Big Surfing Event to Hang $10s in Huntington Beach
Despite small waves, conditions at the Huntington Beach Pier were “awesome” Sunday for surfer Rick Miller of Seal Beach.
It’s a good thing he caught the waves while he could. Today through Sunday, the sets will be off-limits to anyone except contestants in the U.S. Open for Surfing, the biggest qualifying event in the country.
“The water’s 64 degrees,” Miller said, carrying his board after surfing a few sets. “The swells are a little weak, but it’s still fun.”
More than 600 men, women and children take over the beach today, vying for $100,000 in prize money in the U.S. Open. The event includes the inaugural Philips Fusion, a sports, technology and music festival.
“It’s good for business,” said Ken Hope of Huntington Beach. “Last year the big complaint was shutting down the beach because of the contamination. That really hurt the economy. What better way to bring it back than to have a nice competition like this?”
Business is already appreciably better at Jack’s Surfboards on Main Street, general manager Ikira Fukada said. The big item is the official surf contest white T-shirt, which goes for $17.95.
But the U.S. Open is less about shirt sales than about surfers and their quests for fame and glory. Or at least a sponsor.
Robbie Olsen from Scream Line clothing eyed the surfers Sunday, hoping to spot a comer not bearing a logo.
“It’s like a baseball team,” Olsen said. “You’re out scouting for young prospects, someone who’s going to place in the future.”
Last year, Huntington Beach hosted back-to-back, weeklong competitions, the U.S. Open and the Bluetorch Pro.
But the Bluetorch Pro event was dropped after the Assn. of Surfing Professionals voted in December to give Southern California one week to host either a World Championship Tour or World Qualifying Series event.
Ian Cairns, vice president of events for Irvine-based Bluetorch, opted for the more inclusive U.S. Open, a qualifying series event. There will be more than 600 entrants in men’s, women’s and junior divisions. Thirty-three of the top 44 men’s surfers in the world, according to the tour standings, are expected to compete.
“We like the idea of the U.S. Open having 300 entrants in the men, giving lots of local surfers an opportunity to compete,” Cairns said. “We have a very high level of talent, but every young [surfer] in the world, particularly in Southern California, can have a crack at them.”
Cairns said the loss of a separate Bluetorch Pro event shouldn’t affect attendance, which averages about 100,000.
“The important thing is this is still on, and it’s the centerpiece of summer in Surf City at Huntington Beach,” he said. “The event is going to be as big, if not bigger, than ever.”
The surfing competition also includes the $5,000 U.S. Open of Women, the $5,000 Billabong Junior, and longboarding and women’s bodyboarding events.
The U.S. Open offers more qualifying series points than any surfing event in the mainland United States this season. Notable participants will include defending U.S. Open and reigning world champion Sunny Garcia of Kauai, Hawaii; Taylor Knox of Carlsbad; Pat O’Connell of Laguna Beach; C.J. Hobgood of Satellite Beach, Fla.; and Keith Malloy and Tim Curran, both of Ventura. Among the women will be Holly Beck of Palos Verdes, the current national amateur champion, and Julia Christian of San Diego.
The junior surfing competition begins today and the men’s and women’s trials begin Tuesday.
Competition begins daily at 7 a.m. Admission is free.
On Saturday, the women’s semifinals are at 9:30 a.m., followed by the finals at 2 p.m. The women’s bodyboard finals begin at 1:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the men’s quarterfinals begin at 9 a.m., followed by the semifinals at 11:30 and finals at 1:30 p.m. The junior finals are 12:30 p.m. and the longboard finals at 1.
