U.S. Open of Surfing to pay a record $100,000 to men's winner

The Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, which will run July 18-26 at the Huntington Beach Pier, will pay the winner of the men's competition $100,000.

That's a record payoff for any ASP contest and the $80,000 boost, courtesy of Hurley, is sure to fuel the competitive fire among an elite field that's expected to include nine-time world champion Kelly Slater and three-time world champion Andy Irons.

Also expected to compete in the six-star World Qualifying Series contest are three-time U.S. Open champion Rob Machado and World Tour veterans C.J. and Damien Hobgood, Chris Ward, Taylor Knox, Fred Pattachia, Adriano de Souza and Mick Fanning. The contest also will provide San Clemente's Tanner and Pat Gudauskas, and Huntington Beach's Brett Simpson, a chance to boost their WQS points on home turf.

All three are in the top 10 of the WQS standings and trying to qualify for the 2010 World Tour.

Machado, on a contest that has become an enormous spectacle, said: "The event has more humans on the beach than any event in the world."

Machado, a Hurley-sponsored athlete, dreamed up the idea of boosting the men's prize purse. Too bad the women don't have anyone so persuasive. First prize in the women's division: $4,500.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Rob Machado in action during the 2006 U.S. Open, which he won. Credit U.S. Open of Surfing

Comments

[BX]

I sure wish the Hurley website would post the times of the heats-- and post the winners of each heat. I know this is their "Hurley" first year, but us seasoned surf followers who must work-- some of the days of the contest ---get bummed out.