Press Release

Gillibrand to Quiksilver: Bring Surfing Competition Back to Long Beach

Jan 4, 2012

Long Beach, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged Quiksilver to bring their annual sponsored surfing competition back to Long Island. This month, Quiksilver and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) announced that the Quiksilver Pro New York contest will not be returning to Long Beach next year.  Touting Long Beach as an ideal spot for the competition that would bring economic benefits to the region, Senator Gillibrand urged Quiksilver President and CEO to reevaluate the decision and include Long Beach as part of their 2012 world tour. 

Senator Gillibrand wrote in a letter to Mr. Robert McKnight, Quiksilver President and CEO, “I am deeply disappointed with this recent decision and encourage you to keep your previous commitment to holding Quicksilver Pro New York in Long Beach again… I hope that together we can work to put this event back on the schedule, offering Quicksilver an ideal location for the competition and opening up additional economic opportunities for the greater Long Island region.” 

Jack Schnirman, Long Beach City Manager, said, “On behalf of the new Long Beach City Council and as the new Long Beach City Manager, we are looking forward to taking a cooperative, balanced, and fresh approach to bringing top-caliber events to Long Beach. We would welcome a conversation with Quicksilver about returning to Long Beach.” 

Earlier this month, ASP announced their 2012 schedule of 11 pro surfing contests around the world, which includes sites in Australia, Brazil, France and the U.S. (California). Last summer, Long Beach hosted the Quiksilver Pro New York competition from September 4th through 9th, which drew hundreds of thousands of people.  

Full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter is below:

Dear Mr. McKnight, 

I am writing in response to recent reports that Quiksilver Pro and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) have removed Long Island, New York, from a stop on its 2012 ASP World Title Series.  Quicksilver Pro New York was a huge success in Long Beach this past summer, and was embraced by the Long Island community. I am deeply disappointed with this recent decision and encourage you to keep your previous commitment to holding Quicksilver Pro New York in Long Beach again. 

Over a hundred thousand spectators gathered last summer for the Long Beach competition.  As a result of the optimum surf conditions and overwhelming community support, the ASP included Long Beach in their 2012 schedule last month, but this decision was overturned recently for reasons unknown. During the summer months, Long Beach attracts tens of thousands of visitors from Nassau and Suffolk Counties, as well as New York City and throughout the country, all of which offers the necessary experience, resources, and infrastructure to help the Long Beach area meet your needs and ensure a successful competition for participants and the many attendees. I encourage you to reevaluate your decision to not include Long Beach in the 2012 competition, and to work closely with my office to discuss how to add Long Beach back to the upcoming year’s schedule I hope that together we can work to put this event back on the schedule, offering Quicksilver an ideal location for the competition and opening up additional economic opportunities for the greater Long Island region. 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my Long Island office should you require any assistance or to further discuss my request. I look forward to a continued relationship with your company.