Joe Surf: Simpson not ready to give in to new generation
It wasn’t that long ago that Brett Simpson was the new phenom in the water.
He was just 25 in August 2010 when he won the second of his back-to-back U.S. Open of Surfing titles, something no other surfer has done.
He also joined the World Championship Tour in 2010 and finished the year ranked 23rd in the world before improving to No. 19 in 2011. He’s now in his sixth year on the WCT.
That’s the good news.
Simpson, a Huntington Beach native who is now 30, hoped to relive some of that glory in the U.S. Open a couple of weeks ago, but it ended for him quickly. He finished third in his Round 1 heat, failing to reach Round 2.
To make matters worse, Huntington Beach seemed to let him down, as the waves disappeared for a stretch during his heat.
“Yeah, to be honest, I felt fine. I surfed my waves pretty decent, just never found the wave that allowed me to get in the excellent range,” Simpson said. “The judges really seemed to be scoring the wave quality rather than the actual surfing displayed on the wave. But I didn’t do enough to get the job done.”
Simpson goes into the Billabong Pro Tahiti on Friday — the seventh WCT contest on the 11-contest schedule — ranked No. 36, which, if he finishes in that spot, would be his lowest finish since joining the tour.
It also would put him jeopardy of losing his spot on the WCT.
With so many young surfers emerging, including many from Southern California, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Simpson’s best days are behind him. Simpson, though, is not ready to give in to the new generation of surfers.
“There’s definitely a lot of young kids, but I know I can compete and beat anyone on any given day,” he said. “I have no question in my talent and abilities. I feel like I haven’t shown half of my ability in these six years on tour, and that’s [ticked] me off quite a bit.
“I’ve had a few bright moments, but just no consistency. Whether I pressure myself too much or think too far into it, the competing side has been a bit of a thorn in my side. Doesn’t mean I’m stopping any time soon though.”
Simpson also has had to deal with his share of injuries, most recently to his back. Sitting on a plane for hours while traveling around the world doesn’t help much either.
“I’m starting to feel good,” he said. “I took a month off from surfing and received two epidural shots for two disc bulges. It’s taking about three weeks of surfing pretty tentatively to finally break through and loosen up. But this last week I feel I have made some big strides in the right direction.”
Apparently those who put together the matchups for the Round 1 heats at the Billabong Pro Tahiti aren’t feeling sorry for Simpson and his back. Simpson will go against No. 4 Filipe Toledo and No. 21 Keanu Asing when the contest starts Friday.
“To be honest, I feel as though my surfing is getting better and my results are getting worse,” Simpson said. “It’s been a very frustrating last two years of competing. My 30-minute heat formula and rhythm has been terrible. No consistency, and when you’re not making heats, it seems to all pile on top of each other.”
World Adaptive Surfing Championship
The International Surfing Assn. and the Challenged Athletes Foundation have gotten together and will present the inaugural ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented by Hurley and CAF on Sept. 24-27 in La Jolla.
The contest is a breakthrough for elite adaptive surfers with disabilities, finally giving them a sanctioned and high-level global event in which to compete.
“With surf legend Shaun Tomson as the committee chairperson, I am confident this inaugural ISA World Championship will lay a solid foundation for years to come. The ISA plans to have this event in San Diego every year,” ISA President Fernando Aguerre said in a statement.
More than 50 adaptive surfers from 15 countries already have registered.
The contest is open to adaptive surfers with varying ability levels. For more information, go to www.isasurf.org/events/isa-world-adaptive-surfing-championship.
Recommended reading
Sally Fitzgibbons, the third-ranked female surfer in the world and second-place finisher in the women’s competition at this year’s U.S. Open, released her first book, “Live Like Sally.”
“Athletes traditionally wait until later on in their career [to write a book],” Fitzgibbons, 24, said during an autograph signing at the Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington. “But right now, with the tour growing and the sport of women’s surfing, we’re getting a lot of extra attention.
“The fans that I have come across along the tour have connected with my journey and I’ve become really close to them. And I just want to be able pass something along and instill something in the younger generation.”
Fitzgibbons surfed the Open wearing a helmet, protecting a perforated eardrum she suffered last month during the Fiji Women’s Pro, a contest she ultimately won.
JOE HAAKENSON is a Huntington Beach-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at [email protected].