa and very much looking forward to seeing them surf.”

Curren, from California’s Santa Barbara, rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s utilising a point-break-honed style on the international stage and collecting three ASP World Titles (1985, 1986, 1990).

Occhilupo, originally from the Sydney suburb of Kurnel, advanced to the surfing centre of Cronulla before exploding onto the national scene as a prodigious teenager.

The ‘Raging Bull’s’ full-speed approach and unparalleled power proved revolutionary as he rose up the international rankings.

At 18, Occhilupo claimed the Country Feeling Classic at Jeffreys Bay in 1984.

“It’s a very special thing to be back here in South Africa and preparing for another match with Tom (Curren),” Occhilupo said.

“From Bells Beach to Huntington Beach and certainly Jeffreys Bay, Tom and I have had a very fun and colourful history in competition with one another.

“To be honest, it’s just a real honour that the ASP and the world’s best surfers would have us here in this fashion. It’s very humbling and I hope we can put on a good show for everyone.”

The J-Bay Open runs from July 10 to July 21.

– Sapa