LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Monday, November 20, 2023) - Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the renewal of its partnership with SAMBAZON, a leading organic food brand, as the Official Açaí of WSL North America. This regional, one-year partnership spans the elite WSL Championship Tour (CT), the WSL Challenger Series, and the World Junior Championships, for which SAMBAZON will be the title partner. The 2023 SAMBAZON World Junior Championships Hosted by Best Western will take place in Oceanside, Calif. from January 9 through 14, 2024.
"We are excited to present the SAMBAZON World Junior Championships and fuel the next generation of surfers and surf fans globally with the delicious powers of Açaí," said Sebastien Marcq, Vice President Integrated Marketing at SAMBAZON. "Both the WSL and SAMBAZON have a shared mindset of reducing our impact on the environment and promoting a healthy lifestyle. We are humbled to leverage the WSL's platform to make waves of positive change one açaí bowl at a time."
"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with SAMBAZON," said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. "We have the shared goal of delivering the best fan experience possible while keeping sustainability top of mind. We have no doubt this will be the best World Junior Championships yet, and we look forward to all we can accomplish with SAMBAZON as part of the WSL family."
The partnership between the WSL and SAMBAZON is a natural alignment of values and vision. Both organizations are dedicated to sustainability and celebrating nature. SAMBAZON, renowned for its organic superfoods and commitment to fair trade, mirrors WSL's dedication to the environment and the global surf community. In this partnership, SAMBAZON will host on-site activations, including Açaí Bowl Stations, at select competitions.
The 2023 SAMBAZON World Junior Championships Hosted by Best Western
The men's and women's fields for the 2023 SAMBAZON World Junior Championships Hosted by Best Western will each feature 24 surfers, comprised of two regional qualifiers from each of WSL's seven regions and ten wildcards selected by the WSL Tours and Competition team. The two World Junior Champions decided by this competition will each be awarded a place on the 2024 WSL Challenger Series, giving them the opportunity to further showcase their talent on a global stage.
About the Venue: Oceanside Pier
Oceanside Pier, an exposed beach break in Oceanside, California, provides consistent surf year-round. The sand bottom offers a multitude of left and right peaks, and when conditions align, world-class barrels can be found. The pier and surrounding infrastructure make this venue a natural amphitheater for surfing. Oceanside is also the home of several professional surfers, including WSL Final 5 competitor Caitlin Simmers.
For more information about the partnership, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com and www.Sambazon.com. To learn more about SAMBAZON, their impact and their commitment to sustainability visit www.sambazon.com/impact.
About SAMBAZON
Founded in 2000, SAMBAZON, an acronym for Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon, was the first company to introduce "certified Açaí" to the world, supplying organic and Fair Trade certified Açaí products such as Smoothie Packs, Ready to Eat Açaí Bowls, Juices, Energy drinks and Açaí Bites from a proprietary supply chain to ensure transparency from the "palm of the tree to the palm of your hand." SAMBAZON's Fair Trade certification has helped
to protect the Amazon Rainforest and its rich biodiversity and has helped to positively impact thousands of local growers by donating over $1 million to build or renovate healthcare centers, community centers, and schools.
About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world's best surfers on the world's best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC), home of the world's largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.