THE QUIKSILVER CROSSING TO ARRIVE IN USA
FOR FIRST TIME

Greatest Surfing Journey Ever to Tour North America This Summer

(HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) May 20, 2004 - Quiksilver, the boardriding industry leader, today announced that The Quiksilver Crossing expedition will make its historic maiden voyage into U.S. waters. The Quiksilver Crossing, a surf and survey exploration voyage, has been traveling for five years throughout the world in an epic quest for the perfect wave. Since its launch in Australia in 1999, The Quiksilver Crossing has traveled 76,312 nautical miles, discovered 98 waves, while documenting the health of hundreds of the world's precious coral reefs. While in the United States The Quiksilver Crossing will visit many cities along the east coast and beyond, hosting events in Miami, New York City and Chicago; as well as surf camps, tours, and education related activities in several ports. Quiksilver's top team riders will lend support to the tour, including Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Danny Fuller, Jon Rose, Peter Mel; and The Quiksilver Crossing official Spokesperson Sarah Gerhardt, a PhD, college instructor and the only woman to ever surf Maverick's.

The Quiksilver Crossing's yearlong North American tour will launch May 22 in Miami. It will continue on its journey up the Eastern Seaboard this summer, hitting dozens of coastal cities and towns including Cocoa Beach, FL, Virginia Beach, VA, Montauk, NY, Boston, MA, Toronto, ON and Chicago, IL. From Chicago, The Quiksilver Crossing will travel through a set of smaller waterways, cruising down the Mississippi River and back to the open waters of the ocean. The Quiksilver Crossing will then begin its journey to the west coast, traveling through the Panama Canal to San Diego, where it will travel up the west coast, spring 2005. The Quiksilver Crossing works closely with Marine Biologists from Reef Check, the United Nations' official community-based reef monitoring program, to help study and preserve the world's threatened coral reefs.

"The Quiksilver Crossing is about exploration and adventure; it's about cruising through exotic locales, seeking out the perfect wave" said Bob McKnight, CEO, Quiksilver. "But, waves do not exist without healthy reefs. Helping the United Nations' Reef Check program sample coral reefs around the world, ensuring the health of the reef's, ensures that the mission of The Quiksilver Crossing can last indefinitely."

The Quiksilver Crossing's U.S. launch kicks off with a week-long of events in Miami, beginning with a weekend of Surf Camps taught by Quiksilver Pro-Surfers. The week continues with an "Education Day" where the mayor of Miami will officially welcome The Quiksilver Crossing and present it with a Proclamation. The Quiksilver Crossing will then cruise from Miami Marina to South Beach where it will anchor itself in front of the Art Deco classic, Sagamore Hotel. Hundreds of invited guests will gather at the Sagamore's pool and penthouse for an exclusive bash with musical performances from some of today's best bands and DJ's including Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland of the Crystal Method. The exclusive guest list will include top surf pros, celebs and VIPs.

The Quiksilver Crossing is, simply put, the greatest surfing journey ever. Seeking out undiscovered surf breaks and locales in an endless quest for the perfect wave, the Crossing is a seven-year adventure, exploration and scientific mission, traversing the world's oceans and waterways. The Quiksilver Crossing is also devoted to positive cultural exchange, and one of its main tenets is interaction with, and the development of empathy for indigenous peoples encountered around the globe.

The United Nations Reef Check program is perhaps the most ambitious ecological survey ever undertaken by man and utilizes thousands of volunteer scuba divers, led by marine biologists, to determine the global health of coral reefs. The importance of coral reefs cannot be overstated: they are the breadbaskets of the sea - a vital link in the food chain for numerous marine species.