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Event Information:
The
U.S. Open of Surfing is a week-long
surfing competition held annually
during the summer in Huntington
Beach, California. Generally held on
the south side of the Huntington
Beach Pier, the U.S. Open is part of
the qualification process for the
ASP World Tour. As part of the
event, notable people in the world
of surfing are added to the Surfing
Walk of Fame and to the Surfers'
Hall of Fame, both directly across
from the pier.
The
U.S. Open, then called the West
Coast Surfing Championship, was
first held in 1959. In 1964 it
became known as the United States
Surfing Championships. In 1982 it
became known as the OP Pro for its
sponsor, Ocean Pacific. The event
was named the U.S. Open of Surfing
in 1994. Notable people are inducted
into Surfing Walk of Fame and
Surfers' Hall of Fame each year
during the U.S. Open. The Walk of
Fame has plaques imbedded in the
sidewalk, while the Hall of Fame has
handprints. Each are located across
the street from one another and
across Pacific Coast Highway from
the Huntington Beach Pier.
Every
year the Surfing Walk of Fame at
Huntington Beach inducts members in
the categories of surf pioneers,
surfing champions, local heroes,
surf culture, woman of the year, and
honor roll. The Huntington Beach
Pier is a municipal pier located in
Huntington Beach, California. At
1,850 feet (560 m) in length, it is
one of the longest public piers on
the West Coast. (The longest is
Oceanside Pier at 1,942 feet). It
has been damaged or destroyed four
times; in 1912, 1939, 1983 and most
recently on January 17, 1988
destroying the End Cafe for the
second time in the decade.
The
most recent reincarnation of the
pier is designed of reinforced
concrete to withstand 31-foot (9.4
m) waves or a 7.0 magnitude
earthquake and uses an increased
space between piles to accommodate
surfers - as requested by the City.
The pier slopes gently up toward the
seaward end in a straight line which
alternates with three octagonal
platforms and one rotated square
(108 feet on a side) that forms a
diamond at the pier's seaward end.
Not only is the pier structurally
sound, it also retains a number of
design elements from the original
pier including haunches at the pile
caps and corbels supporting light
standards.
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