Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), 24, has claimed the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing over former ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (Coolangatta, AUS), 28, in front of an ecstatic hometown crowd, netting surfing’s biggest victory purse ever – US$100,000.

An event that will go down in surfing history, the 2009 Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing was treated to incredible surf (waves reaching as high as ten-to-twelve feet), an unprecedented number of elite ASP Dream Tour competitors in attendance as well as the biggest winner’s prize in surfing history. The young local’s emphatic victory in front of the hundreds of thousands on the beach provided the storybook ending and vaulted the event to unprecedented heights.

Simpson wasted no time in putting his opponent on the ropes in the Final, collecting a 6.83, a 7.83 and a 9.10 in the opening half of the heat with razor-sharp turns, explosive aerial maneuvers and a supernatural rapport with the Huntington Beach sandbanks.

“I knew the tide was coming up and there weren’t going to be as many waves,” Simpson said. “I knew I needed a quick start. We (Mick Fanning and I) both got off to pretty quick starts. We both picked up some good scores off the bat and I was able to build a little momentum throughout my opening waves. I couldn’t believe it when the heat finished – I’m still at a loss. I can’t ask for more than to beat Mick Fanning in the Final at home. With that, and the $100,000 and the 2,500 ’QS points, I’m nearly in tears at the moment.”

Each one of Simpson’s maneuvers was met with a thunder of cheers from the hundreds of thousands of spectators on the beach, and the young Californian’s win was caused an unparalleled eruption of excitement to ripple through the Hurley U.S. Open event site.

“When you’re riding on the ski in front of the crowd and you hear the applause it definitely pumps you up,” Simpson said. “Every time I was feeling a bit tired, the energy level of the crowd would lift me right up. It’s unbelievable to have all the support and my family and friends here with me. This is the best day of my life.”

In addition to taking away professional surfing’s biggest first prize in history (US$100,000), Simpson earned 2,500 ASP WQS points solidifying his campaign in the qualification race for the 2010 ASP Dream Tour. The progressive natural-footer is in excellent position for a berth next season at professional surfing’s most elite level, the ASP World Tour.

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Marie Dejean (La Sauzaie, FRA), 17, and Thomaz Petterson (Santa Catarina, BRA), 20, have won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade-1 Vans Pro Junior event today, respectively in the women’s and the men’s divisions.

Finishing first after four days of intense action that witnessed some impressive scores and progressive surfing, both champions were able to oust event favorites in their respective categories, Dejean clinching her maiden ASP Pro Junior event and Petterson his second consecutive title in a month-time.

Thomaz Petterson, who waited the last minute of the thrity-minute decider to come back from fourth to first in a desperate tentative to post the event’s highest score with a 9.50 point ride, was impressive throughout the event using his unstoppable speed and flying ss to better defending champion Marc Lacomare (Hossegor, FRA), 18, and leave local favorite Jatyr Berasaluce (Sopelana, EUK), 20, in second.

“It’s just amazing to win this event, the second one in a row for me,” Petterson said. “I was just out of the race for the whole heat and I knew that I had to risk everything to hope for a win or a second place. That left came and I just let go with these two airs and landed them. I am so stoked right now.”

Petterson, whose performance in the final showed again he was solid enough to best Europe’s best representatives on their home lands, moves the following event with an immense confidence after achieving in a month more than he had ever done before flying to Europe.

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Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 15, won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open today over defending event champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 15, who claimed the U.S. Open Nike 6.0 Pro Junior, in a high-scoring Final in six-to-eight foot (2 metre) surf today at South Huntington Beach Pier.

Surfers competing at the prestigious Hurley U.S. Open event are battling for the important ratings points on offer towards qualification for the ASP World Tour.

Conlogue won the hard-fought battle over the young Hawaiian with huge backside blasts on the steep lefthanders in the Final to log a 9.00 and an 8.17 in her score line, placing the defending champion in a combination situation. Each of the impressive scores earned by the Huntington Beach local were awarded with one single maneuver, allowing her to take out her first major ASP WQS victory.

“I’m pretty much speechless,” Conlogue said. “Malia (Manuel), she’s an amazing surfer and to win that heat was to die for. I want to thank Malia for putting on a good Final with me. I’m so stoked to have had that Final with her. I was just going out there and having fun and that’s what I’ve been doing this whole contest and it ended up working out. I’m going to try and carry that throughout all of my contests this year.”

The young American’s victory today solidifies her as a threat to the rest of the world’s finest competitive surfing talent and continues to establish the explosive regular-footer as a frontrunner in the women’s progressive surfing movement. After completing her educational goals, Conlogue expects to set her sights on the Women’s ASP World tour.

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