Simpson Wins U.S. Open of Surfing
Written by playerpress.com, Wednesday July 29 2009
Brett Simpson, not to be confused with Bart, has had a dream ever since he was a little kid. That dream was to win the U.S. Open. And last Sunday, his dream came true as even beyond his wildest dreams, he won the Open at
Simpson beat 2007 world surfing champion Mick Fanning to win $100,000 which is the richest prize money in the history of surfing.
Simpson is from
“I couldn’t believe it when the heat finished, I’m still at a loss,” Simpson said. “I can’t ask for more than to beat Mick Fanning in the final at home. With that, and the $100,000 and the 2,500 ‘QS points, I’m nearly in tears at the moment.”
It could not have been a better ending to a true storybook ending. The prize is his and he beat some big league World Tour talent to get it, including two world champions. He beat current world number 2 and 2001 World Champ C.J. Hobgood in the semi finals, and then he proceeded to out-match 2007 World Champ Mick Fanning in the final.
As the opening bell rang over the beach for the Simpson/Fanning battle, the massive amount of fans on the beach rose to their feet and you could feel the electricity and the energy of the crowd. There was no way that a contest with this much undeniable action would have a blasé final, and in the end, it did not let anybody down.
Simpson was definitely on this day. He used a bombardment of sharp backhand hacks on an open-faced left, choosing the first wave, Simpson sliced and diced off a fierce on-the-lip cutback and then piped his opponent. It was a serious statement and Simpson did not let up through the rest of the finals to take the victory.
The final buzzer sounded, and it could hardly be heard over the tremendous roar from the crowd on the beach. Simpson had done it, made his childhood dream a reality and earned the biggest paycheck in the history of surfing in the process. The victory will likely be remembered as the most thrilling U.S. Open that people have ever seen.
Most importantly, Simpson now has the confidence that he can go toe to toe with the greatest surfers in the world and win. When a person wins the U.S. Open of Surfing, their life can be expected to change in many ways in the sport. They fly up the ratings and their resume from the board sharply increases opportunities.
The U.S. Open dream can lead to a ticket on to the Dream Tour. It did for last year’s champion Nathaniel Curran, and it no doubt looks like Brett Simpson dreams are only beginning.
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