The final three events of the 2007 ASP World Surfing Tour that comprise the men’s Vans Triple Crown of Surfing are critical in determining the world champion, the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title, the lineup for the 2008 elite World Championship Tour, and the division of more than half a million dollars worth or prize money. All will take place this winter, between November 12 and December 20, in world class waves of up to 25 feet on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

In 2007, Reef joins the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing with the Reef Hawaiian Pro, November 12 through 24, 2007, at Haleiwa’s historic Ali’i Beach. A 6-star, $125,000 World Qualifying Series (WQS) event, the Reef Hawaiian Pro boasts the highest rating of any WQS competition in the world and as such will have a major impact on determining which new surfing stars will earn a berth on the coveted World Championship Tour (WCT) in 2008.

At this time, Jordy Smith (South Africa), Dane Reynolds (Ca., USA), Tiago Pires (Portugal), Jihad Khodr (Brazil), and Jay Thompson (Australia) are five rookies in the running for the 15 WQS tickets to the 2008 WCT. Thompson is one of Reef’s key sponsored riders and looks like qualifying this year along with fellow Reef team-rider Ben Bourgeois (USA).

The O’Neill World Cup of Surfing, Sunest Beach, November 25 through December 6, is equally rated (6 star) with the Reef Hawaiian Pro and is the final WQS event of 2007. This will be the last opportunity for aspiring surfers to qualify for next year’s World Championship Tour.

The O’Neill World Cup of Surfing celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year and boasts a winner’s list that in itself is a surfer’s Hall of Fame, including seven world champions: Mark Richards (Australia), Shaun Tomson (South Africa), Tom Carroll (Australia), Derek Ho (Hawaii), Martin Potter (UK), Sunny Garcia (Hawaii), and Andy Irons (Hawaii).

In addition to the $125,000 prize purse, O’Neill has partnered with American Racing Equipment, Inc. to offer additional awards for the “Best Barrel” and “Breakout Performance”. Recipients of these awards will win a set of American Racing rims out of the ATX Series of all-terrain wheels. Surfers might earn their keep on the waves, but it takes a good set of wheels to get there.

The 37th annual Billabong Pipeline Masters is the longest running pro surfing competition in the world – predating even the 25-year-old Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series. It’s combination of unrivaled, barreling waves and legendary list of champions make it the most prestigious event on the globe. As the final jewel in the crown, the Billabong Pipeline Masters will enjoy three crowning moments: that of the event champion, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series champion, and the 2007 ASP World Champion.

Like the World Cup of Surfing, a total of seven world champions grace the honor roll of this event and account for 17 individual Pipe Masters titles amongst themselves. Interestingly, Pipe Masters champions over the years have also accounted for 20 out of 24 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing titles, proving how critical it is to be a standout performer at the Banzai Pipeline.

In addition to individual titles, the Vans Triple Crown Champion will this year take home a Special Edition 2008 Chevy Silverado truck, valued at $25,000.

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing will celebrate its 25th anniversary this winter. All of the action can be experienced live via the internet at www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.