Call it pressure, call it nerves, call it bad luck, but a three-peat for reigning US Open Champion Brett Simpson was not in the script today.

His first round heat hit the water at 10:53 Am sharp, after a brief fog delay earlier in the morning. The swell has dropped a touch from yesterday, relegating much of the action to the shoredump zone of Huntington Pier.

Brett Simpson has won this event for the last 2 years running, claiming $200,000 in all, and the prime rating points that have vaulted him onto the World Championship tour, all right here in his backyard.

The word 'three-peat' had been uttered quite a bit around Huntington Beach this week.

The 3 surfers looking to stop Brett's run before it began were Brazilian Thiago 'shrimpy' Camarao, Hawaiian phenom John John Florence, and Australian youngster Davey Cathels.

Brett admittedly made a few errors in the tricky conditions, which would ultimately be his undoing. He was able to put together a couple mid range 4s, leaving him needing a 6.66 to move up into an advancing position with 3 minutes left in the 30 minute affair. Brett was able to connect the dots on a outside peak into the shorebreak. Breaths were held. 6.07

Ouch. The hometown boy would not get the hometown call.

Brett's beloved pier bowl would not give him another opportunity as the time expired. Better luck next year.

Round one was completed this morning, and the first 4 heats of round 2 were completed this afternoon.

Round 2 will be back in the the water tomorrow at 7:30 am.