Column: Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson to compete in Jack’s Surfboards Pro

The Jack’s Surfboards Pro, a World Surf League Qualifying Series contest, returns to the Huntington Beach Pier’s south side for the second year in a row. The event starts Friday and runs through Sunday.

And that means Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson will have to switch his schedule around a little.

Simpson was either going to be in the water or on the sand on the south side anyway. The only difference is that this weekend the surfers he’ll be hanging with will be older than usual, if only by just a few years.

Despite losing his spot on the Championship Tour after the 2015 season, Simpson has maintained his primary sponsorship with Hurley. And it is that connection with Hurley that has him running Hurley Surf Club sessions every Friday morning at the pier with groms from up and down the coast.

Every Friday by 7 a.m., the Hurley tent is up, the coffee (or hot chocolate) and donuts are ready for consumption, and Simpson, along with some Hurley helpers, are there for the groms — first in the water and then in the video room for post-surf coaching at the Hurley Store across the street at Pacific City.

And the best part? It’s totally free.

“Yeah, I really enjoy it,” Simpson said. “I’m just trying to reach out and help the community come together, and the young ones that surfing is their passion and want to try to get to the next level.

“I know when I was growing up I always wanted to be amongst pros and ask a million questions. That knowledge is priceless and I feel it’s my duty to share with the community and youth.”

Simpson, 33, will be surfing in the Jack’s Pro against kids that were groms when Simpson was winning back-to-back U.S. Open of Surfing crowns in 2009 and 2010.

Locals like Tyler Gunter, Parker Cohn and Dylan Hord are still teenagers, looking to work their way up the ladder in a very competitive pro surfing environment, along with several other area surfers like Nolan Rapoza, Matt Passaquindici and Derek Peters.

For Simpson, it’ll be the first time all year he’s put on a competition jersey, but it doesn’t mean he’s lost that competitive drive.

“There may be a little rust but the competitive juices are always flowing,” Simpson said. “To be honest, I obviously miss it. Nothing like being a part of those events and the level you get to surf with every day. I’m going to do some events this year because I still love the feeling I get from it, always so humbling even if the waves are knee high.

“But I’ve enjoyed the change I’ve had and it is really nice to be able to spend time with my family, as well as the local youth and help them try to fulfill some of their dreams.”

Simpson and his wife, Kaniele, have a couple of mini-groms at home with their daughter, Paigelynn, and son, Kobe. That’s Kobe James Simpson, and yes, he’s named after Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Kobe’s grandpa is Bill Simpson, who played in the NFL with the Rams and Bills. And of course, his dad is a pro surfer. No pressure kid.

“Hey, he’s got to grow a bit but it’s in the DNA!” Simpson said of Kobe, who turns 2 in June. “To be honest, surfing is the best thing I’ve ever done, as in most fun. When I was growing up I played everything and was gifted with some God-given talent. I picked surfing maybe because it was the newest and freshest thing at the time, when I was age 12. Though I thoroughly enjoy it the most as well. For Kobe, I want him to be a well-rounded athlete. He’ll eventually find what he loves the most and we’ll just support his journey.”

Founders’ Cup

The future of surfing will be on full display May 5-6 in Lemoore when the World Surf League hosts the Founders’ Cup of Surfing at the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch. It will be the first public event at the facility, which also will serve as the host for one of the Championship Tour events in September.

The Founders’ Cup is set up in a team format, with five teams consisting of five surfers (three men, two women) on each team. Below are the teams:

Australia — Stephanie Gilmore (captain), Mick Fanning, Matt Wilkinson, Julian Wilson and Tyler Wright; Brazil — Gabriel Medina (captain), Adriano de Souza, Filipe Toledo, Silvana Lima and Taina Hinckel; Europe — Johanne Defay (captain), Jeremy Flores, Frederico Morais, Leonardo Fioravanti and Frankie Harrer; USA — Kelly Slater (captain), John John Florence, Kolohe Andino, Carissa Moore, Courtney Conlogue; World — Jordy Smith (captain), Michel Bourez, Kanoa Igarashi, Paige Hareb and Bianca Buitendag.

Tickets, which are available at wslfounderscup.com, are not cheap. Single-day general admission for May 5 or May 6 is $99, $80 for groms 10 and under. A two-day general admission ticket is $149, $120 for groms.

Then there is the VIP ticket for $499, which gets you VIP seating both days with access to the VIP lounge, food and drinks and a parking pass.

And for $9,500, you get the VIP treatment, plus a one-hour session to surf the wave on May 7, the day after the event. You’ll also get coaching, photography and videography from in and out of the water, hotel accommodations at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino for three nights, and invitations to the pre-event party on Friday night as well as the post-event concert after-party on Saturday night.

Paddle-outs

A paddle-out at the Huntington Beach Pier has been an all-too-common occurrence lately.

On March 16, a paddle-out was held for Quiksilver CEO Pierre Agnes, who went missing during a fishing trip off the coast of France in January. Agnes’ boat washed up onshore but Agnes’ body has not been found.

On March 18, friends and family held a paddle-out for Brenda Berry, who passed away from colon cancer recently. Berry was the mother of Katie Berry, a former Huntington Beach High surfer who was afflicted with a rare disorder called Addison’s disease. Brenda Berry, despite her own battle with cancer, was a remarkable source of strength for the Berry family.

And on April 14, friends and family will celebrate the life of Blaine “Sumo” Sato with a paddle-out. Sumo came to Huntington Beach from Hawaii in 1990 to pursue a master of divinity degree, and eventually helped form the H20 Community Church, which helps serve the homeless, surfers in recovery, and residents in crisis.

Sumo, who often officiated paddle-outs, died of colon cancer on March 11. He was 55.

JOE HAAKENSON is a Huntington Beach-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at joe@juvecreative.com.