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BRETT SIMPSON WINS HURLEY US OPEN OF SURFING
Hometown hero wins historic event + $100K; Kai Barger nails another 6.0 Pro Junior
By: Mike Cianciulli
Photos: Jeremiah Klein
SURF NEWS BRETT SIMPSON WINS HURLEY US OPEN OF SURFING
July 26, 2009
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Huntington Beach is a madhouse. Always has been this time of year. But somehow, it's better than it ever was.
 
On the 100th anniversary of Surf City USA and the 50th anniversary of competitive surfing at the famed pier, one of HB's own scalped a handful of the world's best to claim the largest purse in surfing history. Brett Simpson, who learned to surf at this very beach (minus the hundreds of thousands of spectators), netted $100,000 for his explosive victory over Mick Fanning in pumping southern hemi surf.
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BRETT SIMPSON WINS HURLEY US OPEN OF SURFING
Kai Barger won the Nike 6.0 Pro Junior in fine form. "The waves were amazing," Barger said. "It was coming through with all these big walls so you could draw your own lines. It was definitely the best Huntington."
"I felt this was my chance and you don't get a lot of chances," Simpo said, still in shock after his momentous WQS six-star victory. "A local hasn't won this comp in such a long time so it means everything to me to hold down the fort at home."

Pitted against an ASP World Tour-heavy field, Simpson took out good buddy and last year's U.S. Open champ Nathaniel Curran in the morning's first quarterfinal. He then built on that momentum to beat 2001 World Champ C.J. Hobgood in the semis before going blow-for-blow with 2007 World Champ Mick Fanning in the final.

"It is a home court advantage but I was still looking at what Mick was doing because he's such a great surfer," Simpo acknowledged in front of HB's eclectic crowd. "It's amazing to wake up and be at home. It's just like Mick at Snapper. It pays off a lot."

For guys like Simpson, Fanning, Slater and the rest of 'em, it takes a certain breed of competitor to block out all the extra-curricular whirlwind of activity that surrounds the U.S. Open. Known to be quite a circus, new title sponsor Hurley trimmed the fat -- meaning less bullshit and more cool shit. Sure there was a fight or two, "Phantom Man" jumping off the pier, body painting and even a couple lost-and-found children, but unlike years past most beach-goers actually knew there was a surf contest going on.

"I felt this was my chance and you don't get a lot of chances."

-- Brett Simpson
"It's been a radical week," runner-up Fanning laughed. "We've seen everything from small to big waves. I had a lot fun and to make the final was a bonus. I had 100 grand worth of fun. But I'm stoked for Brett."

The final began with three exchanges that proved to be the deciding waves. Simpo went left. Fanning answered. Simpo went right. Fanning did too. But then, Fanning jumped on a smaller left which proved fatal. Simpson immediately linked into a solid righthander, threw a sizeable hack before launching into a massive air reverse for a 9.1. And this was all in the first ten minutes. Fortunately for the local boy, the HB southside -- which saw waves up to triple-overhead (yes, that big) earlier in the week -- went strangely quiet for the rest of their thirty-minute duel.

Behind the awards podium afterwards, semifinalist C.J. Hobgood consoled Fanning, admitting, "You guys got similar waves. Brett just capitalized when he got his." Mick laughed, "Yeah, he was patient. I was excited."

It's easy to get a bit frazzled when the usually gutless Huntington surf was sucking guys like Kelly Slater through the pilings. During Friday's peaking swell, Slater buckled his board in two places on a massive floater attempt and was heard laughing, "this is fun," as he got washed through the pier. Adriano DeSouza eventually nixed Slater's run for the $100k in the quarters as the young Brazilian got revenge for his runner-up finish to Slats at the Hang Loose Pro a few months back.

Hurley's quest for change at the U.S. Open leaked over to the longboarders as well. After style-master Joel Tudor spoke openly about the lack of traditional noseriding at the event, an invitation-only crew was selected to compete for maximum tip-time with Kevin Connolly edging out Tudor for the win.

To add to the circus atmosphere (and get the crowd hyped up for the Simpo-Fanning showdown), Andy and Bruce Irons, Yadin Nicol, Slater, Hobgood, and even Tom Curren revved up the same PWC that had been competitors' lifeline back to the line-up all week and put on a tow-at/in show. Hobgood nailed the only air that was actually landed in about 100 attempts, while Mick and Simpo opted to sit out and focus on the final.

Fanning sat in the front corner of the packed and chaotic competitor's area with his infamous Bose noise-canceling headphones on and watched the pulsing southern hemisphere lines swat the Nike 6.0 Pro Junior finalists. Kai Barger, reigning ASP Pro Junior World Champion, blew past Tonino Benson, Dillon Perillo and Nat Young to take his second Pro Junior victory on American soil this summer.

"I just retired. I'm never doing another Junior after this. I'm hanging it up," Barger joked afterwards. "I just want to win everything I'm in so it doesn't matter if it's a Pro Junior or a six-star. I'm just going for broke."

But everyone else might just be going home broke since Brett Simpson scooped the largest prize purse in surfing history away from a record number of ASP World Tour competitors including Fanning, Hobgood and event-favorite Kelly Slater.

"I'm going to Vegas," Fanning said after his second place result. "But I'll have to ring up Brett and get a loan first."

U.S. OPEN OF SURFING FINAL RESULTS:
1 - Brett Simpson (USA) 16.93
2 - Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50

NIKE 6.0 PRO JUNIOR FINAL RESULTS:
1 - Kai Barger (HAW) 15.50
2 - Tonino Benson (HAW) 14.30
3 - Dillon Perillo (USA) 12.53
4 - Nat Young (USA) 9.53
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