Los Angeles, CA / USA (Thursday, May 6, 2021) - The two-night premiere of ABC's new summer series "The Ultimate Surfer" will air on Monday, August 23, and Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at 10pm ET and PT, following all-new episodes of "Bachelor in Paradise." Former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer is set to host the surf competition series with sports anchor Erin Coscarelli and the iconic voice of professional surfing Joe Turpel to serve as commentators. 11-time World Surf League (WSL) Champion Kelly Slater is the lead consultant and also serves as a special correspondent.
"The Ultimate Surfer" will gather some of the world's greatest up-and-coming surfers to train and live together as they battle it out at the WSL's state-of-the-art Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California, powered by Kelly Slater's human-made wave technology, in the hope of competing amongst the best athletes in the world's fastest-growing sport. Slater will serve as on-air talent and special correspondent for the show.
The surfers competing for the title of "The Ultimate Surfer" this season include the following:
Anastasia Ashley - 34, Miami Beach, Florida
Kai Barger - 31, Haiku, Hawaii
Mason Barnes - 27, Venice, California
Tia Blanco - 24, Oceanside, California
Austin Clouse - 27, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Brianna Cope - 26, Koloa, Hawaii
Luke Davis - 28, Los Angeles, California
Kayla Durden - 28, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Juli Hernandez - 23, Costa Mesa, California
Zeke Lau - 27, Honolulu, Hawaii
Alejandro Moreda - 35, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Koa Smith - 26, Sunset Beach, Hawaii
Malia Ward - 23, San Clemente, California
Bruna Zaun - 31, Redondo Beach, California
Alliances and rivalries will be front and center in "The Ultimate Surfer" as men and women compete in individual and team challenges focused on specific surfing disciplines. Weekly eliminations will leave two men and two women as finalists who will vie for the male and female titles of the The Ultimate Surfer and the opportunity to compete on the elite WSL Championship Tour, the pinnacle of professional surfing. Slater's remarkable, one-of-a-kind, human-made wave-the most even playing field for measuring surf mastery-is at the heart of the series.
"The Ultimate Surfer" is produced by Lionsgate's Pilgrim Media Group and WSL Studios. Pilgrim CEO and President Craig Piligian, WSL CEO Erik Logan, UFC President Dana White and Faye Stapleton serve as executive producers.
Photography and video are available at www.dgepress.com.
Follow "The Ultimate Surfer" (#TheUltimateSurfer) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.