Hurley Family
EVAN GEISELMAN ROB MACHADO
CURREN CAPLES BOB BURNQUIST
CONNER COFFIN BRETT SIMPSON
The 2010 Hurley ProThe 2010 Hurley Pro
Thursday, July 23, 2009
HURLEY US OPEN OF SURFING: DAY SIX
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The beach fills up as Slater, Fanning, Irons and Machado march closer to $100,000. Photos: M

With the largest prize purse in the history of surfing at stake, you can guarantee the best in the world were going to bring their A Game to Huntington Beach. And today, with clear skies, fun, windless peaks going both ways and the world's best battling it out, we witnessed the official return of Huntington Beach as the sport's ultimate surf stadium.

Upwards of 50,000 people were on hand today to witness the action in the water and experience the opening day of the Beach Festival. With more than 120 booths, NIke 6.0's BMX half pipe and the Converse mini-bowl, music from acts like Sashamon going well into happy hour and countless giveaways and exhibitions, there is no doubt this is one of the country's biggest summer happenings. And it's tough to believe it's only Thursday. Brace yourselves for some serious traffic as we collide with a giant south swell and sweltering temperatures. Magic.

But this is what the Hurley US Open of Surfing is all about. It is a true spectator's event, where kids and fans get to mob heroes like Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and Rob Machado as they exit the water. Today was all that and more, as the big names all made it through their heats. "This place definitely has you on edge in the water," said Machado, who held off upstarts like Owen Wright in his heats today. "The nerves are going, everyone's watching, you just have to put your head down and go by instinct."

Clearly, "The Drifter" has not lost his competitive prowess, plowing through his Round of 96 and Round of 48 heats today. His old friend and sparring partner Kelly Slater had equal success, blazing to a victory today in heat 9.

As it stands, practically all the favorites are still in contention for the $100,000 first-place check. 2007 world champ Mick Fanning, who blazed his heats today as well, is planning on going to Vegas right after this event. "Wouldn't mind having a little extra spending money," he said. It only gets better: tomorrow will see more Mens action, the Hurley Pro Trials, the Walk the Walk Grand Championship and much, much more.

Come down to the beach or check it all out here:

Stay tuned for more extensive coverage of the US Open of Surfing on www.hurley.com and www.usopenofsurfing.com.

For up-to-the-minute updates, follow us on Twitter@HurleyLive.

For full results from today's action, go to: www.usopenofsurfing.com/LIVE

. WATCH THE LIVE WEBCAST STARTING TOMORROW AT 8. AM: http://www.hurley.com/usopen/.

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