Pier

A flash mob and a walk for a free Syria is coming to Huntington Beach on Saturday near the pier. The Syrian American Council (SAC), a nonprofit organization formed to support the uprising of the Syrian people against the Assad regime, is hosting the walk and a flash mob from 5 to 7 p.m. The walk is scheduled to start at Goldenwest Street and Pacific Coast Highway, said SAC communications director Rashad Al-Dabbagh. “Free Syria” T-shirts will be sold at the beginning of the event, and everyone is encouraged to buy one and wear it during the walk.

The 16th annual National Scholastic Surfing Assn. West Coast Regional Championships begin Thursday and run through Sunday at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier. The event is one of the largest surfing competitions in the nation. More than 400 competitors from Northern, Central and Southern California will contend for titles and qualifying berths in the upcoming NSSA National Interscholastic Championships, June 16-18 at Salt Creek in Dana Point, and June 26-July 3 at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals 4-Star Vans Pier Classic, presented by Jack's Surfboards, is underway on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, running through Sunday. Some of the top young surfers in the world are out there, and for one local surfer, this contest is critical to him as he inches toward possible entry into the ASP World Tour in the near future. Newport Beach's Andrew Doheny, 19, has been given a wild card into the top-seeded round and could gain vital points to build his ASP World Ranking.

Antoine Delpero from France won the Stand Up Paddle World Tour's Huntington Beach Pro on Oct. 3 at the Huntington Beach Pier. Second place went to U.S. Open of Surfing longboard champion Colin McPhilips of San Clemente, who was a wild-card entry. Leco Salazar from Brazil was just 0.4 points behind McPhilips in the standings and finished third. The contest drew more than 60 athletes from 14 countries. * Rampage lacrosse shows support During October, the Huntington Beach High lacrosse team, Rampage, will wear pink Adrenaline Awareness socks during games in support of the fight against breast cancer.

Ten years ago, then-President George W. Bush held up the badge of George Howard, a police officer who died at the World Trade Center, during a session of Congress. The badge, Bush said, was "a reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end. " This year, the memory of that same officer - via his family - will leave another reminder in Huntington Beach. The city's police and fire associations have facilitated the delivery of two steel girders from the World Trade Center and plan to convert them to a 9/11 memorial outside City Hall.

People come from all over the world to visit the Huntington Beach Pier. But Vic and I seldom go there. We live in a vacation paradise, but we get so used to it that we don't take advantage of is as often as we should. That's just one reason why we like to have out-of-town guests. Their visits prod us into enjoying the touristy side of Huntington Beach. Our guests this past weekend were from pretty close to home. And to our hearts. Our son Scott came up from San Diego with his wife, Nicole, and their three daughters, Allison, Lauren and Megan.

Huntington Beach has reopened its pier and beaches after a tsunami advisory passed without major incident. Lt. Michael Baumgartner, the city's marine safety operations supervisor, said the pier reopened at 1 p.m. and the beaches at 4 p.m. Huntington Beach closed its seaside areas early Friday morning in anticipation of waves from the tsunami in Japan striking the coast. The city was under a tsunami advisory from the National Weather Service, which is less urgent than a tsunami warning.

A memorial held Sunday for three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons drew thousands of people to Huntington Beach and to other similar memorials around the world. Sunday's paddle-out coincided with memorials globally, with surfers from around the world also showing up in Hawaii to support his family and friends. The Huntington Beach tribute began on the sand with those who knew Irons speaking about his life and legacy. Longtime friend and pastor Sumo Sato, who performed the service, said Irons' wife Lyndie is heartbroken, especially as the birth of their son Axel nears in the next few weeks.

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Brett Simpson is the $100,000 man. Again. Just after noon today, right about the time the sun began to break through the heavy overcast, the Huntington Beach native thrust his arms high into the air at the sound of the final horn, directing his triumphant pose toward the massive throng that packed the south side and top of the Huntington Beach Pier, knowing that he had just won the Men's title of the U.S. Open of Surfing...

Things are beginning to really heat up at the Huntington Beach Pier. Today marks the stretch run for the U.S. Open of Surfing presented by Hurley, Nike 6.0 and Converse, a four-day blitz of sports and entertainment action that will culminate with champions crowned and major prize money earned. The nine-day event began Saturday and concludes Sunday. The Assn. of Surfing Professionals' Prime Men's, six-star Women's, grade-2 Men's Junior Pro and grade-4 Women's Junior Pro competitions continue today and Friday leading up to the weekend semifinals and finals.