| A must-see for every surf enthusiast, the cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships is the world’s premier paddle-only big wave event, taking place at the famed Pe’ahi surf break on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii. Rich with the sport’s history of innovation and progression, the contest brings the world’s elite male and female athletes together at the ultimate proving ground to compete for the coveted Championship.
Jaws’ reputation as the pinnacle for big–wave surfing has been solidified by history-making performances over the past decade. Jaws has hosted some of the biggest waves ever witnessed in competition, and winning this event sets the standard for the sport.
The partnership with cbdMD marks the biggest deal in WSL’s big wave history and WSL’s first-ever CBD sponsorship. This partnership will enable WSL to advance the sport while featuring unique marketing integrations with athlete ambassadors. cbdMD partners with elite athletes across a wide array of sports, including Olympians Kerri Walsh Jennings and Lolo Jones, professional golfer Bubba Watson and more, alongside big wave surfers Makua Rothman and Nathan Florence.
As of January 1, 2018, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from the list of prohibited substances — in or out of competition.
“I’m extremely excited to announce our partnership with the WSL for this year’s cbdMD Jaws Championship,” said Caryn Dunayer, President of cbdMD. “Surfing has been an integral part of our brand strategy and growth within the action sports community and we’re grateful to have this opportunity to solidify our footprint.”
“The WSL is always trying to push the boundaries of progression and break new ground,” said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. “We are excited to announce our partnership with cbdMD for the Jaws Big Wave Championships, the WSL’s first CBD partnership. Performance and recovery are key to surfing, especially big wave surfing, with the sport’s unique challenges. This partnership with a CBD category leader will help inform consumers of CBD’s benefits.”
In the men’s division, 24 competitors are divided into four heats of six surfers for the first round. Heats are generally 45 minutes and surfers may catch as many waves as they wish with a panel of five judges scoring each ride on a scale of 1 to 10. Each competitor’s two best waves are counted, with their best wave score doubled. The three highest-scoring surfers advance to the semifinals, which run in the same format, and the top three from the Semifinals advance to the Final.
The women’s division runs in a similar format with 10 competitors participating in two five-surfer Semifinals with the top three surfers in each heat advancing to the Final. |
