Emerton’s Route to Title Is Short, Sweet

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Surfing can be as unpredictable as the ocean. And Australian surfer Beau Emerton surprised everyone by proving the underdog is alive and well in Surf City.

Emerton let patience be his guide Sunday, picking his waves carefully to win his first G-Shock U.S. Open title in front of an announced crowd of 40,000. And if his upset victory wasn’t enough, he was able to do it in only four waves.

Judges score each surfer’s best four rides in a heat.

“In waves like this, you just have to be patient,” said Emerton, ranked 35th on the World Championship Tour. “I tried to pick the waves I thought would take me from the outside to the inside. I guess I was lucky.”

Before Sunday, it seemed as though an old story line was playing out. World champion Kelly Slater seemingly was on his way to repeating as champion.

Since the first round Friday, the Florida surfer had been intense and acrobatic as he steadily advanced from the third round to the championship final.

Conditions for the final were nothing like early last week, when Hurricane Guillermo helped stir up the biggest surf in eight years. Waves Sunday were only two to three feet.

Slater began the heat with an 8.33 to take a quick lead and immediately put the pressure on Emerton, Victor Ribas of Brazil and Nathan Webster of Australia. But Emerton came back with a 7.33 to keep Slater within reach.

Slater was ahead until Emerton scored a 6.32 midway through the 30-minute heat to move into first.

“I started out good, but I just couldn’t keep it up,” said Slater, who scored on six waves but could not overtake Emerton. “I knew before the heat started that waves would be scarce. But when Beau caught those two sevens, I knew it was going to be tough.”

Said Emerton: “I haven’t surfed that much against Kelly, but I’ve been surfing pretty good the last four contests I’ve been in. But I’m really excited about coming here to America and winning the U.S. Open.”

Emerton becomes the first non-American to win the U.S. Open.

In the men’s quarterfinal round, Ryan Simmons of Huntington Beach was about to catch a wave that might have helped him advance to the semifinals. But Todd Holland of Florida, who also was paddling for the wave, reached out and grabbed Simmons’ trunks.

“I lost my concentration when that happened,” said Simmons, who did not score high enough to finish second in the heat. “I just know if I would have caught that wave without the interference, I would have scored the points I needed to advance.”

In the finals of the Billabong Juniors, Andy Irons of Hawaii made some crucial connections from the outside break to the inside to help him win the title. C.J. Hobgood of Florida was second, Taj Burrow of Australia was third and Danny Nichols of Huntington Beach was fourth.

Brian Wise of San Clemente won the bodyboard title.

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Surfing Results

G-SHOCK U.S. OPEN OF SURFING

Finals

1. Beau Emerton (Australia); 2. Kelly Slater (Florida); 3. Victor Ribas (Brazil); 4. Nathan Webster (Australia).

Semifinals

HEAT 1--1. Ribas; 2. Emerton; 3. Shea Lopez (San Clemente); 4. Adam Replogle (Santa Cruz). HEAT 2--1. Slater; 2. Webster; 3. Mark Bannister (Australia); 4. Kalani Robb (Hawaii).

Quarterfinals

HEAT--1. Ribas; 2. Emerton; 3. Luke Hitchings (Australia); 4. Barton Lynch (Australia). HEAT 2--1. Lopez; 2. Replogle; 3. Damien Hobgood (Newport Beach); 4. Jeff Booth (Laguna Beach). HEAT 3--1. Robb; 2. Webster; 3. Damien Hardman (Australia); 4. Vetea David (Tahiti). HEAT 4--1. Slater; 2. Bannister; 3. Ryan Simmons (Huntington Beach); 4. Todd Holland (Florida).

Billabong Juniors

Finals

1. Andy Irons (Hawaii); 2. C.J. Hobgood (Florida); 3. Taj Burrow (Australia); 4. Danny Nichols (Huntington Beach).

Semifinals

HEAT 1--1. Hobgood; 2. Irons; 3. Omar Etcheverry (Santa Cruz); 4. Chris Ward (San Clemente). HEAT 2--1. Burrow; 2. Nichols; 3. Mike Reilly (Huntington Beach); 4. Lee Winkler (Australia).

Quarterfinals

HEAT 1--1. Irons; 2. Hobgood; 3. Hagan Kelly (Redondo Beach); 4. Bruce Irons (Hawaii). HEAT 2--1. Etcheverry; 2. Ward; 3. Jordan Tappis (Carlsbad); 4. Michael Lowe (Australia). HEAT 3--1. Burrow; 2. Winkler; 3. Damien Hobgood (Florida); 4. Jason Bennett (Oceanside). HEAT 4--1. Reilly; 2. Nichols; 3. Jason Bogle (Hawaii); 4. Mike Hubbard (Hawaii).