Celebs come together for charity at the CBA Beachley Classic: PENGILLY AND GILMORE SECURE WIN FOR GO RED FOR WOMEN

It was a day of laughs, tumbles and sand kicking in Dee Why Beach at the Sydney.com Celebrity Challenge over the weekend but it was also a day of surprises. The culmination of the week long Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, Layne Beachley’s own team lost to husband Kirk Pengilly’s.

Pengilly’s teammate Stephanie Gilmore missed out on winning the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, despite being four times world champion, but won’t go home without a win. Their team which also included Guy Leech and Peter Phelps, wowed the crowds that gathered on the beachfront with their impressive surfing skills after winning the volleyball challenge. They win $5,000 for ‘Go Red for Women’, the Heart Foundation’s campaign that unites women in the fight against heart disease, the number one killer in women.

“Steph’s decision to have Kirk as the double whammy sure paid off and it will be the only time I will allow him to beat me in the water” says Layne.

Among the celebrities, in the pink coming in second: Lincoln Lewis, Dustin Clare, NSW Treasurer Mike Baird and current world number one and Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic 2011 winner Carissa Moore, supporting Bear Cottage. In the white was David Jones-Roberts, Stuart MacGill, Rob ‘Millsy’ Mills and Brittani Nicholl, supporting Crohn’s and Colitis Australia. Coming in last was the purple team made up of Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, Kerri Pottharst, Matt Hall and Layne Beachley for Layne’s Aim for the Stars Foundation.

On the sand Volleyball court, friendly taunts were flying across the net with Dicko and Guy Leech trash talking each other’s skills and Stephanie Gilmore commenting “Lincoln, you look good in pink”. In the water, the standouts were Peter Phelps, Guy Leech and Dustin Clare, followed closely by Lincoln Lewis with some acrobatic skills on the longboard.

Enjoy some postcards of the venue below:

All images ‘© ASP/Robertson’ at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic

CELEBRITIES TAKE TO THE SAND AND SURF FOR THE ANNUAL CELEBRITY CHALLENGE AT THE CLASSIC TOMORROW

While Sally Fitzgibbons, currently ranked number 1, will fight it out with Stephanie Gilmore, four year running world champion, in the surf, a wave of Layne’s celebrity friends will battle it out on the sand and shore to win $5,000 for their selected charity in a volleyball and surfing tag team challenge.

What: Sydney.com Celebrity Challenge

in association with the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic

Where: Dee Why Beach in front of Surf Club

When: 1:00 – 2:30pm, Saturday 7^th May 2011

Everyone is welcome and it’s free to cheer on Lincoln Lewis, David Jones-Roberts, NSW Treasurer Mike Baird, Dustin Clare, Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, Paul De Gelder, Guy Leech, Peter Phelps, Matt Hall, Kerri Pottharst, Kirk Pengilly and Rob ‘Millsy’ Mills.

For more information on the Classic, visit www.beachleyclassic.com.au/news

At the Commonwealth Beachley Classic on Saturday 7th May, 12 Australian personalities will form teams lead by one of the Top 17 female surfers in the world for a few hours of fun, entertainment and of course, competitiveness. All celebrities will ride a long board, which will surely result in a few tumbles to the delight of crowds. The team with the highest points total will win $5,000 for their selected charity.

Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson says of competing for a second year, “This year I’m ready to win the Celebrity Challenge at the Beachley Classic. I’ve been training long and hard all year for this. They won’t know what’s hit them.”

The Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic is an ASP Women’s World Tour event, where the world’s best female surfers compete for the largest prize-purse on the tour and points for the highly coveted world title. The sixth annual Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic will run at Dee Why Beach from 3 -8 May 2011.

ALL EYES ON FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMP AND CURRENT NUMBER ONE

© ASP/Robertson

With the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic well under way, the battle is on between current number one Sally Fitzgibbons and four time world champion Stephanie Gilmore with massive surf inspiring elevated performances from the world’s best.

With the official launch for the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic yesterday at Dee Why Beach, all eyes were on Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore. And with perfect 4.6m waves and dream swell, the competition has started to heat up as the girls fight it out to win the fourth event on the ASP World Tour.

Fitzgibbons has jumped to number one on the ASP Women’s World Tour leader board with a win at the Rip Curl Pro at Bell’s Beach last month and the Suburu Pro in New Zealand last week. With a win at this week’s Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, she will most likely throw Gilmore off her reign of four straight world championship titles.

However, Fitzgibbons had another surfer to look out for in eighteen year old Nikki Van Djik, handpicked by Layne to take the eighteenth spot in the competition due to lack of trial sponsor. Van Djik won over Fitzgibbons in Round One posting a two-wave score of 14.50 with an incredible score of 8.5 on one wave. While Van Djik progressed straight to round three, Fitzgibbons, with flowing lines and fantastic technique, dominated her third round yesterday.

Focus has not shifted from Gilmore just yet, with the women’s surfing sensation saying earlier at the press conference not to rule her out. “We all come on tour to win. I love being world champion and I miss being in number one spot.”

The quarter finals will see Fitzgibbons, Gilmore, number two Carissa Moore and Brazilian Silvana Lima go head to head today.

Not to miss out on the fun and action, Layne Beachley has organised the Sydney.com Celebrity Challenge where 12 celebrities and four surfers will battle it out in a volleyball and surfing tag team challenge to win $5,000 for their team’s selected charity. Everyone is welcome to cheer on celebrity teams at 1pm on Saturday 7 May at Dee Why Beach.

The Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic will see the world’s top 17 female surfers and one wildcard battle it out in the sixth annual Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic from May 3^rd to 8^th, 2011 on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Live information is updated regularly at www.beachleyclassic.com.au/live or visit www.aspworldtour.com.au.

CELEBRITIES TAKE TO THE SAND AND SURF FOR THE ANNUAL CELEBRITY CHALLENGE AT THE BEACHLEY CLASSIC

Among the celebrities are Lincoln Lewis, David Jones-Roberts, Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, Kirk Pengilly, Peter Phelps, Dustin Clare who will take to Dee Why Beach on Saturday 7th May for this year’s Sydney.Com Celebrity Challenge at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic.

It’s on again! Layne Beachley and a swag of celebrities will battle it out to win $5,000 for their nominated charity at this year’s Sydney.com Celebrity Challenge. As part of Family Day at the Commonwealth Beachley Classic on Saturday 7th May, 12 Australian personalities will form teams lead by one of the Top 17 female surfers in the world for a few hours of fun, entertainment and of course, competitiveness.

Teams will warm-up on the sand with a game of Volleyball followed by a tag team style Surf event. All celebrities will ride a long board, which will surely result in a few tumbles to the delight of crowds. The team with the highest points total will win $5,000 for their selected charity.

Last year, Sydneysider Miley Dyer led her all-star team of former ironman Guy Leech, Biggest Loser trainer Shannon Ponton and Sydney Olympics volleyball gold medalist Kerry Pottharst to victory by less than a point. Going up against Leech and Pottharst again this year, Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson says of the challenge, “This year I’m ready to win the Celebrity Challenge at the Beachley Classic. I’ve been training long and hard all year for this. They won’t know what’s hit them.”

Australian personalities taking on the challenge:

Lincoln Lewis (Tomorrow When the War Began, former Home & Away)

David Jones-Roberts (Home & Away)

Mike Baird (NSW Treasurer)

Dustin Clare (Satisfaction, former McLeod’s Daughters)

Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson (former Australian Idol judge, former Classic Rock FM host)

Paul De Gelder (Navy Seal)

Guy Leech (former Ironman)

Peter Phelps (Rescue Special Ops, former Stingers, Underbelly and Baywatch)

Matt Hall (Pilot, former RAAF Fighter Combat Instructor, 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Champion)

Kerri Pottharst (former Olympic volleyball player)

Kirk Pengilly (INXS)

Mystery wildcard!

The Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic is an ASP Women’s World Tour event, where the world’s best female surfers compete for the largest prize-purse on the tour and points for the highly coveted world title. The sixth annual Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic will run at Dee Why Beach from 3 -8 May 2011. 

What: Sydney.com Celebrity Challenge in association with the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic

Where: Dee Why Beach in front of Surf Club

When: 1:00 – 2:30pm, Saturday 7^th May 2011

Cost: Free to cheer on your favourite celebrity team

 Everyone is welcome

For more information on the Classic, visit www.beachleyclassic.com.au

Russell Brand to host the Australian premiere of “ARTHUR” next week!

Funny man Russell Brand will be in Sydney to promote his last film “Arthur” next week.

Brand will walk the red carpet at Event Cinemas, 500 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction the next Friday, April 15, 2011 around 18:30 pm.

Some of the expected guests/celebrities walking the red carpet are Hugo Weaving, Dan Wyllie, Silvia Colloca, Nash Edgerton and Mirrah Foulkes, Luke Mangan, Annalie Braakensiek, Wayne Cooper, Anna Lise Phillips, Peter Phelps, Sacha Horler, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Home and Away’s Lisa Gormley, Rescue Special Ops stars Daniel Amalm, Gigi Edgley, Katherine Hicks and Luke McKenzie, model Didier Cohen, musical theatre stars Andrew Bevis, Tamsin Carroll and Alexis Fishman, plus Ryan Clarke, Trent Maxwell and Liam Taylor from Bondi Rescue.

About the film:
Kind-hearted, fun-loving, and utterly without purpose, loveable billionaire Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) spends every day in the heedless pursuit of amusement. But when his unpredictable public image threatens the staid reputation of  the family foundation, he is given an ultimatum: marry the beautiful but decidedly unlovable Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner) or say goodbye to his inheritance and the only way of life he knows.

It’s a deal Arthur would be inclined to take…if he hadn’t just fallen for Naomi (Greta Gerwig), a New York City tour guide who shares his idealism and spontaneity. The independent Naomi sees Arthur not only for who he is, but for who he could be, and finally gives him a reason to take charge of his own life.

With some unconventional help from his lifelong nanny and best friend Hobson (Helen Mirren) – the one person who always believed he could do anything – Arthur will take the most expensive risk of his life and learn what it means to become a man.