Action Continues at HB Pier on Day 4 of SIMA Surfing America USA Championships

Check out all the Top amateur surfers from all around the U.S. OF A right here at South side of the Huntington Beach Pier. You can also check out all the live action at: http://surfingamericalive.com/live/

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Simpson Jumps to Second on ASP WQS After 6-Star PRIME

The first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME event of the 2009 season saw HSS Team Rider Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, California), 24, lead the American charge in Western Australia, finishing in a respectable ninth place at the Drug Aware Pro in Margaret River. Simpson's result bumps him up to second overall on the ASP WQS.

All surfers competing on the ASP WQS are looking to earn points towards qualification for the prestigious ASP Dream Tour, with 15 of the series' finest earning their chance at an ASP World Title the following year. The Drug Aware Pro is an ASP 6-Star PRIME event, which offers the most points towards each surfers ASP WQS rating. The significant ratings points drew the world's best up-and-coming talent to Australia's shore for a chance to get a good start to their 2009 campaign.

Simpson earned a ninth place finish at last week's O'Neill Cold Water Classic event, an ASP WQS 6-Star contest held in Tasmania, and stayed consistent again this week when he matched his performance at the ASP 6-Star PRIME contest and the back-to-back performance displayed by the young Huntington Beach native sets him in second place overall on The Grind.

The talented regular-footer ousted several top international surfers on the way to his solid finish, including former ASP World Tour competitors Travis Logie (Durban, ZAF), 30, and Leonardo Neves (Saquarema, BRA), 29.

Other top American performers at the premier event were San Clemente natives Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, and Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23. Both surfers earned 17th place results.

The next event on the ASP WQS calendar will be the ASP WQS 4-Star Protest Vendee Pro in France from April 6-12, 2009.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org
Follow Brett's quest for the Dream Tour this year at http://www.simplysimpo.com/

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Congratulations Christian Saenz On Your NSSA Southwest Conference Open Men's Title!

Our very own Christian Saenz joined an elite club of surfers which includes Tom Curren, Mike Parsons, Pat O'Connell, Timmy Reyes and Pat Gudauskas by clinching the Southwest Conference Open Men's title at Open #10 at HB Pier. To make this achievement all the more sweeter, he iced it with a victory on his home court in epic 4-6 foot HB perfection. Christian's thirst for competitive success and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic are second to none so look for him to make a strong statement at the 09 championships. You get the feeling that we are seeing just the beginning from this hard-working, incredibly talented kid.

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The Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships is ON!

(Salinas, Ecuador) April 1, 2009 - A powerful 6-8 foot south swell slammed into la FAE beach today making for challenging conditions for surfers at the 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. Amazing performances were turned in by the world's best young surfers as they bravely fought through treacherous currents and clean up sets.

“We had some high scores today but for most of the competitors, it was really difficult,” said Contest Announcer Gary Linden. “La FAE is one of the most consistent waves in Ecuador because it is the most exposed. When it gets big, it is often too big. In most contests, you are always hoping the swell will come up but in this one we are hoping it backs down some. Tomorrow and through the weekend will be really good as the swell fades and these kids are able to show more performance surfing.”

Under 16 Boys teammates Carlos Muñoz and Jordan Hernandez found the right waves in their heats and showed the world today that Costa Rica is home to a stable of exciting junior surfers. The team's star, Carlos Muñoz, is surfing in both Under 18 and Under 16 division. He could potentially surf an exhausting 20 heats this week.

The competition has gotten much tighter as the event continues on to the later rounds. Heat three of the Boys Under 16 was stacked with the future of surfing's powerhouses as South Africans David Brand and Mikey February faced USA's Kolohe Andino and Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau. In the end Brand took the win, followed by Andino for second, and February and Lau in third and fourth, falling to the repercharge rounds.

The standout of the day for the Under 16 Boys was Hawaii's Keanu Asing. His experience in bigger waves proved to be advantageous in today's conditions. Taking off on a solid 8 foot wave, Asing put together a combination of beautiful backhand turns, connecting to the inside and finishing off with a few more solid hacks in the shorebreak.

The French team currently leads the Under 18 Girls division with all four surfers still in the main rounds. Teammates Canelle Bulard and Justine Dupont ended up in the same heat today, but were able to both advance, taking first and second over Peruvian Nadja de Col and New Zealand surfer Rosa Thompson. French surfers Johanne Defay and Marie Dejean also made it through their heats to advance on to round four.

In heat three with the swell peaking, only eight waves were surfed between the four competitors. South African Bianca Buitendag and Australian Laura Enever were able to put together two scores a piece to finish in the one and two spots. Team USA surfer Lakey Peterson caught only one wave in the entire 20 minute heat. Peterson finished third and Hawaiian Nage Melamed finished fourth falling to the repercharge rounds.

Team USA surfer and former ISA World Junior medalist Courtney Conlogue placed second in her heat and will be the only USA Under 18 Girls surfer to continue on to round four of the main event. Teammates Peterson, Lani Doherty and Kaleigh Gilchrist will compete in the repercharge rounds starting tomorrow.

It was a difficult day for surfers in the repercharge heats at the secondary contest site with the increased swell combining with an onshore wind and bottoming tide. Organizers held only two rounds before postponing the Girls Under 18 repercharge heats until tomorrow when the swell is expected to decrease slightly.

Two of the leading teams, France and Hawaii, each saw one surfer from each team exiting the competition today, Dimitri Ouvre and Kyle Galtes bid farewell to the contest. Local Ecuadorian Fabio Dapelo kept his medal hopes alive taking the win in repercharge heat two over Hawaiian Tanner Hendrickson who finished second. Kai Ojima from Japan won his heat while teammate Taiki Kurokoshi finished second later in the round. Barbados surfer Lewis St. John kept his team in the running for the Under 18 Boys division, winning his heat over Tahitian Teiki Charles, Japan's Kaishu Tanaka and Chilean Tomas Villegas.

In the Boys Under 16 repercharge heats at Podium 1, Jamaica and Ecuador had exciting wins. The two teams had surfers in the same heat back-to-back and both teams advanced to the next round. The reaction on the beach to their wins was electric as surfing is new to these nations and their surfers are having their most successful ISA juniors event to date.

Competition will resume tomorrow at 8:00am at la FAE beach in Salinas, Ecuador with round four of Under 18 Boys and Under 18 Girls, along with repercharge rounds for all three divisions.

For more information on the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, LIVE web, free photos and on-demand video highlights, visit www.quiksilver.com/isa.

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Simply Simpo - Episode 3!

Simply Simpo - Episode 3 from LIEBER VISION on Vimeo.

Check out the Simply Simpo site for all of Brett's fun!
GO BRETT!

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SIMPLY SIMPO-The Brett Simpson Series Episode 2-Check it Out Now!

Simply Simpo - Episode 2 from LIEBER VISION on Vimeo.

Introducing Simply Simpo! A one-of-a kind web-episode series featuring HSS's very own Brett Simpson on his quest to qualify for the WCT. Brought to us by The Pursuit's very own Aaron Lieber who will be following Brett this year on his WQS journey. The series will feature free surfing, contest footage, and everything in between. Visit the Simply Simpo website for all the latest. Or, Click Here to buy Aaron Lieber's Pursuit. Go Brett!

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HSS TEAM RIDER SPOTLIGHT- 11 YEAR OLD KANOA IGARASHI IS ON FIRE!

Kanoa Igarashiage-11
School- Dwyer middle school
Grade 6th
Board size 4' 9"
Ridding for HSS since the age of 6
Surfing NSSA open and explorer- boys & juniors WSA prime - 14 and under

Kanoa has not lost a contest this whole season and has a remarkable 7 straight wins. Last weekend up in El Morro Rock Kanoa won the final with 2 perfect 10's to make it the best heat of his life! Have to ask the staff at NSSA has any surfer scored a perfect 20 in the final EVER. Did Bobby Martinez ever?
Kanoa attributes a lot of the recent success to his new boards shaped by Mark Pesce. Mark Pesce has many ripping surfers ridding his boards and there is just something new and fresh with his shapes and understanding of what works and for who. You can grab a Pesce surfboard from the rack or speak to Mark on the board room floor at HSS Main St. Call ahead of time and make sure Mark is working @ 714-960-2266.
Kanoa is going over to Hawaii in November to get some training in larger surf with his family. And he said he just loves hanging out on the North Shore with fellow rippers from home and pushing each other and the warm water ain't bad either!
Kanoa's Goals for this year:
He wants to win the NSSA National title in one or more divisions.
He hopes to keep practicing with the USA Team and loves all the work outs Joey Buran provides. He remarked the one week training camps are so fun to surf all day against the best guys in the US. But the night time was even better, Kalohe Andino, Ian Crane, Parker Coffin snuck into the room where Kanoa and all the younger team were sleeping and painted everyones faces, poured hot sun screen lotion on them.
Thanks Kanoa for being such an awesome team rider!

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CONGRATULATIONS CHRISTIAN SAENZ ON YOUR NSSA OPEN SEASON WIN!

NSSA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
OPEN SEASON EVENT #4
OCEANSIDE SOUTH JETTY
NOVEMBER 1-2, 2008
CONDITIONS: Southwest swell and calm winds combined for excellent 3-5 foot surf on Saturday. A new west swell arrived for Sunday’s finals with solid 4-6 foot surf.


CHRISTIAN SAENZ

The fourth stop of the NSSA Southwest Conference Open Season was off and running November 1-2 at Oceanside South Jetty and the calendar date hit a bulls eye with mint conditions on offer. Clean, 3-5 foot glassy waves were on offer throughout Saturday’s preliminary rounds compliments of a solid southwest swell. On Sunday, a new west swell arrived providing good 4-6 foot surf.

After two second place finishes, Saenz finally got the job done. The Huntington Beach High School junior pulled out all the stops in the 25-minute final including his trademark top to bottom power moves and an uncharacteristic aerial display which resulted in securing his first win of the season. Matched up in the final against ratings leader Riley Metcalf, Open #3 winner Vance Smith and 15-year-old Jared Thorne, Saenz paddled out with a no-holds-barred approach. Despite conditions getting tricky as the tide bottomed out, Saenz went for broke locking in the final’s high scores of 7.00 and 6.33. “I pull airs free surfing all the time but I don’t really go for them too much in competition,” Saenz said. “In the final, I wanted to blow up and make a statement. I just wanted to bring it all out.” Saenz was both ecstatic and relieved to finally finish with an Open Season victory. “I wanted it so bad,” Saenz said. “It’s so hard for me to lose. You go home after losing and don’t want to judge yourself because of results. Then when you win one it’s like I can do this. I feel like I’ve really accomplished a big step.” While Metcalf stayed on track with a four-event finals streak, Saenz inched closer to him in the conference title chase. Metcalf now holds a tightening 280 point lead which makes the race a long way from over. And Saenz is fired up on all cylinders to be in the hunt for the conference championship. “Riley has been surfing good all year, and I feel like it’s going to be a good battle between us for the conference title. Vance has always surfed good but now he seems more focused and his results are showing it. The race will be nail-biting but it’s going to be fun.” With the Mid-Season five-star Open Season approaching in two weeks at Church, the points race is sure to heat up. Valuable double ratings points will be at stake and could shake things up. Great job Christian!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO HSS TEAM RIDER MICAH BYRNE FOR CLAIMING THE MACY'S CA TRIFECTA! NAT YOUNG WINS O'NEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic marked the final event on the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series, an ASP specialty series, which offered an additional $15,000 prize purse to the series winner. Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA), 27, claimed this year’s Trifecta title and $10,000 paycheck by advancing into the Semifinals.
“I’m so stoked,” Byrne said. “I knew I had a lot of ground to make up in the beginning because of Asher (Nolan), and Kieran (Horn) is almost guaranteed a Final here every time, so I wasn’t stressed until the last day or two. I couldn’t even sleep last night.”
Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL), 30, with an equal 33rd finish in the O’Neill Cold Water Classic came in second on the Trifecta to pocket $3,500. Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) who didn’t compete in the event, finished third and garnered $1,500 in the final Trifecta standings thanks to a strong performance at Lower Trestles and the win at the Oakley Newport Beach Pro.

Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in great four-to-six foot surf in front of his home crowd at Steamer Lane. Young defeated fellow finalists Chris Waring (Seal Beach, CA), 21, Granger Larsen (Lahaina, HI), 18, and Sean Moody (North Shore, HI), 25, and reclaimed the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title for the Santa Cruz locals in a close Final.
The ASP WQS offers valuable ratings points towards qualification for the ASP World Tour. Each surfer looks to earn a top 15 position on the ASP WQS by year’s end in order to qualify for the ASP Dream Tour for the following year.
Young came out on top after a nail-biting Final against his fellow competitors. The Steamer Lane local displayed some of the best backside surfing throughout the event and continued his amazing form to claim the O’Neill Cold Water Classic win.
“I’m super excited,” Young said. “I lost in the junior’s and just wanted to do good in this. Just making the Final in this was good, and to win it…”
Young’s Final berth came after a long day of competition. The goofy-footer won both his Quarterfinals and Semifinals heats in the last few minutes of each heat on the way to his event victory. Young ousted fellow Santa Cruz locals Jason Collins (Santa Cruz, CA), 34, and Randy Bonds (Santa Cruz, CA), 31, in his Semifinals heat, taking top honors over his local idols.
“It’s been a long day,” Young said. “I’ve been in my wetsuit since about 7 a.m. and I squeaked through a couple of heats and made the Final and everyone was surfing so good.”
Young also finished second on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series and will go to Australia to represent America at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. Young is looking forward to his first experience at the contest in Narrabeen, Australia.
“It’s my first time in that contest, so I’m excited,” Young said. “There’s a bunch of good guys there and it’s going to be a great learning experience.
Larsen, who finished third, caught a wave in the last few seconds of the Final and could have potentially stolen the lead from Young. Unfortunately for Larsen, he did not find the score needed to take the win, but still was happy with his first ASP WQS Final appearance.
“This is my first WQS Final so I’m really psyched right now,” Larsen said. “I’m just stoked to be in the Final and I’m super psyched, just over the moon.”
Larsen ousted local standout Bud Freitas (Santa Cruz, CA), 24, with an impressive performance in his Semifinals heat. Freitas had been unstoppable up until the Semifinals, earning some of the event’s highest scores, but Larsen notched the score needed in the last few minutes of his heat to end the local’s chances at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic title.
“My board was working good on those medium sized ones, and those are the best waves that come in,” Larsen said. “I had one that was a full horseshoe that was coming at me and I was able to hit it at the end.”

Complete results, images and video highlights available at http://www.coldwaterclassic.net/.
Special thanks to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Oakley Pro Junior and Macy’s CA Trifecta supporting sponsors: O’Neill, Oakley, Macy’s, Red Bull, Coors, Fosters, Palm, SURFER Magazine, SURFING Magazine, WaveWatch.com and FUEL TV. For more information on the Macy's California Trifecta Surf Series visit http://www.catrifecta.com/.

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Results:Final:1 – Nat Young (USA) 13.872 – Chris Waring (USA) 13.843 – Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.934 – Sean Moody (HAW) 11.94
Semifinals: (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.87, Chris Waring (USA) 13.84, Micah Byrne (USA) 13.36, Bud Freitas (USA) 6.80Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 12.67, Sean Moody (USA) 12.43, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.00, Jason Collins (USA) 7.60
Quarterfinals: (1st and 2nd advance)Heat 1: Micah Byrne (USA) 10.77, Granger Larsen (HAW) 9.37, David Gonsalves (HAW) 7.50, Mason Ho (HAW) 7.34Heat 2: Bud Freitas (USA) 13.50, Chris Waring (USA) 11.50, Chad Compton (USA) 10.40, Blake Howard (USA) 7.24Heat 3: Jason Collins (USA) 14.66, Randy Bonds (USA) 11.16, Matt King (USA) 8.10, Kyle Garson (USA) 7.34Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 14.67, Sean Moody (HAW) 10.80, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.34, Cory Lopez (USA) 7.70
Macy’s CA Trifecta WQS Results:1 – Micah Byrne (Huntington Beach, CA) $10,0002 – Asher Nolan (Jacksonville, FL) $3,5003 – Nate Yeomans (San Clemente, CA) $1,500

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Billabong Pro Mundaka Waiting Period Starts Monday, September 29th-Slater can clinch #9 in Spain!

MUNDAKA, Basque Country/Spain (Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008) ASP World Tourratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) was 7.31 points away from clinching hisninth ASP World Title when he was beaten by Australia¹s Adrian Buchan intheir French final bout yesterday. Slater now has to secure an equal 9thfinish at next week¹s Billabong Pro Mundaka to clinch crown No.9.
³I was one wave away [from the title],² Slater said. ³One wave away is a lotcloser than two heats but we¹ll see how we go.²
Slater won his last world title in Mundaka and will do so again this yearshould he advance out of Round 3. If he doesn¹t, and reigning ASP WorldChampion Mick Fanning (AUS) or World No. 2 Taj Burrow win the event, therace will continue to Brazil. Slater will match-up with wildcards in theearly rounds.
³In Mundaka for some reason I haven¹t had trouble in those wildcard heatsbut in Brazil I have before,² Slater said. ³Taj and Mick haven¹t won thisyear but they¹ve both won in Brazil and they¹ve gotten seconds and thirds inMundaka, so those are good contests for those guys. But worse case scenariofor me, it will be narrowed down to one guy at the next event.²
Bobby Martinez (USA) has won the event for the last two years the only twotimes he¹s competed in Mundaka. Martinez finished equal 5th in France andnow sits 7th on the ratings.
³It¹s so tough because I just got lucky with waves and my luck is bound torun out sometime so it could be this year,² Martinez said. ³Mundaka has beena cool place to me the last couple of years and it will always be cool nomatter what happens but I¹ve never done good in France and then I¹ve donegood in Spain so I¹m just hoping it¹s not the other way around this yearsince I just did alright in France.²
The Billabong Pro Mundaka waiting period stretches from next Monday,September 30 to Sunday, October 12.
Top 10 ASP World Tour Ratings going into the Billabong Pro Mundaka:1. Kelly Slater (USA) - 7852 points2. Taj Burrow (AUS) - 6002 points3. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5668 points4. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 5426 points5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 5373 points6. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 5310 points7. Bobby Martinez (USA) - 5092 points8. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 4880 points9. Adrian Buchan (AUS) - 4719 points10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 4407 points

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Oakley Newport Beach Pro Back ON in Increased Swell!

NEWPORT BEACH, California (Friday, September 19, 2008) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 2-Star Oakley Newport Beach Pro is back on with Round 4 paddling out in four-to-five foot (1.5 metre) racy barrels at 56th Street in Newport Beach, California.
The Oakley Newport Beach Pro has already been treated to some dramatic surfing with Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, two-time defending event champion and former Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series Winner (2006), dominating yesterday’s proceedings while top seed and current No. 4 on the ASP WQS Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA, 22, was a surprise elimination.
The ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior will follow today’s ASP WQS action, running all the way through the Semifinals.
Both the Oakley Newport Beach Pro and the Oakley Pro Junior represent the second stop in the 2008 Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series (an ASP North America Specialty Series) with competitors looking to net a solid result before the third and final stop in Santa Cruz in October.
The Oakley Newport Beach Pro will be webcast LIVE via www.newportbeachpro.com
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com and www.aspnorthamerica.org

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Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Champion to be Crowned this Afternoon!

SAN CLEMENTE, California (Thursday, September 11, 2008) – There are only nine heats of the Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley remaining and those heats will run in three to five foot swell today. The 2008 event champion will be crowned early this afternoon.Former event winners Kelly Slater (USA) and Bede Durbidge (AUS) are still in contention, as are rookies Dane Reynolds (USA) and Jordy Smith (ZAF). California’s Bobby Martinez (USA), France’s Jeremy Flores and reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning have all made the quarterfinals as well.The last two heats of Round 4 are up first. Competition will start at 8am. The final, which will be between 35 or 40-minutes in duration, should hit the water at around 12:40pm.Watch it LIVE on www.aspworldtour.com or www.boostmobilepro.comUpcoming Round 4 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Match-ups: Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)Heat 8: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)Upcoming Quarterfinal Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Match-ups: Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)Heat 4: TBA

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Boost Mobile Pro is Live Now!

Round 1 of the Boost Mobile Pro Begins at Lower Trestles at 8am
SAN CLEMENTE, California (Monday, September 8, 2008) – Round 1 of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley will run at Lower Trestles today. The first heat is slated to hit the water at 8am in three to five foot (one metre plus) waves.Officials will endeavor to run all 16 heats of Round 1 and the first two heats of Round 2 today. Heats will be 30 minutes in duration. Bolstering the already stacked field will be former top-rated ASP World Tour surfers Rob Machado (USA), Sunny Garcia (HAW) and Shane Beschen (USA) and wildcards Yadin Nicol (AUS) and Brett Simpson (USA).The Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley will be webcast LIVE via www.boostmobilepro.comUpcoming Round 1 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Heat Match-Ups:Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Travis Logie (ZAF) Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Aritz Aranburu (EUK) Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Taylor Knox (USA), Jihad Khodr (BRA) Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS) Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW), Roy Powers (HAW), Ricky Basnett (ZAF) Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA) Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Shane Beschen (USA) Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Rob Machado (USA) Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS), Chris Ward (USA), Sunny Garcia (HAW) Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Dane Reynolds (USA), Heitor Alves (BRA) Heat 12: Bruce Irons (HAW), Mikael Picon (FRA), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) Heat 13: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Ben Bourgeois (USA) Heat 14: Luke Stedman (AUS), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Luke Munro (AUS) Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Jay Thompson (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF) Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS), Mick Campbell (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)

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CONGRATULATIONS TO HSS TEAM RIDERS ANDREW DOHENY AND COURTNEY CONLOGUE ON MAKING TEAM USA!

2009 PacSun USA Surf Team announced after impressive surfing display
San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – August 24, 2008 – Surfing America, the national governing body for the sport of surfing, is excited to name eight new USA Surfing Champions after the youth divisions wrapped up in two-to-four foot Huntington Beach, CA surf. After six days of competition at the SIMA Surfing America USA Championships presented by PacSun, the new PacSun USA Surf Team was also announced.
"The level of surfing at this year’s USA Champs was unbelievable," said Surfing America executive director Mike Gerard. "The performances were tremendous, the judging was spot on, and the new PacSun USA Surf Team looks stronger than ever."
Hawaiian Keanu Asing proved the standout of the event by taking USA titles in both the Boys Under 18 and Boys Under 16 divisions amongst a stacked field. Asing, who surfed for the Hawaii team at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Championships, is ineligible for the PacSun USA Surf Team but showed his mainland counterparts that he was the form surfer throughout the event.
"I wasn’t really thinking of a double. I just tried to get good waves and surf really good," said Asing. "It’s cool to come here see all the USA guys and compete hard with them. I just tried to do my best and have fun."
Conner Coffin, who suffered an early elimination in Under 16s, gave Asing a run for the title but came up short in the rapidly deteriorating conditions. Nonetheless, Coffin secured his spot on the 2009 PacSun USA Surf Team.
The top female finisher in Girls Under 18 was Santa Ana, CA’s Courtney Conlogue. Conlogue defeated the 2007 champion Sage Erickson by busting big bottom-to-top combos, edging out double finalist Taylor Pitz for the win.
"I was pretty nervous going into that heat," said Conlogue. "All the girls were really good and it was just a final where you had to have your game on or you’d go down."
Conlogue, at 15 years old, elected to only surf in the Under 18s, while most of her competitors surfed in both divisions. The decision proved beneficial, as she remained focused throughout.
"Just surfing in one division gave me confidence," Conlogue continued. "But I didn’t have that second chance, so I had to go full force. I had more motivation to do well."
Also qualifying for the PacSun USA Surf Team was Hawaiian Nage Melamed, who brought forth outstanding performances throughout the entire event. Melamed won the Girls Under 16 title in the final minutes, overtaking South Carolina’s Keenan Lineback.
San Clemente, CA’s Kolohe Andino and Hawaii’s Ian Gentil defended their USA titles in Boys Under 14 and Boys Under 12, respectively. Gentil pushed Andino by taking second in Under 14.
"I like this event because they make you feel cool," said Andino. "The four-man, twenty-minute heat format is sick. It’s a great event and I love doing it. Making the USA team is a great privilege. Plus you get to train with Coach Joey Buran and go around the world with your friends to compete."
At the conclusion of the surfing action, Coach Buran was excited about the 2009 PacSun USA Surf Team roster.
"This is a much better place than we were last year because there is already a solid program in place," said Buran. "The goal of the selection was to have surfers on the roster who will compete for those three ISA starting spots and we have that." Watch highlights!

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The US Open of Surfing Starts Tomorrow!

It's that time of year again when the best surfers from around the world converge on good ol' HB to do battle on the Southside of the Huntington Beach Pier. Mens competition starts tomorrow at 8:00 am. We will also have all the pros signing autographs out in front of HSS(300 PCH). As usual the US Open T-shirts here and looking insane! Check 'em out Here!

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Congratulations Andrew Doheny...#1 Junior in the Nation!

Reigning Open Juniors Champion Andrew Doheny and HSS Team rider standout solidified his position as the number one Junior in the nation. The 15-year-old from Newport Beach was cool and confident in his quest to defending his 2007 title. Doheny looked like he was in the comfort zone in every one of his heats including the final, just having fun, with his explosive arcs and smooth carves in the terrific Lowers conditions. A second 7.25 score for Doheny sealed the deal earning him his second consecutive Open Juniors title. Doheny became only the second surfer in NSSA history to accomplish this feat. Kalani Robb won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993. “It feels really, really good to defend my title,” Doheny said. “I went into the Nationals with a different attitude this year. I just wanted to have fun with it more. There were fun waves, classic Lowers for the finals and I just told myself to go out and have fun and go big. I had a really good JS board and just went out in my heats and freesurfed. It feels like my luck has changed over the years,” Doheny said. “I had gotten second so many times on ties and countbacks and whatnot so it feels good to be the guy in first.” When asked about the pressure of defending his ’07 title Doheny said, “It was almost less pressure for me. Everyone is expecting you not to do it.” Congrats Andrew on killing it at Nationals. Not content with shralping down south at Nationals, Andrew put in an amazing effort at the ASP Grade-4 Nike 6.0 sponsored Pier Pressure event held on the South Side of the HB pier. Advancing to the finals, Doheny was the last North American surfer standing against the overseas onslaught, and the young natural-footer put in a good effort against the domineering Australians in the Final. “I’m super stoked, because this is the best result of my life so far,” Doheny said. “I’m stoked to be the only guy from the United States in the Final.” In the grand scheme of things this ASP Grade-4 Pro Junior result will launch Doheny forward in the ASP North America Pro Junior ratings, increasing his chances for qualification of the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. Watch out for this kid, he is taking over!

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Congratulations Courtney Conlogue NSSA Nationals Champ! We are so Stoked For You...

It was one of the heaviest Open Women’s finals ever despite 11-time champion Carissa Moore’s absence and Coco Ho’s astonishing upset in the Women’s quarterfinals. It would be a California Vs. Hawaii final with HSS’ own Courtney Conlogue holding it down for California along side Sage Erickson. Surfing for the Hawaii contingent was Malia Manuel and Leila Hurst. In the highly anticipated final, despite impressive heats prior to their final heats, both Hawaiians struggled to find their rhythm in the 35-minute Open Women’s/Governor’s Cup final and it turned into two woman showdown between Conlogue and Erickson. Erickson got off to an early lead sticking to her strongest weapon, a dynamic vertical backside. She posted a 7.5 and 6.25 on her first two waves. With Erickson sitting in first position midway through the final, Conlogue kept her cool knowing each wave could be the ultimate one. She took off on a right bomb went off the top and then raced a massive whitewater section, threw up a critical turn, free fell to the bottom, disappeared in a mountain of whitewater and then incomprehensibly reappeared as the entire beach erupted. The judges rewarded the ride with an 8.75 score. Courtney backed it up with a strong 8.0 ride on a left and after five years of unwavering determination, the 15-year-old from Santa Ana, Ca. would not be denied this time taking home her first National title and the esteemed Governor’s Cup. “It’s been five years, five gnarly years” an exuberant Conlogue said. “I was glad that heat was 35 minutes because the first 20 minutes I was sitting out the back waiting for a set. Most of the girls broke to the inside because of the long lull, but I told myself to stay outside and I was just meditating out there. Then that set right came to me. On that turn, I just went as hard as I could.” From opening day of the 2008 regular season it was abundantly clear that Conlogue was in hot pursuit. “I have been training really hard throughout this whole year with the goal of being National Champ. I lost out in the quarters last year so it kind of scorched me in the butt to train a lot harder knowing that the quality of surfing has got so much higher in the Womens. I knew I had to up my game. A few days I would wake up at 3:45 in the morning just to get down to Lowers early before the sun came up because I was hoping that little extra effort would get me to where I wanted to be this year. Conlogue knew her quest wasn't going to be a walk in the park. “This contest is so hard to win and the level was so high this year. Malia Manuel was killing it. Sage just had this amazing backhand at Lowers. Coco, Nage and Leila were all ripping.” During the National Championship Awards Banquet, professional surfer and four-time National Champion Kalani Robb presented Conlogue with the “Kalani Robb Most Inspirational Performance” award for her exceptional surfing display at the Nationals. Courtney accomplished the three championship category sweep in 2008 taking her fourth career Conference title, Regional title and now the Nationals and we’ll see if she can carry the momentum at the US Open this summer at Huntington Pier. “I really want to win the US Open so I’m going to prepare for that.” She also is aiming to defend her well deserved National title. “I’m planning on doing the NSSA through my senior year so I’m going to work hard to defend my National titles these last few years. That would be sick!”
Nice work Courtney!

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NSSA Nationals are on!

Another chapter of NSSA history will open as the 30th annual National Championships takes the nation by storm from Wednesday June 18 to Saturday, June 28. The largest and highest profile amateur surfing event in the country will bring hundreds of surfers to the shores of beautiful Salt Creek in Dana Point and America’s premier cobblestone reef at Lower Trestles located in the treasured San Onofre State Park. The massive nine day event offers four days of exciting competition at Salt Creek and five days of guaranteed spectacular action at Lower Trestles. As is the case with all NSSA Nationals, the greatest youth surfing talent in the nation will be there. The National Interscholastic Championships, the National Explorer Championships and the National Airshow Championships at Salt Creek will provide the early fireworks kicking off on Wednesday, June 18 and running through Saturday, June 21. The championships will then shift 10 miles south to Lower Trestles where the atmosphere will turn electric with anticipation as the prestigious National Open Championships and California State Parks Governor’s Cup are showcased. It’s both showtime and crunch time on amateur surfing’s biggest stage. The list of past National Champions reads like a who’s who of American surfing including current World Tour surfers Kelly Slater, Andy and Bruce Irons, Bobby Martinez, Fred Patacchia, CJ and Damien Hobgood, Kalani Robb, Taylor Knox, current WQS No. 1 Patrick Gudauskas and 2008 Mavericks Champion Greg Long.
OPEN MENS: There is no lack of story lines entering the upcoming National Championships. In the Open Men’s division there are many people pursuing the most celebrated title in amateur surfing and the level this year is superior. Granger Larsen (Lahaina, Hi) leads the contenders list coming off a successful season capturing the Hawaii Conference regular season Open Men’s title and then winning the Regional Championships. He wasn’t a happy camper after his loss in the National quarterfinals in 2007. In his final amateur year, Larsen, a four-time National Champion, will be gunning for the title. Hot on his heels will be fellow Hawaiians Alex Smith (Kilauea, Hi) and Kai Barger (Haiku, Hi) who placed third and fourth respectively in the last year’s Open Men’s final. Barger has four National titles to his credit including a victory last year in the Explorer Juniors. Smith was hot in the 2007 Open Championships winning every heat until the final. He’s got his eyes on the prize and will be determined to go all the way this time. Southwest Conference No. 1 ranked Dane Zaun (Hollyglen, Ca) had a strong start to the 07-08 season but hasn’t won an Open event since last November. He will be aiming to get over the hump and his cutting edge aerials could be a significant weapon. Dillon Perillo (Malibu, Ca) came out the gates blazing to an eight event win streak at the onset of the season but he’s also been winless since late September. It didn’t help that he was fighting off a serious virus that hampered him at the end of the season but he rebounded at the West Coast Regionals making three finals. Perillo definitely has the ability to come up big like his ’06 Open Juniors victory if he is in his best form. Brent Reilly (Carlsbad, Ca) was a standout performer in the Southwest regular season posting eight combined victories in Open and Explorer. He will also be a major player for the Carlsbad High School team in their hunt for the Interscholastic crown. Northwest Conference top seed Nat Young (Santa Cruz, Ca) has the potential to become the first Norcal surfer to win the coveted title. He put up respectable numbers during the 07-08 season winning nine events and came very close to winning the West Coast Regionals. Leading for the East is Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, Va) who turned in a monster performance at the East Coast Regionals sweeping the big three divisions (Open Men’s, Explorer Men’s and Explorer Juniors).
OPEN JUNIORS: No. 1 seed Conner Coffin (Santa Barbara, Ca) has stepped up his game enormously this season and will be a top prospect in the Open Juniors category. Coffin’s powerful approach also gives him a solid shot for a championship run in the Open Men’s and the Explorer divisions. Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, Ca) closed out the 2008 season in brilliant and historic fashion becoming the youngest surfer to win the Open Men’s division in the NSSA Regional Championships and the only surfer to win both the Men’s and Juniors in the same year. He currently has a career total of five National titles and at 14 years of age is on track to smash the male record of seven currently held by Bobby Martinez. Andino will be competing in six divisions at the Nationals and is fully capable of winning any of them (Open Men’s, Open Juniors, Explorer Boys, Explorer Menehuene, Airshow, Middle School Boys). East Coast phenom Evan Geiselman (New Smyrna Beach, Fl) has a record 12 Regional titles to his name and has proved he can win at the Nationals (2007 Explorer Boys, 2004 Open Mini Grom). Hawaii’s No. 1 ranked Tanner Hendrickson (Haiku, Hi) is expected to turn in a big performance and lay down a heavy challenge for the title. He won three events in the Open Juniors during the regular season and topped it off with a victory at the Regionals. The odds are good for a repeat showdown between defending Open Juniors Champion Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, Ca) and runner-up Keanu Asing (Ewa Beach, Hi). Doheny edged Asing out for the title last year by a half point. Hawaii’s No. 3 ranked John John Florence (Haleiwa, Hi) has a big track record at the Nationals with four titles to his credit and despite going winless the past two years, he is sure to be one of the biggest challengers.
OPEN WOMENS: The Open Women’s title will be up for grabs this year with the departure of 11-time National Champion Carissa Moore who has claimed it the past four years. Despite the absence of Moore, the Women’s field is brimming with talent. The top seed is 14-year-old Alessa Quizon (Waianae, Hi) who dominated in Hawaii taking three victories over the regular season and triumphed at the Regional Championships. She won the National Explorer Girls in 2007, and will seek to defend that title along while making a strong bid for the Open. After an impressive runner-up finish in 2007, Coco Ho (Haleiwa, Hi) can taste victory and after four years of attempts expectations are high for her to finally join the exclusive club. From the West, Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, Ca) has been getting it done all year. She set an exception standard winning her fourth consecutive Southwest Conference title and then capped off the West Coast season winning her first Regional title. She will be more passionate and determined than ever to win her first Nationals. Sage Erickson (Ojai, Ca) has made it to two straight Open finals appearances. This is her final shot as an amateur so look for her to bring her best game to Lowers. 14-year-old Jasset Umbel (Melbourne Beach, Fl) shined at the East Coast Regionals with double wins in the Open Women’s and Explorer Girls. Also from the East, Amy Nicholl (New Smyrna Beach, Fl) will be eager to give it another shot after a costly interference penalty kept her out of the final last year.
THE NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: The spirited San Dieguito team clicked into gear at the 2007 championships taking their first National title in 15 years. This year, however the No. 1 seed is 17-time National Champion Huntington Beach who spanked the field at the 2008 State titles winning it by a 26-point margin. The Oilers are focused and committed to be National Champions again, being shut down since their last triumph in 1998. Carlsbad was runner-up to HB at this year’s State titles but will bring on a stronger squad to the Nationals including Brent Reilly and Gabe Garcia who did not compete at the State Championships. San Dieguito is the No. 3 going into the Nationals followed by eight-time National Champion San Clemente at No. 4. The complete list of High Schools competing are Huntington Beach , Carlsbad, San Dieguito, San Clemente, Edison, Carpenteria, Marina, Manasquan from New Jersey, Middle Township from New Jersey, Kealakehe from Hawaii, Elite Academy from Hawaii.
San Diego State is the reigning National Champions and still one of the top teams to beat. In a nail biter at the 2008 State titles, ten-time National Champion UCSB beat San Diego State by a mere two points. Perinneal power Mira Costa is always a contender as is 2006 National Champion Saddleback. The complete list of Colleges competing are UCSB A & B, San Diego State, CSU San Marcos, Mira Costa, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Saddleback, UC San Diego, University of Central Florida, University of Florida.
Shorecliffs Middle School will be going for their third consecutive National title. They have a powerhouse squad led by 2007 National Middle School Champion Kolohe Andino and 2008 State Champion Ian Crane. The complete list of Middle Schools competing are Shorecliffs A & B, Sowers A & B, Dwyer, Carpenteria, Marco Forster, Niguel Hills and Kapaa from Hawaii.
CALIFORNA STATE PARKS GOVERNOR’S CUP: For the eighth consecutive year, the NSSA is pleased to team up with the California State Parks in presenting the prestigious Governor’s Cup trophy to the winners of the Open Men’s and Women’s divisions. The NSSA is honored to have the support of the State of California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California State Parks in their recognition of the National Championships and our commitment to education and scholastic surfing.
ESTEEMED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JUDGING PANEL: Dedicated to the highest quality of event operations and competition, a judging panel with nearly 100 years of experience has been selected for the 2008 National Championships. Gayline Clifford, completing her 20th year as the NSSA Head Judge will be joined by ASP World Tour judge Davy Shipley (10th season on the ASP World Tour), ASP World Tour Regional Head Judge Jack Shipley (judged 38 ASP Pipe Masters events), ASP WQS Judge Bryson Greaves, ASP WQS judge Dylan Feindt and ASP WQS Judge Anthony Ferriero. All six members of the judging crew also worked the 2008 NSSA Regional Championships.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WEBCAST: For the second consecutive year, Surfing Magazine’s website at surfingthemag.com will host the webcast of the final three days of the competition, June 26-28. The webcast, sponsored by Nike 6.0, will take Nationals coverage to the next level with unprecedented coverage of the Open Championships and all of the National Championship and Governor’s Cup finals. Now, surfing fans worldwide will be able to follow all of the action, the three peak days at Lower Trestles. The webcast will be hosted by Surfing Magazine Editor in Chief Evan Slater who will provide expert analysis and background information of the NSSA and the National Championships. He will be joined by the color commentary of David Stansfield, Peter Mel and Saxon Boucher. For Live Webcast, Click Here
PARKING AT SALT CREEK AND LOWER TRESTLES: Salt Creek offers a large metered parking lot off of Ritz Carlton Drive which requires quarters so bring lot's of them. There is a path from the parking lot that leads to Salt Creek beach. At Lower Trestles, special events parking of $10.00 per day will be available at the State Parks parking lot at the Basilone Rd exit. Shuttle service provided by the NSSA will be available from the parking lot to the contest site from 6:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday-Saturday.

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High Performance Surfing for Day 2 SriLankan Airlines Pro

PASTA POINT, MALDIVES (Tuesday, June 10, 2008) – Perfect Pasta Point highlighted the true qualities of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME SriLankan Airlines Pro with ideal winds and super clean fun waves in the four-to-six foot (2 metre) range allowing many of the world’s top surfers to display their incredible talents.
It’s the eighth year of what is widely regarded as one of the very best events on the ASP WQS and as history will show, this event seems to always score fantastic surf.
While it never gets gigantic Hawaiian style surf, or death defying Tahitian/Fiji barreling surf, what it does deliver is super consistent high quality surf in an environment that is ideal for professional surfing.
The No. 1 seed, current ASP World Tour campaigner Mick Campbell (AUS,) typified the sort of surfing required to win in the Maldives posting two excellent scores of an 8.67 and an 8.17 posting the days top scoring heat win over fellow Australian Mark Mathews in the opening Round 2 heat.
The former world No. 2 is loving the Maldives and appeared both confident and relaxed after his win today saying, “No pressure on myself here, I love it, all the pressure is for the other guys not me. The waves are pumping and in this climate you just love surfing. I’ve made the semi’s here a few years ago and it would be good to go one better.”
The surfer creating most interest at this event is undoubtedly the big Hawaiian Sunny Garcia. The veteran ASP World Tour surfer who won the ASP World Title in 2000 and has forever been a champion of the sport continues his impressive and determined comeback into professional surfing and he won his Round 2 heat today displaying his famous powerhouse moves and style.
Garcia posted 14.20 (out of a possible 20) for his top two scoring rides to comfortably win over Austin Ware (USA) on 12.84.
Garcia looks incredibly fit and appears to be gaining confidence as the season progresses. After his win today, the likeable Hawaiian said, “Everything is good for me at the moment. I love it here in the Maldives, I’m here with my soon to be wife Colleen and I’m really enjoying my surfing. Last year was depressing for me with court, prison, divorce and everything but now my life is on track and I’m feeling good.”
In relation to his fitness, Garcia went on to say, “I train hard, running every morning and then training with Colleen. I’m getting into good shape and after here I’ll go home and train even harder to lose more weight for the European leg of the tour.”
Other impressive Round 2 heat progressions today were posted by Dane Gudauskas (USA),Kekoa Bakalso (Haw), Damien Farenfort (ZAF) and Jihad Khodr (BRA).
Eight heats of Round 2 were completed today and with excellent waves expected tomorrow the remaining 16 round two heats look set to go. CLICK HERE for live webcast!

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Keep Your Eyes on Courtney!

Team HSS's very own Courtney Conlogue, the 15-year-old surf phenom out of Santa Ana, CA, powers into summer with a third place, at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Games. This win follows her spring win at the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) West Coast Regionals. In preparation to step into a leading role on the women's stage of competitive surfing, Conlogue trained diligently on her local southern California breaks over the winter. The results so far this season demonstrate that her hard work is paying off.
"It is such an honor to be at the World Games in France surfing with the whole team USA," says Conlogue. "I thoroughly enjoyed the waves in Seignosse and taking in the culture. Finding some solid point totals here on the world stage is a great confidence booster."
At the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Seignosse, France, Conlogue finished the weekend with a third place in the women's under 18 division. She soared across the pond hot taking first in almost every heat she surfed going into Saturday's finals with a high score of 17 points, a record for her round.
Her strong, competitive surfing landed her on top of the podium in the NSSA West Coast Regionals this spring. She sealed the deal with a scorching backside attack on an overhead left which posted a high 8.67 score. Now her sights are set on continuing her winning NSSA season at the Nationals from June 24-28 at Lower Trestles in California.
"I'm going to train really hard this month and keep my game on," a focused, Conlogue said after the Western Regionals. "I am striving for a strong result to wrap up the NSSA season."
Following nationals, Conlogue heads Puerto Escondido, Mexico to represent the United States in Summer X Games 14 July 7 - 11. Then she's back to her local break, the Huntington Beach Pier, to compete in the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing Events Presented by O'Neill, July 18 - 27. While at the Open, Conlogue will compete in the Battle of the Brands, the S3 Supergirl Junior Pro, and the WQS 6 star women's surfing event.

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