Huntington soon to swell with surfing

Leitz said that "Prime" status was awarded based on several factors, including an increased prize purse ($250,000) for the men and ($20,000) for the women, the history and prestige of the event, marketing of the event, media and web coverage and the structure of the event site itself.

""The U.S. Open is worthy of such status," Leitz said. "You can't deny the power of the U.S. Open. Our objective has always been to bring in the world's best surfers and really put on a great showcase for the city of Huntington Beach, and the world."

The U.S. Open was founded in 1994, but the competition's history dates to 1959, when it was called the West Coast Surfing Championships. The U.S .Open is North America's only combined six-star World Qualifying Series event on the ASP World Tour.

Although surfing is the crown jewel of the nine-day event, BMX and skate competitions, music, fashion and vendor booths in the Festival Village, all set within 14 acres at the pier, are also an integral part of the yearly success of the U.S. Open.

Construction for the massive event began July 13. Tear-down begins Aug. 9, the day after the men's final.

"It's a monster of a setup," said Leitz, noting that when the U.S. Open ends its nine-day run, it will leave the beach "pristine … like we weren't even here."

He said that the tear-down will be completed by Aug. 14.

"It's 40% bigger and 100% more intricate than last year, although we haven't expanded past our 14-acre blueprint," he said of the venue.

With five days of free music with top national acts, a larger BMX course, two skate bowls, more grandstands, four TV production compounds, a 6,000-square-foot press room, a 7,000-square-foot retail store, 13,000-square-foot retail areas for Nike 6.0, Hurley and Converse, seven JumboTrons, 72 hours of live webcasting from four live sets and a whole lot more, Leitz said, the U.S. Open of Surfing has become "one of the largest sports, music and youth cultural events on the planet."

The interactive Festival Village features more than 100 exhibits and includes autograph signings, prize giveaways, DJs and guest emcees. Among the top national acts performing at the U.S. Open Music Stage from Tuesday through Aug. 7 are Cobra Starship, Cold War Kids, Bedouin Soundclash, Switchfoot and Weezer.