Encinitas, CA (June 22, 2010) -- Foam will be flying during the Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks honoring Australian surfing and shaping legend Simon Anderson at Sacred Craft Expo, held adjacent to ASR, this August 14th and 15th. Six premier shapers have been chosen to replicate the classic Simon Anderson Thruster design. The square-jawed, regular-foot rode the Thruster to victory during the epic 1981 Bells event that was graced with waves upwards of 15'.

The competing shapers are Pat Rawson, Matt Biolos, Brian Bulkley, Larry Mabile, Jason Bennett and Michael Baron. The winning shaper will receive a check from US Blanks for $1000 and their name inscribed on the Mike Marshall perpetual trophy alongside past winners Ricky Carroll, Pat Rawson and Wayne Rich.

"Everyone knows that Simon's Thruster design was a groundbreaking concept," says Hawaiian shaper and defending champion Pat Rawson. "Sacred Craft's shape-off is a very fitting and deserved tribute to a legendary shaper and surfer."

The six shapers will each be allotted one and half hours in the US Blanks shaping bay. They will replicate a classic Simon Anderson Thruster. The Thruster design, utilizing three like-sized fins on a wide tail, took the surf world by storm in the early 80s. Today, in each and every surf shop you walk into, a three-finned Thruster inspired surfboard is for sale. The Thruster design is far and away the most widely ridden and recognized surfboard design in the world. Every World Title (men’s and women’s) since 1984 has been won on a Thruster inspired design.

The Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks is part of the Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo weekend, August 14th and 15th at the award winning Sail Pavilion atop the San Diego Convention Center, overlooking beautiful San Diego Bay. In addition to the shaping competition, the Art of Shaping OC Edition auction presented by Billabong takes place Saturday evening at ASR.
 
There will also be a vintage surfboard and surf memorabilia 'Antique Roadshow' event presented by Primo Beer, a Bob Simmons exhibit presented by the Surfing Heritage Foundation, the Young Guns of Shaping, hand laminating, vacuum bag laminating, an art grotto curated by Rob Havassy, the Korduroy.tv short films lounge, surfers playing music for surfers on the Rhythm music stage, hundreds of state-of-the-art surfboards, cutting edge wetsuits, surf cars, surf gear, surf art, surfboard demos, ‘Surf Nerd’ surf trivia game, Primo beer, movies, surfboard giveaways and tons of fun.

WHO:         Surfers, Shapers, Designers, Craftsman, Manufacturers

WHAT:       Surfboards and the culture that flows from them.

WHEN:      August 14 and 15, 2010; Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 10am-4pm (during ASR)

WHERE:   Award winning Sail Pavilion atop the San Diego Convention Center and overlooking beautiful San Diego Bay

WHY:        Because surfers really only care about two things; waves and the equipment to ride them with.

HOW:        $10 at the door includes TransWorld SURF subscription and door prizes including surfboards
 
Here’s a sampling of Sacred Craft Exhibitors signed on for this August’s event:

Art By Colleen Gnos    Art By Vince Broglio    Axxe Wetsuits    Betty Belts    Bing Surfboards    Board Fisher    Boardworks    Bruce Jones Surfboards    Bubble Gum Surf Wax    Challenger Surfboards    Chromatik Collective    Denno Pop    Dessa Kirk Studios    Dk Surfboards    Ekstrom Surfboards    Entropy Bio Resins    Fcs Surf Hardware    Fineline Surfboards    Firewire Surfboards    Fletcher Chouinard Designs    Foam E-Z    Fresh Pineapples Surfboards    Futures Fin Systems    Gordan/Palandrani Surfboards    Grain Surfboards    Green Pacha Surfboards    Hansens Surfboards    Hilbers/Putnam Surf Designs    Jeff Clark Surfboards    Kana Surfboards    Linden Surfboards    Lokbox Fin Company    Matunas Surf Wax

Nineplus   On It Pro   One Surfboards   Patagonia Wetsuits   Plus One Surfboards   Pro-Lite Board Bags And Accessories   Rainbow Fin Company   Rhythm   Robert August Surfboards   Rusty Surfboards   Sharp Eye Surfboards   Simon Anderson Surfboards       Simr Surfboards   Solarez   Source Surfboards   Sticky Bumps Wax   Stretch Surfboards   Surfboards By Hap Jacobs   Surfboards By Stamps   Surftech   The Surfers Journal   The Surfing Heritage Foundation   The Swift Movement   Third World Exotic By Larry Mabile   Tnt Surfboards & Manufacturing   Transworld Surf   Triton Surfboards   True Ames Fin Company   Us Blanks   Wnc Foam   Wood Surfboard Supply   Wood Surfboard Supply   Zerovoc

For more info go to http://sacredcraftexpo.com
Or email Scott Bass - Scott@surfboardshow.com

About SACRED CRAFT
Sacred Craft is and always has been about the surfboard. We are passionate about our crafts, and about the craft: surfboards, shapers, designers, manufacturers and the culture that flows from the surfboard. Because surfers really only care about two things: waves and the equipment to ride them with.