Top Moments from the U.S. Open of Surfing

Jul 31 2006 / Los Angeles, CA

With so much wave madness going on at the US Open, it’s hard to remember the hottest surfing moments going down at Huntington Beach Pier.  Not to worry though, here’s a recap of the Top 10 moments of the week at the biggest professional surfing event of the year:    

1. First up was the Men’s Finals.  Machado killed it in front of thousands with big moves including a styley reverse 360 and sent Hawaiian Roy Powers packing.  After his loss last year to Andy Irons, the Mobster was determined to come out on top in 2006 and delivered the goods in spades.

VIDEO CLIP    Rob Machado wins     Men's Final. PLAY CLIP >

2. Second goes to Sofia Mulanovich’s win in Saturday’s Women’s Finals.  Displaying a powerful surfing style and a confident attitude, Sofia slayed all of the other girls with huge snaps, lofty floaters and super long waves to all the inside that earned her the win.  Judging by her performance in Huntington, Mulanovich is clearly on her way to regaining the world title.

3. Third in my book was the scorching Semis pitting Machado up against San Clemente’s Mike Losness.  Both guys totally killed it with performances that easily could have easily happened in any Finals event.  Trying to one-up each other on every wave, it was a classic SoCal showdown that kept everyone on the edge of their seat.   

VIDEO CLIP     Watch Dodger Kremel ride away with the longboard divison.   VIEW GALLERY >

4. Coming in fourth was Mick Campbell’s perfect 10 on a wave against Timmy Curran and Josh Kerr.  In the only perfect score of the entire 2006 US Open event, this one needs absolutely no explanation.

5. Next was Dodger Kremel’s sick wave in the Men’s Longboard Finals which takes fifth.  After a long left, he dropped back down, rode the board fakie and landed a longboard shove-it which sent the hometown crowd into a frenzy.  And let me reiterate – this was on a longboard!  

6. Earning sixth was the “They Will Surf Again” Expression Session by presented Life Rolls On.  Seeing Jesse Billauer out there ripping it up was a true inspiration and one that I will never forget.  I’m sure everyone else felt the exact same way.  

7. Taking seventh was Jeremy Flores’ stunning victory over Bobby Martinez in the second round of the Quarters.  With Martinez in power-surfing mode all week, this was one of the biggest upsets of the entire contest and one which no one could have predicted - especially considering that Martinez is currently ranked fourth on the WCT.

PHOTO GALLERY  Check out the Women's Champ Sofia Mulanovich in our Gallery. VIEW GALLERY >

8. Eighth goes to Lee Ann Curren, who killed the competition to win the Target Women’s Junior Pro.  Displaying the smooth style that runs in the Curren family, Lee Ann’s lethal roundhouses and big cracks made everyone stand at attention.  And if you didn’t know who she was before the Open, I’m sure you do now.  

9. Placing ninth was Mason Ho’s victory over Brazil surf veteran Victor Ribas in Heat 2 of Round 5. Stealing the lead with an impressive 8.7, Mason busted a clean 360 and even shot the pier, something only seen by a select few of the competitors.  Add in that Mason was the youngest guy in the Heat, and you have another big moment in US Open history.

10. Tenth, was the O’Neill Tow-At Demo.  Seeing guys getting sick amounts of air after being pulled in at warp-speed by jet-skis can get even the most jaded of surfers excited, and landing a 360 air nearly 10 feet above the lip isn’t too shabby either.  One of the most impressive demos of the entire week, it showcased one of the areas where surfing is headed and was definitely a crowd pleaser. 

-Glen Braunsdorf