Thousands crowd the beach at the 2005 Bank of the West Beach Games in Huntington Beach, CA. © IMG

Glen's Surf Blog

Update: 07/30/06 - 4:30 p.m. PT

Mobster Machado is 2006 US Open Champ

The US Open of Surfing truly saved the biggest event for last, with 2005 US Open runner-up Rob Machado going up against Hawaiian powerhouse Roy Powers in what was undoubtedly the most exhilarating event of the entire week.  I couldn’t believe it was already the start of the Finals; with so much surfing going on during the week, I thought we’d never get to the main event.  With Machado in blue and Powers in red, the 30-minute Final began and everyone’s eyes were locked on Huntington Beach Pier to see who would come out on top. 

Things began with Machado taking first blood and dropping in on a quick right to get his rhythm going.  Powers responded with a nice snap and a layback floater on a left, earning him a 7.5 and giving him the highest score of the two.  At that moment, Machado kicked things into overdrive and proceeded to destroy everything in sight with tons of insane cracks and loads of spray with rides all the way to the inside.  I was on the edge of my set the whole time as this was the best surfing I’ve ever witnessed live, and I’m sure many others felt the same way. 

After two good waves not counting for Powers because of priority, Machado busted a super-nasty reverse 360 on the inside and earned him a 6.83, a nice complement to his 5.17.  As the final seconds wound down, the roar of the crowd grew and Rob Machado was the official 2006 US Open of Surfing Champion.  I was really psyched to see Rob win it all as he is one of my favorite surfers.  And after narrowly missing the win last year to Andy Irons, who better than Rob to come out on top in 2006! 

Congrats Rob, you’re the man! 

- Glen

Rob Machado

Kremel brings home Men’s Longboard victory to HB

While most shortboarders frown on longboarding, I like busting out the log once in a while due to the clean lines you can draw in the water and the soulful, flowing style of it all.  Plus, surfing on the East Coast, sometimes you don’t have a choice if you want to get some waves.  So I’ll admit it, I’m a shortboarder who also likes to longboard.  As I got ready to check out this Final, I spotted none other than stylemaster Joel Tudor strolling up the beach and at that moment, I knew that something special was about to happen.  Also, seeing these guys paddling out on leashless 9’0’s in head-high waves sent shivers down my spine.  Sick!

Things got underway with great rides and long waves from standouts Tudor, Taylor Jensen and Colin McPhillips, with stylish noserides and smooth flow that seemed right out of the 1960’s.  However, HB local Dodger Kremel stood out the most; busting absolutely crazy off-the-lips that made you wonder how he kept his balance on such a big stick.  At one point, he even rode a wave all the way to the inside, popped back down and rode the board backwards, and then pulled a shove-it and continued riding!  What!?!?!  Although the other guys were some of the biggest names in longboarding, they couldn’t match that and Kremel took the victory for HB in front of the raging local crowd - the first time anyone from Huntington Beach as done so in event history! 

You totally killed it Dodger! 

- Glen  

Dodger Kremel

07/30/06

Dunn Wins Men’s Lost Pro Junior

Australian Ben Dunn won the Final of today’s Lost Pro Junior in what was one of the closest competitions we’ve seen all week.  With the Juniors Final going down right after the intense Semis round with Machado and Losness, the energy level stayed in high gear as the boys paddled out into the water and ripped the waves to shreds.  As the air horn sounded and the clock started, I made sure I was right up front as these kids can easily give some of the older guys a run for their money and then some. 

Dunn and Hawaiian Troy Meister were constantly battling each other during the entire event, with big sets coming in and sick snaps traded back and forth between the two surfers.  American standout Nick Rozsa and Aussie ripper James Woods also surfed really well, but in the end, they just didn’t have what it took to boost their scores.  During the final seconds of the event the insanity continued, with Meister boosting an air which left the judges scrambling to come up with an appropriate score.  However, when it was all said and done, Ben’s untouchable single wave score of 9.0 propelled him to victory and got him the $2,500 and 500 points. 

Nice job Ben! 

- Glen

Ben Dunn

7/30/06

Machado overtakes Losness in heated Semis; heads to Finals against Powers

It is totally packed on the beach here in HB, and if you’re not already in town, you might be too late as I heard there’s no more parking left near PCH and Main.  I just witnessed a classic SoCal showdown in the Semis featuring San Clemente’s Mike Losness and Cardiff’s wave monster Rob Machado, with absolutely unreal surfing going down that left everyone’s eyes glued to the water to see who would make it all the way.  In my opinion, the level of surfing was so hot that these guys should have gone against each other in the Finals. 
 
Losness took the first wave and the opening lead with a score of 7.33, which clearly let Machado know that his work was cut out for him during the next 25 minutes.  Not wanting to be upstaged, the Mobster Machado snagged a long right and busted tons of styley moves that got him a 7.17, closing in on Losness’ lead and keeping things super close.  After more sick waves from Losness with continued lip attack and a shoot through the pier, Rob stepped up the pace with loads of snaps and even busted out a reverse 360, earning him a 6.9 and sending him into the Finals against Hawaiian Roy Powers. 

7/30/06

Life Truly Does Roll On

For me, one of the coolest events of the entire Beach Games was the sixth-annual “They Will Surf Again Expression Session,” presented by the Life Rolls On Foundation.  Founded by Jesse Billauer, a California surfer who became paralyzed after a tragic accident in the water, the Life Rolls On Foundation looks to be a resource and an advocate for young people who have sustained a spinal cord injury as well as promote spinal cord injury research and public awareness.  Taking to the water with many of the sport’s biggest names, the sun immediately came out at the beginning of the session which I thought couldn’t have made things more perfect. 
 
Jesse caught a bunch of nice lefts and rode them all the way down the beach, stoking out the crowd and letting everyone know that he refuses to give up what he loves.  I was really moved by this and was psyched by positive spirit of everyone in and out of the water.  Besides focusing on the surfing, the real message here is that no matter what kind of curves the road of life throws at you, don’t ever give up doing what you love and when things get tough, always remember to stay positive!  
 

Campbell Scores Perfect 10

A first at the 2006 US Open of Surfing, Australian Mick Campbell took off on a sick left in Heat 4 and threw tons of big moves, earning him a perfect score of 10.0!  With the conditions at hand this morning, not to mention the thousands of people on the beach and on the pier, earning a perfect score is anything but an easy task.  As the scores dropped from the judges and I kept hearing 10’s, the roar of the crowd continued to build and everyone knew what had just happened. 
And just when things could not get any better for Mick, he dropped in on yet another left and got shacked!  Not too shabby, mate! 
 
As I mentioned in my previous blog, Timmy Curran got bumped out and this was the heat where it all went down.  Even if you are busting airs and getting good waves like Timmy was, what can you do when the other guy gets a perfect score and a barrel all in the same heat?  You just have to accept it and look for your next wave.  After all, this is the US Open and we are here with the best surfers in the world, so you have to expect that crazy things are bound to happen.  
 

7/30/06

Sunday Morning’s Round of 12

I can’t believe we are already at the final day of competition at the US Open!  With cooler temperatures, bigger waves and consistent onshore winds, the 12 surfers who advanced yesterday had to battle it out early today to survive and make it to the Quarters.  With electricity in the air and a crowd already amassed on the beach, Heat 1 saw Bobby Martinez continue to be on his game and advance to along with Hawaiian standout Roy Powers.  Next up was Jeremy Flores, Tanio Barreto and Victor Ribas; with Flores continuing his good fortune from yesterday with excellent waves and big moves to knock Ribas out of contention. 
 
Of the four heats this morning, Heat 3 was clearly the hottest with the intense matchup of SoCal boys Rob Machado and Mike Losness, along with Aussie ripper Luke Munro.  Once again, the Mobster Machado continued to be on his game with an impressive 8.5 on his first wave, nailing steep drops and cracking huge snaps off the lip.  Machado even busted a 360 on one of his waves that was absolutely sick!  San Clemente, California’s Mike Losness also killed it in this heat with big moves and solid surfing that advanced him to the Quarters as well.  Aside from all of the positives, the only thing I was bummed at was aerial jedi Timmy Curran who unfortunately did not make the Quarters.  No worries Timmy, you still rip in my book!  
 

-Glen

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VIDEO Check out our recap video of the US Open Women's Final. PLAY CLIP >

7/29/06 - 4:30 p.m. (PT)

Mulanovich wins 2006 US Open Women’s Title

In the biggest event at the Beach Games to date, Peruvian powerhouse Sofia Mulanovich destroyed Australian Jessi Miley-Dyer on Saturday afternoon to take the win in the US Open Women’s Final.  Dropping into a super long opening wave that earned her an impressive 6.33 and set the tempo for rest of the competition, Sofia’s solid surfing and stylish moves proved no contest for Jessi;  who had an overall score of only 8.67 compared to Mulanovich’s 13.83 and was clearly having trouble putting things together in the water.  With not many waves coming through during most of the competition and the clock constantly ticking, Sofia surfed smart like a true champion and kept her cool to come out on top.  

Earning $4,500 in contest winnings, 2500 WQS points, a brand new Honda personal watercraft and a one-of-a-kind US Open longboard, Mulanovich thanked everyone in attendance and was on top of the world at the podium.  With her first US Open win now under her belt, Mulanovich, currently tied for 8th in WCT rankings with Keala Kennelly, can now focus on regaining her 2004 title and ousting current WCT points leader Melanie Redman-Carr to take the lead. 

Congrats Sofia on your win today in Huntington! 

- Click here to see the top finishers in the US Open of Surfing Women's competition.

-Glen

Sofia Mulanovich

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Update: 7/29/06

Curren takes Target Women’s Pro Junior

France’s Lee Ann Curren, daughter of surfing legend Tom Curren, won the Target Women’s Pro this afternoon with an impressive score of 13.07, defeating Rosanne Hodge in second and up-and-comer Erica Hosseini who came in third.  With plenty of good sets rolling through during the heat, Curren stayed cool, calm and collected like a seasoned pro and demonstrated that classic Curren style clearly reminiscent of her famous father.  Not entirely familiar with Lee Ann’s surfing prowess before this event, I was very impressed with what I saw and will no doubt be following her standings in upcoming events. 
 
Thoroughly working the rolling chest-high walls all the way down to the Pier with loads of cutbacks and snaps thrown in between, Curren was absolutely untouchable during the whole heat with her smooth style and excellent selection of waves that made all the other competitors take notice.  Lee Ann will surely be one to watch in the coming years and having Tom Curren as dad will only improve her chances of making it to the US Open podium well into the future.  Great job Lee Ann!  

-Glen

Lee Ann Curren

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7/29/06

Machado and Curran Advance to Quarters, CJ, Reyes and Bourgeois Fall Short
 
The guys continued to do their thing throughout Saturday’s final heats with Cardiff, California’s Rob Machado and aerial expert Tim Curran continuing to dominate by putting in strong showings and having plenty big moves up their sleeves.  With Machado displaying solid surfing in all of his heats, he simply picked up where he left off from yesterday by getting all the best waves and working them through the flat sections and all the way to the inside.  Tim Curran was the same story as we saw him bust ridiculous amounts of air and destroy everything and everyone in his path like a possessed madman. 
 
Unfortunately, favorites Timmy Reyes and CJ Hobgood were sent home packing as they were knocked out of their heats although they both had sick waves and surfed with tons of speed and flow.  As I’m an East Coaster, I was really rooting for CJ and hoped that he could have pulled things together, but the fact that he was pitted against the likes of Mike Losness and Tim Curran made it all but impossible to get ahead.  In another fatal blow for the Right Coast, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina native Ben Bourgeois was also defeated by the power and precision of Jeremy Flores.  Sunday will surely be a day to go down in US Open history, so keep it tuned and don’t miss a second of the explosive action!  
 

-Glen

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7/29/06

Dane Reynolds’ “First Chapter” Premier at Quiksilver
 
The hot event that everyone was talking about on Friday night was the premier party for Dane Reynolds’ new flim, “First Chapter,” held at Quiksilver headquarters in HB.  Heading over after a full day of hot surfing action, I almost didn’t make it in as the place was packed with industry types, SoCal bro-brahs and tons of pro surfers including CJ Hobgood, Kalani Robb, Keith Malloy and many others.  The film was very well produced and showcased the unreal surfing ability of this Australian new school powerhouse, with sky-high airs, deep barrels and millions of creative lines that clearly set Dane apart from the rest.  The film was a hit with everyone in attendance and is definitely one you’ll want to add to your DVD collection. 
 
Following the premier, everyone continued to take advantage of the open bar and rocked out to the sounds of Sparta, who took to the stage outside and blazed through their scorching set of music.  I dug what I heard, and I also really liked the old school skate video collage looping on the big screens, featuring Christian Hosoi, Jason Lee, Tony Hawk, and a long list of other veterans with some truly amazing and nostalgic footage.  As everything wound down, I snagged a ride back to downtown on the Quik bus with a bunch of visiting Australian surfers and called it a night to prepare for the early heats in the morning.  Thanks Quiksilver for the sick film and for hosting a killer party!  

7/29/06

Martinez Shoots the Pier Leashless
 
Bobby Martinez owned the first heat of Round 5 today, coming out on top and earning an unreal 9.5 in what was one of the biggest wave scores we’ve seen all week.  Taking off on only the biggest lefts of the morning, he had loads of powerful moves, busted a huge air on his very first wave and even shot through the pier on two occasions.  And while we’ve seen more than a few guys do this over the last few days, the fact that Martinez was surfing leashless made things all the more dangerous as one wrong move could have cost him much more than just the heat. 
 
Currently ranked fourth in the world on the WCT, Martinez was super humble about his win today and said that he was happy just being here and surfing.  I thought that was really cool and definitely a good way to approach competitions as so many guys psych themselves up too much and lose focus.  Also getting the job done and qualifying in the heat was Brazil’s Tanio Barreto, who surfed very creatively and had solid scores of 7.33 and 5.0 which bumped him into the Quarters and ended things for Royden Bryson and Ben Dunn.   

7/29/06

Sofia, Woods, Ballard and Donohoe advance into Quarters

The women took to the water for the first heats of the day on Saturday with choppy chest-high waves and a few bigger sets rolling through at low tide, as well as a strong south current moving everyone down the beach that made it difficult to stay in good position.  Starting things off was an ultra-competitive heat with Peru powerhouse Sofia Mulanovich and Australian Rebecca Woods coming out on top and advancing into this afternoon’s Quarterfinals.  Displaying mad skills and style on every wave they dropped into, Sofia’s 7.5 and Rebecca’s 6.10 sealed the deal and bumped Sheridan Shields out of contention. 
 
Another heat that caught my attention was Heat 4, featuring the intense matchup of charger Rochelle Ballard, fifth-ranked WCT’er Heather Clark and Aussie ripper Amee Donohoe.  Charging full-force into some of the bigger set waves hitting the pier and putting on a real show the growing crowd on the beach, the ladies continued to kill it with long lefts, tons of slashes in the pocket and huge roundhouses with loads of spray.  Donohoe and Ballard placed first and second, respectively, shutting down Heather Clark and assuring that we are in store for many exciting matchups in the Quarters, Semis and Finals.  
 

7/28/06

Surfers’ Hall of Fame 2006 Inductees

There are millions of people around the world who surf.  And while most will never be widely known outside of their home break, there are always a select few that revolutionize the sport and contribute something that will put them in the history books.  Because of this, the Surfers Hall of Fame selects those that fall into this category asks them to leave their handprints, footprints and signature in front of Jack’s and Huntington Surf and Sport to forever immortalize them in surfing history. 
 
This year’s inductees include big wave surfing pioneer Greg Noll, six-time world champ Layne Beachley, style and Pipeline master Rob Machado and surf apparel pioneer Bob Hurley.  My sincerest thanks go out to all of you for making surfing what it is today.  And for everyone else, the next time you are strolling down PCH and Main in HB, check out all of the names and give thanks for what they have made possible for you in and out of the water. 

7/28/06

More Women’s Wave Madness

Fresh off the high-energy heat with Sofia and Melanie, things just kept sizzling with defending US Open champ Julia Christian and veteran Rochelle Ballard battling it out during and advancing during Heat 4; France’s Caroline Sarran winning Heat 5, and Australia’s Amee Donohoe destroying Heat 6.  I really think they should start alternating the men’s and women’s heats in the morning, because I’d love to see what these ladies can do in glassy conditions and during lower tides.  If things were only up to me…
 
Aside from those mentioned above, let’s not forget about some of the other big names competing, including Hawaiian rippers Megan Abubo and Anastasia Ashley, SoCal’s Holly Beck and Kauai’s Kealla Kennelly.  While not making the cut today, they all held their own are no doubt pushing the envelope in women’s surfing every time they paddle out.  And while the US Open is the biggest event in professional surfing, let’s remember that it is only one stop on the tour and there are plenty of opportunities during the year to improve overall standings.  Part of what makes surfing great is that you never know what is going to happen; the ever-changing conditions and the fact that no two waves are ever alike.  And it is the exact same thing with competitions. 

7/28/06

Bartels Comes Out on Top

The women took to the water today at 12:30 with one of the hottest heats of the day being Heat 2, featuring world champ Sofia Mulanovich, Hawaii’s Melanie Bartels, Brazil’s Suelen Naraisa and Aussie standout Claire Bevilacqua all looking to come out on top.  With the afternoon onshores picking up as they always do, wave selection was super critical and made for an all-out paddle battle at times with the ladies jockeying for a good position in the water.  As the air horn sounded and the heat began, I parked it right on the sand so I didn’t miss a second of the intense action. 
 
The 25-minute heat seemed to fly by as all the ladies had impressive waves, but Melanie Bartels clearly had her act together and polished with her superior wave selection that earned her the difficult win.  Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich finished second with lofty floaters and long waves to the inside, making things anything but easy for the judges as well as the three other surfers in the water.  Great job ladies, you definitely represented to the fullest with sick wave shredding skills and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for Saturday and Sunday!

7/28/06

Continued Success for Bourgeois, Machado and CJ

Fresh off the heels of impressive finishes in Thursday's heats, North Carolina's Ben Bourgeois, SoCal's Rob Machado and Florida's CJ Hobgood continued their domination on Friday, winning their heats and continuing to advance towards Sunday's highly anticipated Finals. Dropping the hammer in Heat 6, Bourgeois totally killed it with super technical surfing which earned him an 8.5 towards the end and sealed the deal for the Outer Banks native.  Coming in second and also
advancing was South Africa's Ricky Basnett, recent winner of Durban, South Africa's Mr. Price Pro.  His win is exceptionally notable as he was the first South African to win the event in 28 years!

Crowd favorite Rob Machado surfed in Heat 8 and picked up where he left off yesterday, displaying textbook surfing and absolutely ripping every wave to the fullest that earned him super high scores of 8.0 and 7.5.  Sticking on the south side in the area known as the "Machado Bowl," he picked up wave after wave and just when you though he was done, he just kept charging to the inside.  Sick!  I was pumped for Rob and was also psyched that he was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame today…so where's my autograph?!?!

                                                                         Rob Machado

WCT'er CJ Hobgood was also on fire today as he landed huge airs that earned him an insane score of 9.0 and moved him onward and upward. Currently ranked #11 in WCT rankings after J-Bay, it is clear that he is a man on a mission with insane focus and determination and could take him all the way to the Finals and more.

Killer job guys and keep ripping it!

7/28/06

Sunny Falls Short in Heat 2
 
Hawaiian badboy Sunny Garcia paddled out to the pier in Heat 2, and he was definitely one that I didn’t want to miss on Friday.  Usually busting big moves and surfing like the board is glued to his feet, I was really surprised to see him just sitting out there and letting the other guys get all the good waves.  Maybe he just wasn’t feeling it today, but either way, when you come to Huntington for the US Open of Surfing, you better make sure you’re A-game on and everything is totally dialed. 
 
With Garcia in chill mode, South Africa’s Royden Bryson picked up the slack and seemed like a wave magnet by snagging the best waves of the heat.  I’m talking about loads of sick snaps, tons of nice floaters and riding his waves all the way to the inside to win the heat.  Coming in second was American Gabe Kling, currently ranked third in overall WQS rankings and definitely one to watch in the coming days.  With Dayyan Neve and Neco Padaratz bumped out of contention, the US Open could be a golden opportunity to gain valuable points and move into the number one slot. 

7/28/06

Bobby Sets the Pace

After a fun DP at the pier with my buddy James, I was excited to check out the first heat of the day with big names including Bobby Martinez, Hawaii’s Mason Ho, and Rodrigo Dornelles and Simao Romao both hailing from Brazil.  The waves were a little better today with some chest-high set waves coming through, and Huntington was definitely one of the bigger spots in the area.  The guys were amped with a little more wave energy in the water and it clearly showed in their surfing. 
 
Things got started right off the bat with Bobby Martinez dominating and getting tons of good waves, setting the pace early in the heat and letting the other guys know they had their work cut out for them.  Taking first with a final score of 15.27, he was absolutely untouchable and undoubtedly came to win.  Coming in second was Hawaii new school powerhouse Mason Ho with a 10.83, who surfed with tons of energy and is clearly following in the footsteps of his father, Hawaiian surfing legend Michael Ho.  With the level of surfing getting better and better with every heat, I can only imagine how Sunday’s finals will unfold and write the next chapter in surfing’s history books. 

7/27/06

7/27/06

CJ and Reyes Qualify

With the onshore wind putting a serious damper on Thursday afternoon’s waves, I felt bad for all the surfers who didn’t compete in the morning.  After all, how can you compare someone surfing in waist-high morning glass to blown-out afternoon slop?  However, part of what makes someone a great surfer is the ability to perform in all conditions, and HB’s Timmy Reyes and world champ CJ Hobgood did not disappoint, with Reyes taking first and Hobgood taking second in Heat 24.  Going up against Brazil’s Renato Galvao and Aussie Nic Muscroft, Hobgood and Reyes delivered the goods in spades and advanced to the next round. 
 
With only a quarter of a point difference in their scores, CJ and Timmy will definitely be guys to watch in the next few days and will no doubt be serious contenders moving into Sunday.  Don’t think so?  Well consider this - Timmy Reyes is an HB local who knows the Pier inside and out and CJ is one of the few who have defeated seven-time world champ Kelly Slater in competition.  How many people can claim that? 

-Glen

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7/27/06

Stylemaster Machado Delivers

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like Rob Machado.  With his effortless style and super chill personality, what’s not to like?  Heat 15 saw our homeboy Rob up against Nathaniel Curran, Brazil’s Neco Padaratz and Russell Winter out of the UK in one of the most exciting heats of the day.  With the tide filling in and the wind adding a slight chop to the waves, the guys made the most of the changing conditions and tried to deliver the big moves required in order to advance. 
 
With a slow start in the beginning of the heat and some average waves, Machado steezed it up towards the final minutes and had an absolutely insane last wave, making nasty backside snaps on a left that looked too easy and even riding through the pier and back out!  Yeah buddy!  Rob, are you sure you weren’t one of the stunt doubles for the surfing scenes in Lords of Dogtown? 
 
Rob earned a 7.27 and moved into first after that wave and rightfully so.  Smacking into one of those pilings could easily knock you out if you time things wrong, and you never know when the wave is going to jack up and work you.  In my book, anyone who risks life and limb deserves to come out on top.  Congrats Rob!
 

-Glen

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7/27/06

Bro vs. Bro

I was super psyched to catch Heat 12 featuring Indian Rocks Beach, Florida’s Cory and Shea Lopez, France’s Mikael Picon and Portugal’s Justin Mujica.  Being a big Cory Lopez fan, it was cool to finally see him throw down up close and personal along with his bro Shea.  And for those of you who don’t know, both Lopez brothers are also US Open champs, with Shea taking it in ’99 and Cory snagging it in ’03.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Andy and Bruce Irons, but even they can’t touch that! 

Both Cory and Shea caught some of the biggest waves of the heat with millions of sick moves, but Mikael Picon’s impressive scores of 8.0 and 8.67 and Justin Mujica’s 6.83 made it nearly impossible for them to come out on top.  Picon and Mujica even split the peak on a few waves, leading me to think they might have had this planned.  With the Lopezes placing a disappointing third and fourth and knocked out of contention as the heat ended, Europe prevailed as only Picon and Mujica advanced to the next rounds.  Ok, I’ll admit it, I was really bummed my boys didn’t make it, but whatever, I bet Picon and Mujica don’t have the cajones to tow-in at Teahupoo! 

-Glen

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7/27/06

East Coast Represent!

The tide began filling in as Heat 11 began, with tons of big moves and continued high energy.  New Zealand’s Maz Quinn snagged the first wave with loads of backhand snaps and even busted a rock n’ roll floater in the whitewash.  However, when it was all said and done, North Carolina’s Ben Bourgeois stole the show for the East Coast by nailing an impressive 8.17 on his first wave and advanced to the next round with Quinn taking second.  Bourgeois is truly a wave-slaying machine and I’m psyched that he came out on top.  It’s always good to see another surfer from the East Coast doing his thing and killing it. 
 
Looking back on this heat, I was really surprised that Brett Simpson’s scores weren’t higher than they were, especially with his big moves and flow on his waves.  He had some good rides all the way to the inside and a nice reverse 360, but I guess it just wasn’t enough.  Maybe the fact that he already won the 2-star WQS event here earlier in the year had something to do with the judges’ scores.  Whatever the case, hopefully this won’t happen to other guys coming up in the next heats.  

-Glen

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7/27/06

Thursday Morning DP

I rolled up to HB Pier early on Thursday to catch Heat 6 and was greeted with overcast skies and glassy, slightly inconsistent waist-high waves.  I was expecting to see bigger waves, but the ones coming through did not look bad at all.  With only a few photographers and fans on the beach, the 25-minute heat started promptly at 7:30 am and featured SoCal locals Pat Gadauskas and Shaun Ward, as well as Corey Ziems and Kieren Perrow representing Australia.  The boys waited it out for only the best waves and ripped them to shreds with tons of sick snaps, off-the-lips and floaters. 
 
The Aussies dominated the entire heat with excellent wave selection, big moves and smooth flow which locked Ziems and Perrow into first and second, and Gadauskas and Ward finishing third and fourth, respectively.  I was really expecting Gadauskas and Ward to take this one as they have the homecourt advantage, but I guess the Aussies were just hungrier to win and stayed more focused in the water.  Judging by the hot surfing this early in the morning, we are sure to see many more intense matchups throughout the day, so keep checking back and keep it locked to the live webcast on Lat34.com! 

-Glen

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7/27/06

Aloha!

My name is Glen Braunsdorf and I’ll be keeping Lat34.com dialed in on all the wave action going down at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.  For those who don’t know me, I’m an East Coast-based surfer/writer with a love for the ocean and a knack for telling it like it is, so rest assured that you won’t be left out on a single detail in and out of the water.  Aside from viewing Lat34’s live webcast of the event, be sure to check out my blog everyday for an insider’s perspective on the competition and find out who threw down and who crumbled under pressure. 
 
If you’re not already familiar with the Open, it is the grand daddy of all surf events and the largest surf competition in North America held every year since 1959.  With many of the Open Qualifiers happening during the week, only the top surfers advance with men’s and women’s quarters, semis and finals all scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.  Last year saw Kauai, Hawaii’s Andy Irons and SoCal native Julia Christian take it all, and judging by the talent pool this year, 2006 is sure to be anything but a repeat.  With this in mind, we are sure to witness one of the most high-energy pro comps of the year, so keep checking back to Lat34.com for the latest updates and more straight from the beach! 

-Glen

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