2022 Taiwan Open of Surfing to begin in Taitung
2022台灣衝浪公開賽在台東開幕
120 contestants compete for NT$2.5 million prize
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A total of 120 contestants will compete at the 2022 Taiwan Open of Surfing, which will take place at Jinzun (金樽) Harbor in Taitung County from Nov. 12-20, for a purse of US$80,000 (NT$2.55 million).
The county government said in a press release that it will hold the opening ceremony at Jinzun Harbor at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 12), welcoming rookies and veteran professionals from Asia, Oceania, Europe, and other regions.
According to the county government, the 2022 Taiwan Open of Surfing is the World Surfing League's (WSL) last Qualifying Series (QS) event this year. Competitors in this series vie for spots in the WSL’s global Challenger Series (CS) the following year and ultimately for the Championship Tour (CT) and World Titles. This year’s open will feature the men's shortboard QS3,000 competition and the women's shortboard QS5,000 competition.
The most eye-catching in the entry list is New Zealand's well-known female surfer Paige Hareb, who has participated in the WSL CT for 7 consecutive years. She will come to Taiwan to participate in the first women's shortboard QS5,000 event held in Taiwan.
This year's event also includes a "special exhibition competition." Red Bull has invited Jarvis Earle, an 18-year-old surfer from Australia, who is known as a rising star in the international surfing arena, to share his experience with local surfing amateurs on the weekend of the finals. Earle said that he looked forward to coming to Taitung with his family this time to experience the best waves in Taiwan and that he hoped to meet friends who like surfing and exchange surfing skills.
The county government pointed out that in addition to the exciting events, there are also free events during the competition, including the SUP (stand-up paddle) experience and various DIY activities to experience local culture.
For more information, visit the event's website or its Facebook account.
