Surfing may have been born in Hawaii and raised in Malibu, but it grew up on the golden shores of Orange County. From the breaks at Sunset to the beaches fronting “Surf City” in Huntington Beach south to the legendary line-up at Trestles on the southern border, Orange County has been the spawning ground for generations of great board riders.

The Register salutes the best each year with the annual Orange County Surfer of the Year Awards. The online poll plugs into fans who vote for the best male and female professional rider – maybe a contestant in the worldwide Association of Surfing Professionals circuit or a lone wolf seeking out the biggest waves wherever they form in the oceans of the earth. A prize goes to the best of the longboarders who cruise the waves in their big boards, keeping alive the “hang ten” tradition of their zinc-nose slathered forefathers and mothers.

The awards also honor the next wave of top surfers – the up and coming boys and girls who surf for the fun of it or for their high school or surf team spirit, with perhaps an eye to one day taking on the Kelly Slaters, Andy Irons and Layne Beachleys of the world.

Fans, vote early and often. The last waves of votes will hit the ballot at midnight on July 9. Then the horn blows. The excitement peaks during the U.S. Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach, where the awards ceremony will be held at the Walk of Fame at Jack’s Surfboards on July 23.

story via