Giborne, New Zealand will host stop number one in
the O'neill Cold Water Classic

The O'Neill Cold Water Classic series kicks off this month in an exciting new location. March 23-29th, Gisborne, New Zealand will host the first stop of the tour. Locate on the North Island, this will be one of the bigger event held in New Zealand. On their website, O'Neill Global Sports Marketing Director, Bernhard Ritzer had this to say about the event:

"We launched the Series in 2009 with the aim of discovering and exploring new locations around the world. We are continually looking for new and exciting surf spots where we can bring this innovative series. In Gisborne we found all that the CWC Series represents; world-class remote waves, in the cold water of course. We also feel privileged to be able to highlight the strong Maori culture to bring further meaning to the event."

Gisborne is not only known for great waves, but having a tour stop here will also help local riders.

"To have an event of this stature come to New Zealand is absolutely awesome," says Clint Daley, President of the Gisborne Boardriders. "Not only will we get to view the best surfers in the world but we have a great opportunity to put our best local and national surfing talent in the event."

After New Zealand, the O'Neill Cold Water Classic will continue to Thurso, Scotland, and Santa Cruz, California. To stay updated on the lastest tour news check out the O'Neill website.