O’Neill signs renowned big wave charger Chris Bertish

O’Neill, the iconic multinational boardriding brand, has signed renowned Cape Town based big wave charger Chris Bertish and will be supporting his participation in big wave events globally.

Bertish, whose decade of legendary feats in giant surf culminated in victory at the Mavericks Surf Contest that featured what have been described as the biggest waves ever experienced for a contest in California last month, was elated at the conclusion of the deal with O’Neill.

“I’m very impressed with O’Neill’s commitment to supporting me for this year’s big wave campaign, even under such a difficult economic climate, as this will enable me to participate in pretty much all the major big wave events around the world,” Bertish said.

“After over a decade of investing a great deal of hard work, training, time, energy and my own personal finances into pursuing my passion for riding giant surf, O’Neill have really stepped up. They are helping me to continue following my dreams and passion for riding big surf, which will allow me to accept various invitations to compete in events in Hawaii, California, Mexico, Chile and of course here at home in South Africa over the next year.”

O’Neill South Africa is equally excited about signing Bertish as their top big wave surfer.

“’O’Neill South Africa is really stoked to have signed Chris as our premier big wave surfer, said Paul Canning, O’Neill SA Sales & Marketing manager. “His passion for big waves and O’Neill is really strong and I believe with the sponsorship we’ve been able to offer him he will now have the finances to continue competing internationally and achieve his goals.”

“I love his ‘never give in’ attitude and am so proud of his excellent result at Mavericks. There is no doubt that we will continue to see him pushing the boundaries around the globe, whether it be on a SUP at Teahupoo or back at huge Mav’s.”

With O’Neill’s support, watch out for more of Bertish’s ground-breaking achievements in the world’s heaviest waves. He has already become the first to paddle into and ride waves at the infamous Jaws on Maui, first winner of the XXL Paddle Award, first to SUP at Dungeons in Cape Town and first to tow into waves on the reefs surrounding the notoriously shark infested Seal Island in his hometown. What will be next?

Pictured: About O'Neill
O'Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Pioneering the world's first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf sessions in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz soon after.

While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack's initial vision of producing functional and innovative boardriding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O'Neill's set of core values - innovation in style and technology - has seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of action sports. From the first ever neoprene wetsuit and surf leash, to the world's first stitchless boardshorts and range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, O'Neill's spirit of innovation will always drive the company forwards.

Today, O'Neill can be found the world over. In touch with its rich heritage and the universal stoke of boardriding culture, O'Neill will always be committed to progressing that evolution and growing its reputation as one of the world's leading youth lifestyle brands.