Laguna Beach, CA ? February 12, 2002 ? Brian Richardson and Joel Knoernschild became the latest inductees in the H2O Hall of Fame after clinching this year?s professional and amateur overall titles respectively at the 10th Annual H2O Winter Classic, held February 9-10, 2002

Click For 2002 H20 Winter Classic Photo Slideshow

Brian Richardson, the 2002 H2O Winter Classic Professional Champion, sums up his feelings for the venerable event by saying, ?H2O! What can I say? For me, it is an excuse to surf for a few days in the winter. It?s the best contest ever, better than the Olympics!?

Hurley and DVS Shoe Company once again presented the annual surf/snowboard event, which kicked off Saturday, February 9th with an amazing day of surfing at the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach, CA. The surf competition saw its best conditions yet, with 3' to 4' waves and off shore winds all day. Blue skies and sun greeted this year?s snowboarding competition, which took place February 10th at Mountain High Winter Resort in Wrightwood, CA, as competitors vied for first on the slope-style course?s packed powder.

This year?s talent field was the best to ever grace the H2O Winter Classic. Pro surfers Mike Todd, Micah Byrne, and Mike Losness competed, as did pro snowboarders Todd Richards, Brian Iguchi, and Matt Hammer. On the industry side, Sal Masekela, ESPN?s X-Games host, unfortunately got injured in the snowboarding competition and had to be rushed off to the hospital.

Adding to the excitement, there was a three-way tie for 2nd place overall in the pro division, necessitating a recount of the tied pros? scores. The H2O also introduced a new format this year that gave each competitor two chances to advance to the next round. The riders loved the new format since it made the competition fairer than ever.

?The H2O is definitely my favorite contest that I do throughout the whole year,? states Joel Knoernschild, the 2002 H2O Winter Classic Amateur Champion. ?It?s more like hanging out with friends and having a good time on the beach or snow. It just brings the industry closer together.?

Supporting sponsors of the 2002 H20 Winter Classic included Fender Guitars, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Mad Catz Interactive, KROQ 106.7, and Mountain High Resort. Media sponsors of the event were Happy Magazine, Transworld Surf, and Transworld Snowboarding.

Official results are as follows:

Professional Results

Surf
1 Mike Todd - Laguna Beach, CA
2 Mike Losness - San Clemente, CA
3 Kyle Knox - San Diego, CA
4 Josh Sleigh - Newport Beach, CA

Snow
1 Matt Hammer - San Bernardino, CA
2 Brian Iguchi ? Jackson, WY
3 Brian Richardson - South Lake Tahoe, CA
4 Gabe Taylor - Mammoth Lakes, CA

Overall
1 Brian Richardson - South Lake Tahoe, CA
2 Josh Sleigh - Newport Beach, CA
3 Mike Losness - San Clemente, CA
4 Gabe Taylor - Mammoth Lakes, CA

Amateur Results

Surf
1 Tyler Morehead - Laguna Niguel, CA
2 Mark Austin - San Clemente, CA
3 Kevin Richards - San Clemente, CA
4 Joel Knoernschild - Costa Mesa, CA

Snow
1 Danny Williams - Wrightwood, CA
2 Chad Martin - San Clemente, CA
3 Nima Jilali - La Canada, CA
4 Tyler Mayer - Santa Barbara, CA

Overall
1 Joel Knoernschild - Costa Mesa, CA
2 Brian Kobosco - San Clemente, CA
3 Mark Austin - San Clemente, CA
4 Tyler Morehead - Laguna Niguel, CA

Industry Results

Surf
1 Brandon Richards from Val Surf - Calabasas, CA

Snow
1 Steve Titus from Blackline Enviornments - Newport Beach, CA

Overall
1 Brandon Richards from Val Surf - Calabassas, CA

The H2O Winter Classic presents a unique opportunity for professionals, amateurs, and board sports industry leaders to compete in a weekend of surfing and snowboarding, each in their own divisions. Vipe Desai began the event ten years ago when he owned the H2O Surf and Snowboard shop in Sunset Beach, CA. The contest has since become a template for the proliferation of events that marry boards sports and music in a festival-like atmosphere.

For more information, or to request images or complete results, please contact Vipe Desai at Propaganda Headquarters, Inc. via phone at 949.499.4330, via fax at 501.423.2572, via email at [email protected], or visit the event website at www.H2OWinterClassic.com.

Click For 2002 H20 Winter Classic Photo Slideshow