This past weekend, our coast was bombarded with the biggest waves we've had in a year. Rumors raged across the county of freak triple overhead closeouts, broken leashes and far worse. We all shuddered and thought of our own near-death surfing moments when we heard that Monte Kevin Valentin, a 50-year old bodysurfer who came in from Lawndale, was beaten against the jetty at The Wedge and died.
But while ragged bands of sunburnt locals with wide eyes and boards on their cars were having their breath sucked out of them by the crazy surf, the Hurley U.S. Open continued its over-the-top festival of tents and temporary buildings at the south side of the Huntington pier.
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For more awesome photos of the weekend's festivities, check out www.ocweekly.com/
