Local Simpson advances to semifinals

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Brett Simpson used the advantage of his home surf to advance to the semifinals at the Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing this morning.

Simpson beat defending champ Nathaniel Curran and reaches the semis at the Open for the second straight year.

Simpson will face C.J. Hobgood in the semis. Hobgood defeated Patrick Gudauskas in the quarterfinals.

“This is an exciting day for me,” said Simpson, who finished with a 13.50 combined score. “It’s huge. Last year I got to the semis too. It’s a confidence booster. It’s somewhere I love to do good every year. It’s where I surf on a daily basis.

“It’s nice to really be in tune with the break. I think a lot of guys struggled when the swell came in earlier in the week. “

Simpson said reaching the semis is extra special this year because the Open features some of the world’s top surfers, including Kelly Slater.

Just before preparing for the semis, Simpson addressed his current run to the final four.

“You can say my draw is kind of easy, but you can never say that in a competition like this,” he said. “I’m just going to keep trying to chip away.”