"VENTURA SURF SHOP" PREDICTS A GUARANTEED SPOT IN THE FINALS

26.09.2009

The Jim Beam Surftag U.S. Series 2nd Round Qualifier will take place at Surfers Point, Ventura this Saturday. The event heats up as teams fill their rosters with the most experienced and talented surfers in California.

Ventura Surf Shop plans to hold down local bragging rights and prove that they are the boardriding club to beat in the Jim Beam Surftag U.S. Series. Ventura Surf Club presents a pro line up that is not to be taken lightly.

Chad Compton - 4 Year Pro/ WQS surfer rated in the top 200.
Kai Ellison – 4 Year Pro from Ventura/ Rip Curl Free Surfer.
Sean "Purple" Hayes – 15 Year Pro/ Red Bull Athlete Performance Coach.

Ventura Surf Shop is patiently waiting to confirm the last two team members; however they are confident that the home surf advantage and roster selection will play a huge role in their bold prediction.

"I'm saying right now, that we will definitely be in the finals…I guarantee it!" - Sean "Purple" Hayes (Ventura Surf Shop)

Registration is still open for Ventura. Teams of 5 representing clubs or local breaks can sign-up on line at www.Jimbeamsurftag.com. There is no entry fee and one member can register for the entire team (must list all the team members during registration). All contestants must be 21-years-old on the day of competition.

A $5,000 prize purse will be offered at each of the first three events and $10,000 will be offered for the final contest. Up to 16 teams will participate in each event. Please visit www.surfline.com/jimbeamsurftag for all the latest updates and news.

The 2009 Jim Beam Surftag U.S. Series is proudly supported by FCS, Reef and Surfline

About IMG Sports & Entertainment
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment’s diverse businesses include: product and brand licensing; consulting services; event ownership and management; collegiate marketing, media and licensing; fashion events and models representation; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

About Jim Beam
Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Maker's Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, Teacher's® Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper® Cordials and Liqueurs, Knob Creek® Bourbon and Starbucks™ Liqueurs. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

About Global Surftag
The Jim Beam Surftag is Australia's premier team surfing series with World Tour surfers Mick Fanning (Kirra), Joel Parkinson (Snapper Rocks) and Taj Burrow (Yallingup) representing their local boardriding clubs. The Jim Beam Surftag provides a national competition for boardriding clubs to compete against each other and to determine Australia’s No.1 club. The Jim Beam Surftag is run under the popular tag team format with each club represented by five surfers. In relay style each surfer catches three waves and then returns to the beach to tag their team’s next surfer. www.globalsurftag.com

About the MSA Classic
The Malibu Surfing Association's MSA Classic invitational contest is the premier competition in the Coalition of Sur?ng Clubs annual series and will be held September 12-13, 2009. More than 275 athletes representing elite sur?ng clubs from California, Hawaii, the East Coast, and Japan will come together to compete at First Point, Malibu, one of sur?ng’s legendary waves. The MSA held its first contest at Malibu in 1962 and has been hosting the MSA Classic continuously since 1987. Attending the event is free and open to the public.

About the Malibu Surfing Association
Established in 1961, the Malibu Surfing Association is one of California's first surfing clubs. We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the fellowship of surfing and to the stewardship of Surfrider Beach. The MSA Competition Team was the 2006 Winner of the Coalition of Surfing Clubs' CSC Series. Online at msasurfing.org.

Contact:
IMG
Chris Conrad
(424) 653-1900
Chris.conrad@imgworld.com

Jim Beam
Paige Guzman
(847) 691-9183
Paige.Guzman@BeamGlobal.com

Global Surftag
Steve Harrison
steve@globalsurftag.com