Holiday Parade Celebrity Grand Marshal - Lakey Peterson

Professional Surfer Lakey Peterson Named
2011 Downtown Holiday Parade Grand Marshal

SANTA BARBARA, CA (November 17, 2011) – The Santa Barbara Downtown Organization announced today that professional surfer Lakey Peterson will serve as this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal for the 59th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade. On December 2nd at 6:30pm, the much anticipated parade will make its way down State Street amidst magnificent marching bands, fabulous floats and spectacular performance groups.

Presiding over the 2011 parade, Santa Barbara resident Lakey Peterson is a professional surfer who has steadily dominated the waves worldwide since age 11 and is currently ranked seventh in the world. By the age of 12, Lakey had become the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) Western States champion for girls 14 and under and in 2009 won the NSSA Open Women’s National Title by completing the first aerial maneuver in NSSA history. In 2010, Lakey defended her national title, winning for the second year in a row, and has since been named the 2010 and 2011 ASP North American Regional Champion for the women and junior divisions. Lakey competed as a wild card entry at the 2011 US Open of Surfing World Tour, the biggest surf event in the world, and after winning six consecutive heats finished runner-up in the finals. She won every event in the 2011 North American Jr. Pro series solidifying her second consecutive ASP North America Pro Junior Title. Lakey recently qualified for the 2012 ASP World Tour and will be the youngest competitor at the age of 17.

When she is not hitting the waves, Lakey is busy pursuing other passions and causes. In 2011, she made her big screen debut in the Nike 6.0 film “Leave a Message” that features a handful of the top female surfers showcasing the progression of women’s surfing. Lakey is also a spokesperson for SCA (Student Conservation Association) which works to keep national parks and trails pristine, and has helped raise funds for H4O (Hands for Others), an organization that focuses on building clean water wells in third world countries.

The parade will also feature the Holiday Prince and Fairy riding in a horse drawn carriage and Santa Claus, the most anticipated appearance of the season, will conclude the festivities.

A Meet and Greet with Lakey Peterson will take place at The Granada Theatre from 3:30pm-5:00pm on Friday, December 2nd while Paseo Nuevo hosts the Meet and Greet with Santa from 4:00pm-5:30pm.

The parade is FREE and begins at 6:30pm on State at Sola Street and concludes at Cota Street. For more information, contact the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization at (805) 962-2098 ext. 22 or visit www.santabarbaradowntown.com.

About Lakey Peterson
For more information please visit, www.lakeypeterson.com and follow Lakey on Facebook and Twitter (@LakeyPeterson).

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