Southland surfers are positioned to do well at U.S. Open
SURFING
This may be a turning point after struggles, with five native Southern Californians currently in top ranks to reach World Championship Tour going into contest at Huntington Beach.
Ever since the Beach Boys arrived on the music scene in 1961, Southern California has been recognized as a nesting place for the surfing lifestyle. The region just hasn't produced many great surfers in recent years.
Those who have honed their skills in local waters have struggled mightily to reach the exclusive World Championship Tour, getting drowned out by droves of Australians, Brazilians, South Africans and Kelly Slater-led Floridians. Since the mid-1990s, no more than two surfers from Southern California have qualified for the WCT in the same year, and only eight new faces have made the transition since 1997.
This year could be a turning point, however.
Heading into the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing today through Sunday alongside the Huntington Beach Pier, five native Southern Californians are currently ranked among the top 15 on the World Qualifying Series tour. The top 16 at season's end qualify for the 45-man WCT.
Patrick Gudauskas of San Clemente is No. 1 at the halfway point of the season, Nathaniel Curran of Oxnard is No. 4, Nathan Yeomans of San Clemente is No. 8, Austin Ware of Solana Beach is No. 10 and Brett Simpson of Huntington Beach is No. 15.
The six-star U.S. Open of Surfing is the highest-rated WQS event on the North American mainland, meaning a high finish will bump them into excellent position toward qualifying for the WCT.
Local knowledge is expected to come in handy, as well as the comfort of sleeping in their own beds.
"I'm ready," Simpson said. "I think this is where I can do the most damage."
If Simpson can maintain or better his position during the second half of the season, he would become just the third surfer from Huntington Beach to qualify for the WCT, joining Jeff Deffenbaugh (1995) and Tim Reyes (2004).
And his hometown is known as Surf City.
San Clemente has been slightly better represented at the top level, but despite having one of the world's best training grounds just south of the city at Trestles, they are largely outnumbered by those from, say, Coolangatta, a small coastal town on Australia's Gold Coast. That could also change before the end of the year.
Gudauskas is in position to become just the second American to finish atop the WQS at season's end, joining Slater in 1994. His traveling partners include Yeomans and Ware. Together, they encourage each other from their first heat to their last.
