Surfing
Red Bull Unleashed: Competitors unveiled
Meet the top surfers going head to head in the UK's newest and only inland surf competition.
Red Bull Unleashed is set to hit the wave garden at Surf Snowdonia, Wales, on 18-19 September.
Taking place on the newly opened wave garden, Unleashed is the only major surf event to take place on an artificial wave. This means there’ll be no waiting around for the perfect wave, or straining to see what’s going on out at sea while you stand on the beach. Instead you’ll be able to catch all of the action from a pier that runs right through the centre of the wave garden as some of the world’s most talented surfers go head to head.
If you want to know more about how the event works, check out our ultimate guide to Unleashed.
Breaking away from convention, an exciting 24-man field will showcase top talents from freesurfing and competition alike. The lineup will include Albee Layer and Ezekial Lau (HAW), Jack Freestone and Mikey Wright (AUS), Dillon Perillo and Kainoa Igarashi (USA) and Brendon Gibbens (ZAF).
The judging panel is also a pretty eclectic mix. An esteemed crew of former pro legends including Pipemaster Jake Paterson, former XXL winner Brad Gerlach and European charger Alain Riou will determine who walks away with the first ever Red Bull Unleashed title. Here is who you can expect to see at the first ever wave garden event right here in the UK:
Evan Geiselman
© Robert Snow/Red Bull Content Pool
2 min
Red Bull Cape Fear: Albee Layer vs Jamie O'Brien
Red Bull Cape Fear: Albee Layer vs Jamie O'Brien
Albee LayerBio: Albee is not only the star of the hit movie Attractive Distractions, he’s also writing the book on how to nail a sick tube at Peahi a.k.a. Jaws, one of the world’s most intimidating breaks. D.O.B: June 9, 1991 Country of Origin: Hawaii
Jayce RobinsonBio: This guy showed dedication from an early age, hitting the beach both before and after school, even in the depths of the Cornish winter. D.O.B: July 24, Country of Origin: England
Jack Freestone Bio: Jack’s two World Junior titles is a record only matched by fellow Aussie Joel Parkinson who just happens to be the 2012 ASP Men’s World Champion. D.O.B: March 4, 1992 Country of Origin: Australia
Kanoa Igarishi
© Brian Bielmann/Red Bull Content Pool
Leonardo Fioravanti
© Lucia Griggi / Red Bull Content Pool
Kalani David Bio: This is a guy of many talents. Not satisfied with being a pro-surfer, he is also a pro-skater, tri-lingual and a pretty handy drummer. D.O.B: November 4, 1997 Country of Origin: Hawaii
Kai HingBio: After nabbing his first WSL win at the North Beach Junior Men’s in Taranaki, NZ, this guy is definitely one to watch. D.O.B: May 23, 1997 Country of Origin: Australia
Slade Prestwich
© Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool
Brendon GibbensBio: After a stint as a contest pro, Brendon decided to set his sights freesurfing. D.O.B: June 10, 1991 Country of Origin: South Africa
Yadin NicolBio: Yardin competes against the World’s best having been accepted to the World Championship Tour (WCT) in 2012. In addition to this he pursues a successful freesurfing career while raising a baby with his wife. That’s one busy guy! D.O.B: November 16, 1985 Country of Origin: Australia
Mikey WrightBio: The Wright family are a talented bunch. Mikey’s brother is ASP tour star Owen while his sister is Women’s World Tour standout Tyler. Meanwhile Mikey continues to delight the World Wide Web with his freesurfing prowess. D.O.B: September 14, 1996 Country of Origin: Australia
Dillion PerilloBio: After becoming frustrated with the confines of competition, Dillion started freesurfing. He now travels to some of the World’s most beautiful locations in search of that perfect wave. D.O.B: May 13, 1990 Country of Origin: USA
Luke DavisBio: This guy is arguably more famous for his ever changing hair colour and social handles than he is for his surfing. Saying that, he is a force to be reckoned with in the water, having spent the last couple of years travelling around the globe competing in ASP events. D.O.B: January 23, 1993 Country of Origin: USA
Mitch CrewsBio: He may look like the perfect guy on paper, but proving we all make mistakes, Mitch has to live with a tattoo on a Taco on his thigh. D.O.B: April 5, 1990 Country of Origin: Australia
Hiroto Arai in Kagoshima
© Kenyu Takahashi / Red Bull Content Pool
Billy StairmandBio: A few years ago Billy was known as the unheralded surfer from New Zealand who once took out 11 time World Champion, Kelly Slater, at a surf contest. These days the 3x New Zealand National Champ is making a name for himself as the guy who is climbing up the ranks on the World Qualifying Series. D.O.B: October 21, 1999 Country of Origin: New Zealand
Ezekiel LauBio: Ezekiel won the prestigious Vans World Cup of Surfing in 2013 and is now making his mark on the World Qualifying Series where he is currently ranked 30th. D.O.B: November 23, 1993 Country of Origin: Hawaii
Ian CraneBio: Ian had what could be described as his best day ever back in July. He not only won the Hurley Pro Trials but also nabbed himself a spot at the WCT event at Lowers. D.O.B: August 5, 1993 Country of Origin: USA
Alan Stokes Bio: Alan, who has won nearly every British surf trophy there is over the course of his career should also be applauded for his Instagram skills. Every single picture this guy takes makes us want to ditch what we are doing and head for the beach. D.O.B: January 19, 1981 Country of Origin: England
Reubyn AshBio: Reubyn might be insanely talented but he’s had to go it alone. Despite his absence of sponsors he has recently managed to produce an insane edit that is well worth a watch. D.O.B: March 1, 1988 Country of Origin: England
Oli Adams Bio: Oli Adams is one of the only Brits to ever compete full time on the World Tour. However an ongoing battle with Crohn’s disease has seen him move into the world of freesurfing. He now spends his time in search of the UK and Ireland’s best breaks D.O.B: 24 January, 1985 Country of Origin: England
Marc Lacomare Bio: Proving himself to be a promising junior taking both the European Championships in 2009 and the Rip Curl Pro in France, Marc has been proving himself a force to be reckoned with on the WQS for the last couple of seasons. D.O.B: July 4, 1990 Country of Origin: France
Rhys BarfieldBio: Born in Cardiff, Rhys moved to Cornwall at the age of seven. He joined the Quiksilver team when he was 11 and has been competing around the globe ever since. He is 6x Welsh National Champion. D.O.B: September 26, 1997 Country of Origin: Wales
Ian Gouveia Bio: Ian is the son of legendary Brazilian surfer Fabio Gouveia so has some pretty big shoes to fill. Thankfully he seems to have no problem in that department. D.O.B: October 27, 1992 Country of Origin: Brazil
If you fancy getting up close and personal with some of the World’s best surfers, why not head along to Unleashed? Tickets can be purchased from www.redbull.com/unleashed and cost £8 per person.