January 6th, 2005 - Sebastian Inlet, Florida; Professional Surfer, Cory Lopez (Indian Rocks Beach, FL) emerged victorious from the 45 minute decider of The Globe Sebastian Inlet Pro; the first ASP/WQS event of the 2005 contest season. As a top rated competitor on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) Lopez was automatically seeded into the Round of 64 along with other top rated pros. Thursday's victory over Slater in fun 2-4' Florida surf marks the second time in as many months that Lopez has beaten the 6 time World Champion in professional competition. Lopez recently wrapped-up the final season WCT - Pipe Masters event in Hawaii with a 5th Place over-all finish, edging out Kelly Slater in the 2nd Semi-Final. 2004 also marked the 2nd consecutive year that Lopez has made the semi-finals at Pipeline.

A stand out surfer in large or small conditions, Cory Lopez gained huge accolades for his 1999 death defying barrel at Tahiti's infamous Teahupoo, going on to win the WCT event at the same venue in 2001. Cory rode to fame once again in 2003 at Teahupoo, prior to the start of the Billabong Pro WCT event, after being towed into a monster wave behind a jet ski.
 
Unlike Kelly Slater and the Hobgoods, Cory and (brother) Shea Lopez learned to surf on Florida's Gulf Coast and honed their skills with weekend trips to the East Coast with their father Pete, an avid surfer himself. Although Pete missed both his sons wins at the US OPEN (Shea '99 & Cory '03) Pete was on the beach to witness first hand Cory's victory Charge over Slater and the other finalists Thursday at Sebastian Inlet. Cory and Shea Lopez are the only surfing siblings to ever win the US Open of Surfing.
 
Today's historic win by Lopez at the Globe Sebastian Inlet Pro, marks the first time that a World Qualifying Event has been held in Florida waters and the first time that professional surfing has returned to Florida since the BUD SURF TOUR days of the late 1980's and early '90's. It also announces the start of the 2005 ASP contest season as the season opener. The Contest Awards will be presented Friday evening at the Official Surf Expo kick-off Party in Orlando, Florida. The Surf Expo is held twice annually in Orlando and is one of the Surf Industry's largest trade Shows (www.surfexpo.com).
 
The victory over Slater in Thursday's final will most assuredly give Lopez a huge confidence boost as he embarks on his 2005 World Tour campaign. Of course the $7,000.00 cash and the new Personal Watercraft from Sea Doo doesn't hurt either!
 
Cory and (brother) Shea Lopez are both world title contenders on the 2005 ASP World Championship Tour. For more information on Cory and Shea Lopez, log-on to their official website via www.lopezbrothers.com 
 
For event information, complete final results & heat scores: http://sebastianinletpro.com/; www.aspnorthamerica.org
 
2005 ASP World Tour Schedule & Ratings: www.aspworldtour.com
 
Photo Courtesy: EDPHOTO

CORY LOPEZ - Quick Stats:
2004 ASP/WCT Final Season Ratings: 14th Place
Highest ASP/WCT Final Season Rating: 3rd Place - 2001*
2003 Final Season Rating: 9th Place
 
Press Release Courtesy
Lopez Management Team
www.lopezbrothers.com