It seems as though breast cancer awareness is all over the media these days. Pink ribbons are exceptionally easy to find, and it is with good reason. About 1 in 8 women in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer. Let that sink in for a minute. That really puts it into perspective!

At Ambry Genetics, we are determined to lower that statistic and know the best way to do so is with early detection –the first step to breast cancer prevention. To further this cause, we combined Ambry’s close relationship with the surfing community through our involvement with the Mauli Ola Foundation (MOF) and created the online surf video contest, Battle for the Breasts (B4TB), which is sponsored by Ambry and hosted by MOF.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, B4TB takes place throughout the month of October on Surfline.com, the most widely used website for the surfing community. During this online competition, 16 professional female surfers are randomly paired with 16 breast cancer clinics/foundations.

Once these pairings are locked down, the surfers are pitted against one another in head-to-head heats. Each surfer submits clips of her best surf moves for an elimination-style competition that lasts all month. That’s when the fun begins…

Round 1 kicked off on October 4, 2016 with all 16 surfers and their associated foundations. Surfline’s audience ultimately chooses the winner of each heat by casting thousands of votes weekly. After the four-week competition ends, one surfer-foundation pair is declared the winner and awarded $50,000 USD worth of Ambry’s hereditary breast cancer genetic testingtokens. Second place is awarded up to $30,000 USD in tokens, and third and fourth place are also awarded up to $10,000 USD in tokens each. In addition to the top four, the twelve remaining participating clinic is awarded one Ambry hereditary breast cancer genetic test tokens for taking part in the event.

Despite the fact that so many people are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, there is still not proper health insurance coverage in the U.S. for everybody to access what they need – and this is why B4TB is so important. Those who are uninsured or under-insured may be able to use those vouchers to access genetic testing, in order to better understand their risk for hereditary breast cancer and take charge of their health. As you can see, there are many reasons why Ambry and MOF are compelled to partner together for this important cause during this special month.