This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Huntington Beach's Brett Simpson, the "hometown favorite," clinched the number one spot and the championship this afternoon in the U.S. Open of Surfing, reports the OC Register.
This is the second consecutive year Simpson took the title, having defeated top surfers like Jordy Smith and Kelly Slater in the process. After the win was determined, "the crowd on the sand went nuts and the siren sounded, and Smith paddled over to hug Simpson, clapping along with the rest of the fans applauding on the beach."
For Simpson, the win means a $100,000 check along with the second year of being champ. This year marks "the first time since 1985-1986 that a surfer took home the win two years in a row."
