While it?s supposed to be all about good fun and showing support for the Pac Sun USA Surf Team, you can?t expect a group of highly competitive dudes (with perhaps some underlying psychological issues) to not talk a little smack. That?s why I flipped off the Surfing Magazine photographer as he took our Transworld SURF team photo while we received our first place trophy at yesterdays ?Battle Of The Brands? contest at Huntington Beach Pier. Not the most graceful winner but a winner nonetheless.
Running at the same time as the early rounds of the US Open, the ?Battle Of The Brands? is a surf contest ran in a team style format with four surfers on each squad. Having been humiliated last year in the same event, we came to kick ass this year.
And kick ass we did. Or at least Checky (TWS Photo Editor Aaron Checkwood) and Charlie Anderson (ad sales head honcho) did, my brother Chris and I surfed on the less than average side (like shit to be exact). I was particularly disappointed with my two-wave showing: a backside floater off a closeout on my first on and pearled off the takeoff on the second and final wave. Even the nicest kid in the world (and also one of the world?s best surfers), Julian Wilson, couldn?t let me off the hook, ?Mate, you blew that last one, that wave was perfect.?

I thought I?d let my team down in a huge way, and surfing just under the pier during the US Open, I?d blown it in front of basically the entire surf industry. Like I said, luckily Checky came through o this would get really sad. Anyway, check out some of the photos (coming soon), it was a really fun day and lots of money was raised for a good cause?including the 10G?s Pac Sun ad buy we won!