By Travis Ferré, Surfing Magazine
CONDITIONS: 6-foot bullets on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
HEATS HELD: Round 2 all the way to the final.
NATURE’S CALL: Can you feel it? Yep, change is coming. Enjoy this while you can.
PREDICTIONS: Brett Simpson finally gets his world tour promotion for 2010.
“Tell Jordy to bring whomever he wants next year, we’ll be ready.” Them’s fightin words from 2009 Katin Team Challenge winner Brett Simpson after hearing Jordy Smith was threatening to enter an all South African team next year to win the Katin Team Challenge. And after a few rounds of Tecates –– which Brett so graciously bought for anyone with HB bloodlines during the after party at Fred’s Mexican Food –– Simpo was feeling some serious Surf City patriotism, especially after seeing event organizer Scott Waring award his very well deserving son Chris with HB legend Mike Morgan’s Memorial Award for the most “Futuristic maneuver” of the event.
“Winning this at home is huge for me,” Brett said “Coming second or coming close has been the story of my life the last two years and it’s about time I get one.” And winning this thing was no easy task either. Brett has to dispose of Rob Machado –– who managed a 10 point guru tube ride in the final, fellow HB local Chris Waring –– who posted a 9.7 for one maneuver with a ludicrous tail chuck screwdriver to double fist pump with “rub out” gesture (yeah, it’s what you think), as well as local Jesse Evans who was part of the dark horse local team Darkride Skateboards.
But this one was meant for Simpo. You could tell when Brett paddled out with the very feral looking Rob Machado he wanted his name on the top of this one and wasn’t prepared to let Rob take it that easy. Another close call would just be too much for Brett to take. “Anytime Rob gets a 10 you can definitely consider yourself behind the eight ball,” chuckled Brett. “It’s definitely not where you want to be.” But like the hungry competitor he’s become, after hearing about Rob’s 10, Brett nonchalantly raced down the line and lofted a heathen punt and stuck the landing as clean as you can, complete with locals only claim to finish. 9.53 to back up his back pocket 8 and the win. No close calls today.
Afterwards the buzz on the beach was deafening. “I’d say that was the best heat ever held on the north side of the pier,” said a raving stoked PT. And the not so grumpy locals in the parking lot ––thanks to the pumping surf all over the beach –– agreed. “Man, I watch all those World Tour heats and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one as exciting as that one,” one crusty guy in the lot said to his buddy. And it serves the Katin Team Challenge right. After years of classic, nostalgia filled comps on the north side with a past winners list that reads like a Hall of Fame sheet –– including Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, Martin Potter and Michael Ho –– it’s looking like the Katin is staring down another legendary run of events with big names galore.
All we can hope for next year is that the waves deliver yet again and Jordy follows through with that call of bringing an all South African team. This thing could get amazing.
FINAL RESULTS
TEAM
1st: Hurley – Two-page spread in Surfing Magazine
2nd: Reef – One-page ad in Surfing Magazine
3rd: Darkride – $1,000 digital ad campaign on surfingthemag.com
4th: Fox – $1,000 digital ad campaign on wavewatch.com
PRO/AM
1st: Brett Simpson (Hurley) – $4,000
2nd: Rob Machado (Hurley) – $2,000
3rd: Chris Waring (Reef) – $1,500
4th: Jesse Evans (Darkride) – $1,000
=5th: Mike Losness (Reef), Brandon Guilmette (Hurley) – $500 each
=7th: Micah Byrne (Darkride), Brad Ettinger (Hurley) – $250 each
MIKE MORGAN’S “MOST FUTURISTIC” MANEUVER
Chris Waring (Reef) – $500