Just saw this one courtesy of Dino Cean on Facebook - Hurley is having a huge back to school sale this Saturday at their headquarters in Costa Mesa.
Get great deals up to 40 percent on various merchandise.
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Hurley Headquarters, 1945 Placentia, Costa Mesa, CA
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Back in 1989, the surf industry was still in its teenage years.
Most surf retailers were operating as low-key, mom and pop shops. Brands like Gotcha hit the scene, and no one could have guessed just how successful the surf industry would be.
The manufacturers needed a unified voice, a group that could tailor their niche products to a broader marketplace. So a large group of industry executives – including O’Neill’s Kelly Woolsey and several editors of surf magazines – got together to figure out how to make their industry grow.
In 1990, SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturing Association) became formally recognized, with Quiksilver’s Bob McKnight as president and Gotcha’s Michael Tomson as vice-president.
“Over the years the surf companies have not only grown in size, but they also got very smart, very savvy,” said SIMA’s Executive Director Sean Smith. “They really started to see more than just in their back yard. They really tried to think broader and bigger.”
And that they did. Twenty years later, the surf and skate industry hit $7.88 billion in revenue.
“I think this organization has brought unity to a group of businesses – wholesale, retail, marketing and media – and kept it special, kept it unique,” said Paul Naude, president of Billabong USA. “I think that’s what makes the industry what it is.”
SIMA does more than serve as a cohesive glue for the surf industry. It has many branches, giving workshops and boot camps for retailers and manufacturers, doing independent reports on the state of the industry, and raising money for environmental and humanitarian causes.
There are two major benefits held each year by SIMA. The Liquid Nation Ball, which started six years ago, raises funds for its Humanitarian Fund.
This weekend, the Waterman’s Weekend will be held, where industry leaders and well-known surfers gather for a few day of fun over a golf course at Monarch Beach in Dana Point, and at a formal Waterman’s Ball (yes, they actually trade in their board shorts for suits for this one) at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel.
Just thinking about it all still gives me chills.
I’ve gone down to the U.S. Open of Surfing for years and it’s always been entertaining, especially all the madness on the wilder side in the village area.
But this year, you could just tell there was something different in the air: it was all about the surf.
The excitement started to build months prior to the event, as word of Hurley’s involvement and big names started floating around.
Then, Surfline.com caught wind of really big waves – the biggest the contest has seen in perhaps decades – on their way.
During the early days of the contest – when the setting up was still in process and there were still few people on the sand – you could really see just how awesome this year was going to be.
Hurley’s decision to step up as title sponsor of this event was genius. For years, surf companies have avoided the event, not wanting to put up the money it takes to pull it together.
Hurley made the investment, and in my opinion, it paid off. They used the space wisely, putting their latest products on display and posting signage everywhere. Their involvement gave the U.S. Open of Surfing a sense of legitimacy – even respectability – by bringing surf back to the forefront.
You could almost hear all the other surf companies say: Why didn’t we think of that???!!!
Hurley took it up another notch when they said who was showing up: Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Rob Machado, Mick Fanning. How are the up-and-coming surfers going to be able to beat them?
And at stake? A cool $100,000 to the top male surfer.
With that foundation set, this year’s event – which marked 50 years of surfing contests at the pier — all came together as we witnessed one of the most dramatic, jaw-dropping surf events to hit Orange County’s shores.
I had a quick chat with Evan Slater, Hurley’s director of digital communications, about his top three moments of the contest. Here’s what he said:
1. Courtney Conlogue’s quarterfinals: A 9.93 and 9.7 on the biggest day. That was what I believe is the highest combined score in U.S. Open history. She’s a real gutsy surfer. I’ve never seen a female take on waves like that at Huntington. You just saw the level being raised in all the divisions. It was really challenging surf – Courtney said it was the biggest Huntington she’s ever surfed. Check her out here.
2. Kelly Slater’s Perfect 10: That to me, solidified the reason we worked so hard to make sure the world’s best surfers were there. I thought it was kind of a gift back to the fans. It made everyone’s morning to witness something like that. It was amazing to see that Kelly was in the right spot, put himself behind the peak and he basically got barreled on the biggest wave of the day, and came out with 15-feet of whitewater all around him. Check out the video here. 
3. Brett Simpson’s win: I’d have to give it up for Brett. The last area local was Richie Collins in 1989, he was from Newport. Brett’s considered a true Huntington Beach local. It was really cool for the city of Huntington, which is celebrating 100 years, and for the 50-year anniversary for surfing at the pier. This will certainly help Brett’s chances for qualification, which we would love to see. See the video here.
Slater’s thoughts are right on. I can’t tell you how proud I am of both Courtney’s and Brett’s win. Voters got it right when they picked both for the 2009 OC Surfers of the Year contest put on by the Register. Through that contest, I learned a lot about these surfers. I’m sure anyone who knows them would agree – the wins couldn’t have happened to nicer people, who have both worked harder than we’ll ever know.
Dad spent countless nights in front of his computer tracking his son surfing across the world. South Africa or Australia or anywhere with an ocean and everywhere against competition, Brett Simpson had fallen short of a breakthrough victory.
In a somewhat joking tone, knowing the too-good-to-happen opportunity would be improbable, Bill Simpson got off his computer after Brett lost in Brazil last week and said, “God, I guess you just wanted him to win in Huntington Beach next week.”
And there’s where the stars began to align the big swell and compelling story: Orange County’s hometown favorite not only captured every surfer’s dream of winning the Hurley U.S. Open, but the Huntington Beach surfer did so in front of his hometown fans to win the largest first-place purse in surfing history.
“I’m speechless. There’s not many words how I can describe it,” said Brett holding an oversized check for $100,000. “My body just wants to freak out.”
The fairytale ending concluded the U.S. Open that brought an estimated 140,000 spectators on Sunday alone. As the final horn went off, fans swarmed to carry Brett from the ocean to the trophy presentation, slapping high fives all along the way.
That’s when the victory lap officially began - but the underdog had assured himself the win much earlier.
Just 10 minutes into the 30-minute heat, Brett’s third wave provided enough breathing room with a 360-degree aerial — judges gave it a 9.10 — that eventually served as the early knockout punch.
Opponent Mick Fanning, the 28-year-old former World champion from Australia, needed to land his own almost-perfect 9.43 to spoil the homecoming party.
“I’ve been watching the event since I was 12,” said Brett, who is believed to be the first-ever U.S. Open winner from Huntington Beach. “Every year I’ve been down, every day, it’s been the goal in the back of my mind. It’s nice to be up on top.”
Brett admitted his “home-court advantage” helped keep him focused on surfing and not distracted by a foreign daily routine. Beyond home cooked meals and his own bed at night, Brett used almost ten years of local knowledge to read the swell.
Those ten years were far from what Bill expected.
Raised in a traditional sports-revolving household, Brett remembers surprising his father by giving up football, basketball and baseball.
When Brett started surfing, “(Dad) was like, ‘what the hell are you doing?’”
On Sunday it was clear what Brett was doing. Bob Hurley asked Bill, a former Los Angeles Ram: “Did you want him to be a free safety or a surfer?”
Bill paused then looked down at his son’s check worth more than double what he made as an NFL rookie, and responded with: “A surfer.”
Brett has become more than just a surfer, improving his No. 9 world ranking after this weekend. Overcoming nine days of competition against the world’s best – including nine-time world champion Kelly Slater and three-time world champ Andy Irons - Brett’s accomplishment comes under the historic conditions of incredible surf and star power that showed up.
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Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson has reached the U.S. Open finals, and has the chance to win $100,000 without facing surfing legend Kelly Slater.
Slater was knocked out earlier in the morning.
“Kelly’s always lethal and I think he does put a, not a voodoo, but people do get a little bit nervous,” Simpson said. “It’s always been my goal to surf against him in the finals. But either way, I’m stoked.”
The championship is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. He will face Mick Fanning, the 2007 World Surfing champion.
The heavily favored Kelly Slater, who looked to be in a league of his own throughout most of the U.S. Open, was upset by Adriano de Souza in the quarterfinals Sunday morning.
Slater, the nine-time World champion, could only catch waves of 7.17 and 2.83. After security guards escorted him past fans to exit the surf stadium, a visually upset Slater denied all interview requests — even the live Hurley webcast.
After basking in the thousands of fans that showed up and wanted a piece of him all week — he suddenly didn’t want to talk to anybody.
“No, I’m going to cool off,” Slater told me after requesting a minute for his reaction.
de Souza recorded a 7.43 and 5.67 but did not talk to Slater afterward, either.
“Nah, for sure he’s mad,” de Souza said of Slater. “Not a good moment to talk to him.”
> Get more U.S. Open coverage - slideshows, video, schedules, results and more.
San Clemente’s Patrick Gudauskas ended his hot streak Sunday morning in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Gudauskas lost to C.J. Hobgood by about three points overall, 16.76 to 13.77.
“It wasn’t my best heat,” Gudauskas said. “He came out swinging. there’s not much you can do. I kind of got stuck by the pier and just started burning all my energy.”
Still as one of two Orange County surfers to make the quarterfinals, Gudauskas had nothing but love for his hometown crowd.
Gudauskas plans to relax for a few weeks while trailing for his next stop: France on August 15.
“It’s been insane,” he said. “Definitely the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen. It’s pretty exciting.”
> Get more U.S. Open coverage - slideshows, video, schedules, results and more.
Having been the first heat each morning of the U.S. Open, Brett Simpson just uses it to his advantage.
And once again Sunday morning, at another 8 a.m. start time, the Huntington Beach surfer already advanced to the next round before the sun could burn through early clouds.
Simpson edged the defending champion Nathaniel Curran with a 13.50 combined score. The semifinals are scheduled for 9:40 a.m.
“That’s the cool thing about it, I kind of am a morning guy,” Simpson said. “I really do hate hanging out all day, waiting for my heat because the nerves get even worse and you kind of almost run out of energy. So it’s nice to just get through.”
> Get more U.S. Open coverage - slideshows, video, schedules, results and more.
Local surfers recognized Surfline wire news
