I've been competing in the US Open since I was 17. The first time there were so many entrants they actually held trials heats at Oceanside. I remember being so excited and intimidated. It was my first real pro event and I was determined to do well, but so scared of the older more experienced competitors. I don't remember everyone in my first heat, but I do remember Kim Hamrock. She was exactly the type of veteran competitor that scared me to death. All I wanted to do in the heat was get a couple of decent waves but she seemed to single me out as a threat and focused all her energy on keeping me from getting a wave rather than just surfing herself. She literally paddled over the top of my legs to get around me and claim priority not once, but twice! I didn't advance out of that heat, but I learned that the pros will do whatever it takes to win.

After a few years I had earned a seed and didn't didn't have to surf until the third round. I wouldn't even show up at the contest until the circus atmosphere was well underway. Still, I was always a little awed to be putting my board in the competitor's rack alongside all the big name male pros. Rob Machado and Occy are perrennial favorites. Rob always sits down at the South side of the contest area and lets the other 3 competitors fight for waves on the peak near the pier so that he can have his pick of the lefts that will pop up and reel down the beach.

I've had quite a few memorable competitive experiences at the US Open. One year when the event was only a 1 star, I had a semi final heat with Sophia Mulonavich. It was a few years before she won her world title and long before we became friends. I knew she was an amazing surfer and was really happy that I had found a few good waves in the heat. I was in second place ahead of her with about a two minutes to go. She needed an average score of a 5 or something. In traditional heat strategy, if you're in second place and the surfer in third needs a score, you paddle around and try to position yourself to keep them off waves. My strategy was working. With less than thirty seconds to go we both saw a good peak approaching. It had an equally scoring potential right and left. She needed a wave and I needed to keep her off a wave. It's a bit difficult to explain but as the peak approached she was on the inside for the right and I was on the inside for the left. We could have split the peak but we were too competitive for that. We were young and all we wanted to do was keep the other person off the wave. We both got to our feet going towards eachother, got a double interference and neither of us advanced. Jodie Nelson who had been in 4th, rocketed up into second and her first final appearance. Oh well.

A few years later, I got in a similar sort of paddle battle with a friend, Jessi Miley-Dyer. She and the others had been sitting by the pier and I was alone on the Rob Machado peak. The waves were small and inconsistent but I was able to score a few the put me up into third place. Jessi was in second and sitting by the pier when she heard the announcer say that I only needed a 3 to advance with less than 5 minutes to go. Jessi immediately started paddling furiously in my direction to keep me from getting that 3. At the time, Jessi was one of my best friends. I understood what she was doing, had played that game myself many times. When you are in a jersey, your friendship is put on hold. Still, we were laughing about it. She paddled down and started hassling me. Jessi is a world class hassler, but I was able to get a wave from underneath her. I got the score i needed, moving into second and putting the pressure on her to improve on her score. Of course, the next wave was better. She took off, got the score, and then time ran out before I could get another wave. I lost, but it was one of the more entertaining heats id had in a while.

Last year, I decided to stop competing. I only surfed in half the events on tour. This year I haven't done any. I was planning to surf in the US Open as my last big event. I didn't even think I wouldn't be able to get into it. Now there are so many young competitive surfers that the event is completely full and since I didn't compete this year and don't have a rating, I couldn't even get in. I'm 8th on the alternate list and since they no longer do trials heats at Oceanside, I will be watching from the go211 VIP area and cheering for my friends!