I had a quick chat with Huntington Beach surfer Brett Simpson, who is gearing up this morning for his heat against nine-time world champion Kelly Slater.

Simpson propelled from an up-and-comer to a surfer to be reckoned with during the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, taking out a pool of some of the world’s top surfers to nab the title last July.

Even though he had surgery recently for a bone chip in his ankle, he put on a stellar performance on Sunday, the first day of the Hurley Pro, when he won a heat against Australian Taj Burrow, busting out a move that judges didn’t even have a name for.

This morning, he was out studying the water before his big heat with Slater, which is scheduled for about 9:15 a.m. “It’s an exciting morning,” he said. ”I don’t have much to lose. It’s a good experience.”

Kelly Slater walks into the competitor area this morning

Simpson said he’s going to continue what he’s been doing, and see if he can put up a good fight against Slater, who has won the Hurley Pro (back when it was known as the Boost Mobile Pro) three times, and is reigning champion.

While Simpson might not have much to lose, he has a lot to gain. Simpson is currently on the World Qualifying Tour and is on the cusp of making it to the elite level of the World Tour where surfers such as Slater compete.

“If I can beat Kelly, it’s just an added bonus of this great year,” he said. “I’m not really scared, but I am nervous. I think I perform best under those moments. I’ll just go out and have fun.”

This morning’s conditions: Peaky 2 – 4 foot waves with light offshore winds, south swell continues. Rob Machado surfs at about 8:30 a.m. against Joel Parkinson. Watch the action live here.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.