"The city looked really good.”
I am leaving France today and very sad. Leaving the vins, both blanc and rouge. Leaving the lumiérs. Leaving the baguettes, croissants, steaks, frites and headed back to Southern California with a heavy heart but it is not quite as heavy as it might have been for just this morning I read arrests were up 30% at this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing there in Huntington Beach.
Oh I feel… not necessarily vindicated but more just a general sense that I’ve still got it.
And I hope you recall one week ago when very fine surf journalist Laylan Connelly dutifully reported that the U.S. Open had transformed from a rowdy date rape stew into a fun family fest.
I didn’t doubt her, not at all, but found it hard to believe that all the nasty elements had been swept away. It is Huntington Beach, after all, and where would those nasty elements go? Newport Beach has put one of those invisible electric fences that keep dogs in a yard around the fine town and Long Beach, to the north, has Snoop Dogg.
Well, as it turns out, those nasty elements stayed home and turned up the dial by 30% as there were 30% more arrests at this year’s running than last year’s and let us turn to Laylan Connelly’s biggest competitor, the Los Angeles Times, for more.
Police Chief Robert Handy told the City Council on Monday that this year’s surfing and action-sports cultural event was “fairly safe,” though the July 27-Aug. 4 period included an incident the night of July 31 in which police officers allegedly were attacked by a group on the city beach. Handy did not link that to the U.S. Open itself.
In addition to the arrests, police recorded 357 civil citations, the majority of which were alcohol-related, and 688 traffic citations, Handy said. Both categories also saw an uptick from last year’s event. Handy said police more than doubled their efforts to enforce traffic laws on Pacific Coast Highway and in residential areas and cracked down on motorcycle noise.
Director of Community Services Marie Knight told the council that visitors offered positive feedback via social media about this year’s security measures, with some families saying they felt much safer.
Knight cited a larger police presence and stepped-up bag inspections for people entering the U.S. Open.
“We’ve tried and successfully morphed this event into a much more family-friendly event,” Knight said. “Two weekends of very hot weather inland … drew a lot of people to the beach in general, so that brought them down to what we know as the largest lifestyle sporting event in the nation, and we did really well. The city looked really good.”
But not that good, let’s be honest.
And does this news make you happy too? That all is right with the world? I hope it does.
You know it’s a good event when there’s no active shooter present!
Well Team Managers , minders and media liaison reps are your athletes ready to take the NSOS Post heat interview Challenge ?
Pretty simple math here- tons more cops equals 30% more tickets for ticky tac BS like parking meter violations and J walking.. I was up there, my kid was in the event. I was also there during the late 80’s riot, on the beach, laughing and drinking and running from the cops. This was Disneyland, Laylan was actually correct about whatever it was she said. You want action? Head to OC fair.
How did the Young (girl or boy ? ) Toin Coss’ coins fall … heads or tails ? Just wondering how the atmosphere was in the competitors area … Is it one big happy tribe mingling ….. or is it more like Pharaonic Egypt …. ? Always looks like fun with Van Doren flipping out hot dogs …… but is this the reality ?
As these things go it’s about as good as it gets. They treat the competitors good and the families. The judging is good. The competitors seem to hate the entire scene however. Fair to say their least favorite part of the “job”.. of course there are a few who truly embrace the overload, and some who don’t mind it. My kid hates it.
Not that good, Fairly good.
police should arrest anyone playing that beach spike ball game.
And execute them
“lifestyle sporting event” – what a cunt
Behind the scenes, what you didn’t get to see was ELO whispering those sweet nothings into her ear.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
I ran into some of the heads at Vans a couple years ago and told them, they should make a shirt that reads
VANS US OPEN OF SURFING
ITS A RIOT!
They didn’t find it as funny as I did. I still think it would be a best seller.
Next year, I’m going to make one that says “I Survived the US Open” for locals… but I probably really wont
Police VAN’s Get OFF THE WALL or We will Open Fire …. ?
Cracked down on motorcycle noise…. wsl marketing on point.
Style and Substance . Very impressed NSOS ! I don’t believe he quoted H.D. Thoreau……. “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” after his round of 24 Loss ….though I did see a disobedient looking bloke carrying a Walden Longboard ?
off the walden po(u)nd the lip (?)
My wife had the best surf session of her short surfing life on a Blue Walden , pondering how wonderful was the man who pushed her into 1/2 dozen endless rights in less than 30 minutes ….
Haha. I swam in Walden pond once. I entertained my non surfer friends by staying under water for extended periods and bringing up stones from the bottom. It’s important to entertain gen pop so they don’t forget you exist.
Eco wetsuits
https://www.theguardian.com…
Transparent silica libtards
that fucken meathead with the stop sign is wearing a beanie with shorts and a t-shirt. should be able to plead insanity and get off.
You’re never cold or bald in a beanie
your honor, i present exhibit A:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I rest my case.
It’s OBVIOUSLY the WILD and INTEMPERATE and VIOLENT language that the WSL commentators use, which has RILED-UP the mob.
“Smashing the lip” etc.
I cannot keep quoting more because I’m clutching my pearls too tightly to speak.
And those people smashing windows are clearly honest patriots helping to stop the invasion by nasty glass panels. Those transparent silica criminals who are seeking to cause nothing but misery to American citizens.
I’ve made a proposal to the State of California to hold next year’s event at Hollister Ranch . It will be called
THE WALL , or The US CLOSED of Surfing ,and all 21,533 residents will be eligible to compete as well as former citizens of East Berlin …..?
polar bears all the way down
So they have beefed up their efforts by more than double in some aspects and only managed to find an extra 30% doing the wrong thing. It might be fair to suggest that things have probably not increased at all……just more people looking out for them. A bit like shark incidents – more people at the beach more often than in previous generations. You can always let the data write a good story if you so choose.
What would an example be of a common civil citation? Pissing against a wall?????? Jay Walking? Doing a line???
Kanoa’s early loss and the subsequent loss of his Post Final Winning Collective Primal Scream Therapy for the Local Population , was Civil Disobedience’s Gain …. ?
Exactly ! I am sure that the thesis Chas is working on or something similar. What is clear is that Kanoa can certainly raise the troops….so maybe it his fault anyway?
bad tattoos, flip flops on the feet and beanie on the head, selfie stick. surely these could be considered worthy of a fine or at least a whipping with a billie club.
Wots wrong with flip-flops? AKA zoris AKA thongs AKA slippahs AKA Chinese safety boots.
nothing. I love them, almost as good as going bare foot. its when combined with a beanie it becomes a problem. make you fucken mind up, is it hot or cold.
You’d get on with my Viking Wife . No Scarves allowed under her regime and I am made to feel guilty putting on the beanie before the mercury drops below 0”.
beanies are acceptable below 10c if you are bald but your wife is spot on for those with a head of hair.
Two words: Kweensland.
What if the beanie is yellow, and combo-ed with a luscious, strokable beard?
AKA the Italian Alberto “La Bomba” Tomba Thonga . The great downhill skier turned up to my beach and made Laird look like Chappy .
A small VAN’s US Open of Surfing umbrella was inserted then opened and removed.
This was done twice to take a sample and to clear out junk and wow it did the trick I felt young again and could pee like a racehorse.
It was it no way painful, quite the opposite it was a relief.
Highly recommended….?
Yer takin the piss.
Maybe have a croque monsieur as your last breakfast. I highly recommend.
Howsabout a croque of shit, pal?
… sorry. Couldn’t resist.
No offence meant.
The French version of the old toasted sandwich . I was very spoilt and would much prefer, following an extended aperitif , possibly a Ti Punch made from Trois Rivieres Rhum 55” from Martinique ( or 4 ) , Magret de Canard , saignant ou bleu , served with Wild Cèpes ( you can’t grow them ) picked from the local forest and served with a glass ( or 5 ) of red from up the road in the Medoc…….
Hong Kong , Now Huntington ….. Where will the next Clash be …… Hossegor ?
https://m.youtube.com/watch…
Things happen in threes they say. I think they just happen all the time.
Comme on dit en Français « jamais deux sans trois « which translates roughly to what happens twice will probably occur a third time or should be done a third time . Not to be confused with the French superstition which warns against lighting 3 cigarettes with the same match , which apparently stems from soldiers smoking in WWI trenches . Where the enemy ,sees the match lighting the first , takes aim on the second and shoots on the third ….
I wish I had known that phrase whilst in Europe !
They just fukin with them cause they a teenager
With a little bit of gold and a pager.
Don’t forget the black mags.
Thinkin every surfer is selling gnar’ products
Does anyone else reckon Caroline Marks is a bizarre amalgamation of Rusty and Audrey from National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Look it up. It’s pretty fucked mate.
Pictures or it never happened.
https://youtu.be/KsYqIJqlPNc