The best of all surf contests

Lots of cities try to lay claim to the moniker Surf City, but as

another fantastically successful U.S. Open of Surfing has come and

peacefully gone, it’s clear that Huntington Beach is the real thing

and the rest are just posers.

It’s enough to make even the Beach Boys proud.

Summer in Huntington Beach just wouldn’t be summer anymore without

the high-octane surfing that pumps up the crowds and amps up Main

Street like nothing else.

And despite crowds reaching as high as 100,000 for Sunday’s

finals, police, organizers, participants and visitors all deserve

hardy congratulations for pulling off the extreme-sports extravaganza

and music festival without serious mishap or chaos.

Even with the large crowds, diverse options such as the Soul Bowl

and village area made it easy for visitors to move about.

And the excitement after Australian surfer Taj Burrow came out of

the water as the new men’s champion (he came in a close second last

year) was tangible.

This is what Surf City is about. The surf culture is always

prevalent here, but to celebrate on such a level lends credence to

the city’s claim to the moniker.

A moniker that locals earned the hard way.

Nearly 20 years ago in the summer of 1986, the fate of the event,

then known as the OP Pro, was a lot more gnarly. The contest, known

less for its world-class surfing and more for its raucous bikini

contest, erupted into a full-fledged riot that saw police cars ablaze

and a number of people injured.

Nobody was very stoked about the outcome, and surf contests from

then on seemed to be doomed.

But that was not to be.

Boosters of the sport of surfing came together with city officials

and local surfing industry leaders to put the event back on the right

track.

Over the years, the contest has continued to get better and

better, evolving into one of the best events of the summer not just

in Huntington Beach, but along the entire Orange County coast.

This year was no different, showing how far things have come in

Surf City, U.S.A.

Congratulations to all for a great year.