While the US Open of Surfing is technically a minor league event, it will be attracting serious major league talent this year now that Hurley has decided to make things a lot more interesting. Money has a funny way of doing that. Yesterday Hurley, as primary sponsor, announced that the winner of this year's Men's 6-Star WQS event will pocket $100,000, making it the largest first place prize in pro surfing history.



Apparently, former US Open Champion Rob Machado, a Hurley team rider, came up with the idea of offering real money to lure the likes of the world's best back to the Huntington Beach stage, which is where pro surfing in the Unites States was born. That kind of money will be luring even the best major league stars, including reigning world champion Kelly Slater, the semi-retired-former-world-champ Andy Irons, giving U.S. surfing fans something juicy to sink their teeth into.

This isn't the first time Hurley has raised the bar on the prize money front. Last year, at the Boost Mobile Pro held at Trestles, Bob Hurley fluffed Kelly Slater's wallet by an extra $45 grand by handing him an IOU on the final day of competition. Assuming Hurley made good on that piece of paper, Slater pocketed $75,000, which is to date, the biggest cash prize in pro surfing history. And Hurley was merely the presenting sponsor at Trestles. This year, however, Hurley has stepped into the primary backing role in the two biggest events on the U.S.Mainland, starting with the US Open of Surfing this month, and following up in September with the Hurley Pro at Trestles, which is the sixth stop on the ASP World Tour.

The record prize for this year's U.S. Open of Surfing will illuminate the rich 50 year history of surfing tournaments held at the Huntington Beach Pier. The event will feature a "True Performance" Walk of Champions, which will showcase the men's and women's champions of the original West Coast Surfing Championships that begain in 1959, through to the early 80s Op Pro Surfing Championships and the U.S. Open of Surfing. The Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing runs from July 18-26. You best get your parking spot now.