Tofino surfer Noah Cohen has been chosen as the acting Ambassador of the 2009 O’Neill Cold Water Classic Tofino, Canada’s first professional surfing competition which will be held on the West Coast of Vancouver Island from October 25-31, 2009.

The Cold Water Classic Tofino is the fourth installment of the five-part World Qualifying Series (WQS) competitions sponsored by O’Neill and sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP).

The event is expected to attract more than 100 professional surfers competing for $145,000 U.S. Previous 2009 O’Neill Cold Water Classic competitions were held in Tasmania, Scotland and South Africa. The series culminates in November 2009 in Santa Cruz, California.

“The Cold Water Classic event in Tofino is the one we know all the surfers on the tour have been talking about,” said O’Neill Global Event Manager Bernhard Ritzer. “It represents all that we have set out to achieve with the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series.

“It is about providing a unique and challenging experience for the world’s best surfers by pushing the boundaries and exploring new remote and spectacular locations.”

One of the most highly anticipated surf events in the world, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic is comprised of five ASP World Qualifying Series events (four 6Star and one 4Star) held in spectacular surf spots on four continents.

The Canadian Surfing Association (CSA) has invited 12 East Coast surfers to compete for one of the two wildcard spots set aside for Canadian surfers at the event.