The coveted Quicksilver Pro New York came to Long Beach, Long Island for its first ever stop on the East Coast. With a large fan base of surfers on coastal communities up and down the East Coast, the world tour came to New York with much anticipation. The two week event showcased the talents of professional surfers from around the world, with the likes of ten time world champion Kelly Slater.

Australian surfer Owen Wright came out victorious after numerous rounds of surfing, winning the large prize of $300,000. The Association of Professional Surfers (ASP) is one of the most recognizable names in the surfing industry. The ASP World Championship Tour is an international surfing competition that has eleven stops on its circuit.

The surfers on the tour have been traveling the world since February, where they began the competition on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. From there, the group of surfers have since competed in Bells Beach, Australia, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, Teahupo’o, Tahiti, and now Long Island, New York.

A group of skilled surfers, including Joel Parkinson, Adriano De Souza, and Jordy Smith are among the competitors of the ASP World Championship Tour. Just half way through the competition, Kelly Slater has been a continuous favorite, but was defeated by 21 year old Owen Wright in four days of grueling wave riding.

Currently ranked number one on the 2011 ASP Mens World Title and ASP Mens World Ranking, Kelly Slater was a crowd favorite at the Quicksilver Pro New York. He scored the only 10 throughout the competition in a heat against Taj Burrow, something even winner Owen Wright did not accomplish.

Waves intensified up to six to eight feet during the finals. Offshore hurricane activity gave surfers larger than usual waves in Long Island. In the finals against Slater, Wright managed to score waves of 9.23 and 8.67. Slater was not able to catch up to his competitor as a strong wave sent his surfboard breaking in half. Wright finished the finals with a 17.9, defeating Slater who received a 14.53.

The Quicksilver Pro New York was a great opportunity for surfing fanatics to come out to Long Beach for days of surfing competitions and to be immersed in the surfing culture. Quicksilver and Roxy set up a large retail store directly on the beach that attracted shoppers, while Roxy’s Beach House had interactive activities geared towards youth, including jewelry making stands and a live DJ.

Associated with Quicksilver Pro, legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk presented Vert Jam, a free showcase that was held at Pier 54 in New York City. The ASP World Championship Tour will continue on to locations such as Trestles, California, the South West Coast of France, Peniche, Portugal, and San Francisco California.

The final and most famous stop for the tour will be in the December culmination round at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Often considered to be the mecca of the surfing world, Pipeline is one of the most dangerous and challenging waves in the world. The ASP World Championship Tour is only half way done and is sure to bring much excitement as it continues its way around the world.

 
Gustavo Miguel Fernandes / Shutterstock.com

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About the author

Sarah Dayan
I'm a Brooklyn native with a strong love for New York City, traveling, photography, writing, and music. I have my Bachelors degree in psychology and communication, and my Masters degree in school counseling. Through my writing, I want to share all my fun experiences in New York City.