08/20/2001

Surf Lifesaving Makes International, Multi-Sport Debut at the 2001 Goodwill Games
Award-winning Production Company T-LINE TV Produces Historic, First-ever Goodwill Games Video News Release for National Distribution

The Australian sport of surf lifesaving will make its major international, multi-sport debut at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, Sept 1-2 on host network TNT, officials announced today. Previous Games have featured the debuts of beach volleyball (1994), triathlon (1994) and motoball (1986) into major international, multi-sport competition. Both beach volleyball (1996) and triathlon (2000) have since been added into the Olympic competition.

The surf lifesaving competition will feature the world's best from Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and the United States. Australia is most enthusiastic about the sport. 100,000 Australians are competitive surf lifesavers, and the 2001

"Surf lifesaving is an exciting sport with a huge following in Australia. We are proud to give it exposure on a world stage, and hopefully, we can help them (surf lifesaving) win new fans," said Michael Plant, president of Goodwill Games, Inc.

As a lead-up to the Games, award-winning production house T-LINE TV has produced and will distribute nationally via satellite a 10-minute video news release featuring interviews with Australian Ironman champion Ky Hurst, Australian Ironwoman champion Karla Gilbert and Australian Open Board World Women's champion Linda Halfweeg who declined the opportunity to be on the popular show "Baywatch" to concentrate on her surf training. Representing the U.S. in the VNR are 2001 National champions Anthony Vela (Los Angeles, CA), Rob Pelkey (Los Angeles, CA), Blaine Morgan (Huntington Beach, CA)and Paige Gallas (Manhattan Beach, CA). The piece will also include footage from the recent U.S. Championships in Florida, Aug. 10-12, as well as competition footage from some of Australia's biggest stars in the sport.

"T-LINE TV is proud to partner with the Goodwill Games for their historic, first video news release publicizing the major, international, multi-sport debut of surf lifesaving," said Todd Ehrlich, president of T-LINE TV. "We are excited to give national exposure to this extremely popular Australian sport."

Each surf lifesaving team will consist of five men and four women who will compete in 12 events, including mixed board rescue, beach sprint, surf race, surf board race, surf ski race, ironman, ironwoman, and lifesaver relay. All team members of the final top-three teams will receive medals. In addition, teams have the opportunity to earn prize money based upon end-of-day rankings and final, overall rankings.

T-LINE TV is an award-winning, full-service production company that specializes in producing high-quality corporate videos, broadcasts and commercials and boasts an excellent reputation of delivering superior, quality projects, and Ehrlich is an Emmy-nominated producer who has worked in the industry for more than a decade. Goodwill Games organizers have solidified arrangements with T-LINE TV to produce two satellite media tours between now and Games-time. The first with USA Track & Field's five-time Olympic medalist Marion Jones (Aug. 29), and the second with USA Track & Field's five-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson (Sept 5).

The Goodwill Games, Aug. 29-Sept. 9, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, will feature 14 sports: athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling (track), diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, trampoline, triathlon, weightlifting and surf lifesaving. Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production business unit of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Back to US News