Event Window:   October 27 – November 9
Ratings:               Men’s QS3,000

NORTH SHORE, Oahu/Hawaii – (Monday, October 31, 2016) — Oahu’s North Shore winter surf season has arrived and will kick off with the HIC Pro, Presented by Vans. The surf forecast looks promising for a start this week with a series of larger northwest swells starting tomorrow, with fresh pulses each day through Friday. The surf is expected to reach heights of 8 to 12 feet with strong trade winds, ideal for the challenging lineup of Sunset Beach.

The HIC Pro is a World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 3,000 that is the official local qualifier for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. 112 athletes from around the world come together at Sunset Beach, a big wave venue that produces the most consistent heavy water waves in the world. Up for grabs is the HIC Pro title; the WSL Hawaii Regional Champion title; and highly sought-after slots into the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Fifty percent of the 112-man field is comprised of local surfers, led by Hawaii’s top rated regional athlete Eli Olson (Oahu) and teenage world-beaters like Finn McGill (Oahu), Noa Mizuno (Oahu), Matt McGillivray (South Africa) and Riley Laing (Australia). Olson took the win earlier this year at the Surf Into Summer and now advances to put a stake in the ground at the HIC Pro.

Under the new WSL region, WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui is proud to welcome Tahitian surfers Ariitu Turo, O’Neill Massin, Taumata Puhetini and Tereva David, whose solid regional ratings qualified them into the HIC Pro event. With surfing’s biggest stage on tap, the Tahitians are sure to carry over their Teahupo‘o prowess into the equally challenging waves of Sunset Beach as they work to qualify for the Vans Triple Crown series.

Tune in to watch the HIC Pro, Presented by Vans LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, VansTripleCrownofSurfing.com and in Hawaii on TWC Surf TV 250 and 1250 HD.

Shop Online  Official Merchandise for the 2016 HIC Pro & Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.