Huntington Beach surfer Brett Simpson, 25, made a historic win at the 2009 Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing last year, in Huntington Beach. With waves reaching 10-12 feet, Simpson triumphed over former ASP World Champion Mike Fanning, winning surfing's biggest victory purse of $100,000 and 2,500 Qualifying Series Points. The victory led to Simpson's making the 2010 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour.
The ASP World Championship Tour is an annual event that names the best competitive surfer as the World Surfing Champion. A qualification system decides who can compete on the tour, for a total of 44 men and 16 women. There are ten events, the first in Australia from Feb. 27 – Mar. 10. (Here's the complete schedule)
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After his win at the U.S. Open, Simpson has been blowing up as a
celebrity surfer: He was on the cover of Surfer magazine, he's the subject of an upcoming
documentary, his own website, a clothing and surfboard line,
etc. Along with Hurley, Simpson has sponsors with Huntington Surf & Sport, Etnies footwear and Toyota of Huntington Beach.
Simpson starred on the Huntington Beach High School Surfing team. After graduation, he went pro, surfing the World
Qualifying System (WQS).
Fans of Simpson can join Hurley and
Huntington Beach Surf & Sport for the Brett Simpson Send Off Party. The event will include Brett “Baseball Card” signing, cheerleaders, “Go Brett” trucker hat giveaways, Wahoos Fish Tacos and more.
Brett Simpson Send Off Party at Huntington Surf & Sport, 300 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (714) 841-4000; www.hsssurf.com/surfnsport. Fri., 5-7 p.m., free.
