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"\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accomplished competitive surfer becomes the new face\\u2026or feet\\u2026 of Flip Flop Shops&lt;\\/strong&gt;&lt;\\/em&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;img class=\\\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1000089025\\\" title=\\\"Erica Hosseini\\\" src=\\\"\\/wp-content\\/uploads\\/2009\\/10\\/erica.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"Erica Hosseini\\\" width=\\\"600\\\" height=\\\"943\\\" \\/&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;ATLANTA \\u2013 Flip Flop Shops, the nation\\u2019s first retail chain exclusive to flip flops and sandals, has gained yet another follower in their \\u201cFree-Your-Toes\\u201d movement. This time it is accomplished competitive surfer and model Erica Hosseini who has won 5 NSSA National Titles and a variety of pro and amateur events.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;The national partnership with &lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.ericahosseini.com\\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;Erica Hosseini&lt;\\/a&gt; marks the next wave of growth for &lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.flipflopshops.com\\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;Flip Flops Shops&lt;\\/a&gt;. As the new face \\u2013 or should we say, new feet \\u2013 of the brand, Erica will be making appearances at various charity events as well as the many locations opening across North America.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;\\u201cWe are excited to have such an amazing girl and athlete be a part of our brand,\\u201d said Brian Curin (size 10), the President of Flip Flop Shops. \\u201cErica embodies the soul of our brand and truly fits our vibe. It was a perfect fit to have her represent our Free Your Toes\\u00ae mentality and all that we stand for as she too likes to live, work and play with her toes exposed.\\u201d&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;22-year-old surfer Erica Hosseini embodies the perfect version of a California girl to represent the Flip Flop Shops brand. Her surfing prowess, which was evident at an early age, led her to make the WQS final at Lower Trestles in the Foster\\u2019s Cup in 2002 at the age of 14. This made her the youngest competitor to make the final in an ASP event at that time and she never looked back. A year later she won 5 NSSA titles and these days Hosseini is still ripping. She won the Roxy Pro Junior in 2007 and the VQS championships in 2008. She represents brands such as Sector Nine Skateboards, Jack\\u2019s Surf Shop, Casio Baby-G Watches and Sharp Eye Surfboards and now adding to the list\\u2026.Flip Flop Shops.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;\\u201cI am stoked to work with Flip Flop Shops and be part of their free-spirited, adventure loving, lifestyle brand, whose team is just as passionate about freeing their toes as I am,\\u201d said Erica (size 9). \\u201cI am proud to support and help grow such an evolving brand and see big things for the future.\\u201d&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;Selling such popular brands as Reef, Sanuk, havaianas, Flojos and O\\u2019Neill, Flip Flop Shops plans to open 236 shops across North America within five years. The company&amp;#8217;s mission is to provide the opportunity for anyone, in any climate, to &amp;#8220;live, work and play with their toes exposed\\u00ae&amp;#8221; while wearing the freedom of flip flops on their feet. Flip flops have grown to become the &amp;#8220;global youth uniform&amp;#8221;, as well as accepted footwear for anyone ranging from surfers to high-level corporate executives. Indeed, flip flop sales exceeded those of athletic shoes for the first time in 2006, and flip flop fever has continued to build momentum ever since.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;Flip Flop Shops currently has locations operating in Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, as well as forays into Vancouver, British Columbia and Guam. The company will soon open additional shops in Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio and Edmonton, Alberta.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About Flip Flop Shops &lt;\\/strong&gt;&lt;br \\/&gt;\\nFounded in 2004, Flip Flop Shops is the nation&amp;#8217;s first retail chain exclusive to flip flops and sandals featuring the hottest brands and latest styles from big names such as REEF, Sanuk, Flojos, Havaianas and O\\u2019NEILL. The company began franchising in January 2008. Flip Flop Shops is an Environmentally Responsible Retailer\\u2122 and encourages the nation to free their toes. The executive team boasts more than 50 years of franchise experience building and growing some of the world&amp;#8217;s fastest-growing franchise concepts, category leaders and some of America&amp;#8217;s most well-known brands, including Cold Stone Creamery, Moe&amp;#8217;s Southwest Grill and Nike. With eleven locations currently operating and 20 more in development, the company plans to open 236 shops by 2013. For more franchise opportunity information, visit &lt;a href=\\\"http:\\/\\/www.flipflopshops.com\\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\"&gt;flipflopshops.com&lt;\\/a&gt;.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About Erica Hosseni&lt;\\/strong&gt;&lt;br \\/&gt;\\nBorn in 1987, Erica Hosseni is a surfer and model from Newport Beach, CA. Hosseini began competing in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) at age 13. She entered her first pro event in April 2002, the Foster\\u2019s Cup at Lower Trestles, where she eventually won 2nd place and became the youngest surfer (male or female) to make the final of an ASP pro event. In 2003, she won 5 NSSA titles &amp;#8211; Southwest Open Conference, Explorer Conference, Regionals, NSSA National Open Women\\u2019s Title, and The Governor\\u2019s Cup. In 2004 she finished 2nd in the Nationals Open Women, 1st in OP Pro, and a 3rd place bronze medal in the ISA Jr. World Championship in Tahiti. In 2005 she won 1st place at the Volcom Championships, 1st at the U.S. Championships, and 4th at the Target Pro Jr. In 2006, she placed 2nd at the Volcom Championships and 3rd in the Target Pro Jr. In 2007, she won 1st place at the Roxy Pro Jr. and in 2008 won first place at the Volcom Championships.\\u00a0 Erica is sponsored by Flip Flop Shops, Casio Watches, Jack&amp;#8217;s Surf Shop, Sector Nine Skateboards, and Sharp Eye Surfboards.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.grindtv.com/surf/erica-hosseini-signs-with-flip-flop-shops-for-footwear/>