Rip Curl set to revolutionise surfing industry with GPS surf watch + digital platform launch via VML

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VML-Rip-Curl-GPS-Watch-Black.jpgLeading surf brand Rip Curl has announced its creation of the ‘Rip Curl Search GPS’, a new surfing watch and digital platform that allows surfers to record and relive every wave they catch. Rip Curl partnered with global digital marketing agency VML to create the platform and revolutionise the way we surf.

Using global online and television broadcasts from the 53rd Rip Curl Pro, the longest running surfing contest in history, to announce the world’s first Search GPS Watch to the world, the news has “whet the whistle” of surfers around the planet. It’s already being worn by Rip Curl test riders around the world, including 3 X ASP world champion Mick Fanning, who is wearing it in competition at Bells Beach this week.

VML-Rip-Curl-GPS-Watch-White.jpgThe Search GPS Watch uses satellite positioning to auto set, meaning that with just one touch, time & tide information at over 1300 surf breaks around the world appears instantaneously.

The Rip Curl Search GPS watch also allows surfers to record wave counts, their speed and distance travelled during their surf, with the stats shown in real time on the watch face. When back on the beach, syncing the watch over Bluetooth to an iOS device or via the Desktop app (Mac + PC) will allow surfers to relive their entire surfing session by visualising all the GPS data collected on the watch, and sharing it with friends inside The Rip Curl Search GPS platform.

Shane Helm, global chairman, watches & equipment division, says this new product will encourage surfers to surf longer and more often.

Says Helm: “The new Search GPS Watch and digital experience is going to change everything. Now you can catch a wave and look down at your Rip Curl watch to see how long and how fast your wave was, instantly, right there in the water. It pushes you to go faster and to catch more waves. It’s the first of its kind and when you sync the watch to your phone, it creates stunning visuals so you can see every wave you caught.”

Rip Curl partnered with VML in Australia to create the multi-platform experience that will create new global surfing communities.

Says Aden Hepburn, managing director & ECD of VML in Australia: “It’s been a brilliant experience to create a product like this with one of the world’s most iconic brands, and with Rip Curl being an Australian-owned company, it’s an even greater privilege for our VML team here in Sydney. The Rip Curl Search platform isn’t just about tracking waves, it’s about empowering surfers to tell their stories in new ways, create new social connections, and to visualise and share the experience that previously has lasted just a moment. It’s going to challenge them and reward them, and make their surfing more fun.”

The full Rip Curl Search platform launches soon, and surfers can register their interest here.