Longboard phenomenon Josh Constable to take on shortboard legends at their own game

World and Australasian Longboard champion Josh Constable (Aus) is the latest big name surfer to sign on for the inaugural Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy (www.surfingchampionstrophy.com) hosted by Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa from August 29 to September 5, 2011.

The 27 year-old surfing phenomenon will be swapping his trademark longboard for a shortboard when he joins the elite field of six invited world champions to the exclusive five star Maldivian resort to go head to head across three divisions for a USD$25,000 prize.

Noosa’s favourite surfing son has five wins under his belt already this season, but believes that winning this event would be one of the highlights of his surfing career:

“Just to be able to surf with these guys is going to be epic!! I grew up doing the junior shortboard series and still shortboard alot. I also love the history of surfing and have always been interested in collecting and riding all the older style boards so I will feel comfortable with them under my feet … and let’s see what happens from there!”

Also gracing the Trophy line-up is iconic Australian legend Nat Young, a dual longboard and shortboard world champion. Young might be the oldest surfer in the field but he is more than capable of upsetting his younger rivals if conditions get big and hollow like his home-break of Angourie Point on the NSW North Coast of Australia.

From 1964 until 1966, Young was the Australian Open champion and won the World Pro Championships in 1970 in Hawaii. He pioneered a whole new technique of surfing that replaced the conventional and accepted smooth, fluid, and flowing style with a more high speed aggressive technique featuring rapid-fire changes of direction and flashy arcs.

Joining Constable and Young in the Maldives contest will be five-time world champion Mark Richards (Newcastle, Aus), seven-time world champion Layne Beachley (Manly, Aus) and 1988 world champion Barton Lynch (Whale Beach, Aus), with one more surfer still to be announced.