Maui's Billy Kemper, 20, posted the largest win of his fledgling pro surfing career when he won the Vans Presents The HIC Pro at Sunset Beach today. The victory also netted him the 2010 ASP Hawaii regional pro title and a start in next week's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Kemper surfed a total of four times today and survived a close final tussle in inconsistent 10- to 12-foot surf to claim the $12,000 winner's check.
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Andy Irons, a world champion surfer adored by fans the world over, passed away unexpectedly on November 2, 2010, at the age of 32. Andy was a loving and devoted husband, adored son and soon-to-be father. Andy is survived by his wife Lyndie, his brother Bruce and parents Phil and Danielle. He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. A memorial service will take place on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 11am at Pine Trees in Hanalei Bay, Kauai. The service will include an honorary paddle-out to pay tribute to his legacy. There will be a second and closing ceremony to celebrate his life during the start of this year's Pipe Masters.

Shifting, hefty conditions divided the field at the $85,000 HIC Pro today, favoring veteran Sunset Beach surfers who are highly experienced with interpreting the fickle nuances that the venue presents on stormy days like this. The second day of competition was held in very technical and unpredictable surf that reached up to 20 feet. The afternoon high tide took it up another notch, delivering a lot of wide west swells and even a couple of closeouts.
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The final day of Vans Presents The HIC Pro is on in 12-15 foot surf at Sunset Beach. Watch the live webcast and see who claims the first victory of the North Shore season and qualifies for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing!

Day 2 of Vans Presents The HIC Pro is ON in 12-15 foot surf at Sunset Beach, Hawaii. Watch the LIve Webcast to catch all the action!

It was a somber day at Sunset Beach, Hawaii today, where gray skies and high, stormy waves matched the mood of professional surfers who turned out to compete in the first day of the HIC Pro, presented by Vans. One day after the shock news of three-time world champion Andy Irons' passing, surfers from around the state and around the world found comfort in the company of friends as stories and memories of Andy filled the salt-laden air. Waves of up to 20 feet rolled through Sunset Beach and personal tributes were shared among the 112 competitors, most of whom are from around the Hawaiian Islands and knew Irons well.
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Day 1 of Vans Presents The HIC Pro Live Webcast is ON in 15 - 20 foot surf at Sunset Beach, Hawaii. Don't miss the first event of the North Shore season in all of it's glory!

Wave face heights of 30 feet at Sunset Beach have created too much of a good thing for the opening day of the HIC Pro presented by Vans. While Sunset Beach is "maxing out" today, the remainder of the week promises plenty of big wave action. The forecast calls for wave face heights ranging from 15 to 25 feet for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The HIC Pro is a three-day event, so it is possible that the event could run back-to-back tomorrow through Friday. Please stay tuned.

Vans Presents The HIC Pro is off today. The conditions are unfavorable with blown out 2-3 ft waves at Sunset Beach. Forecasters are tracking a possible swell for Monday, so stay tuned for more updates. Aloha.

The 14-day holding period for the 3-day HIC Pro, presented by Vans, will begin tomorrow, Thursday, October 28, at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore. This last chance qualifier for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing features 112 surfers from seven nations including Japan, Brazil, Venezuela and Australia with Pancho Sullivan - a multiple champion of the event, Myles Padaca, Joel Centeio, and defending champion Hank Gaskell joining the event. Make sure to check back every morning to check the event status so you won't miss a minute of the action.

The North Shore awoke from it's slumber this week by thrashing waves measuring up to 15 feet signaling the start of Hawaii's $1.1 million dollar surf season. HIC PRO presented by Vans, is the season opener and starts next week, October 28th - November 10th which is followed by the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series, November 12th - December 20th. The HIC PRO is the last opportunity for local surfers to qualify to compete against the world's highest rated surfers at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and anything could happen. Tune into the live webcast to see who will pull off the win!

After 26 successful years at Sunset Beach, on Oahu's famed North Shore, The XCEL PRO is now The HIC PRO. With Vans as the presenting sponsor, the event has been upgraded to an $85,000, ASP-sanctioned 4-star event. This will be the final qualifier for the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which includes the Reef Hawaiian Pro, The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing and the Billabong Pipeline Masters. The HIC Pro will be staged on the best three days of surf within the holding period, which runs October 28th through November 10th.

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After 26 successful years, the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach, Oahu, which runs from October 28-November 10, will take on a new title sponsor this year, Hawaiian Island Creations, to become the HIC Pro. The HIC Pro will upgrade to an $85,000 ASP-sanctioned 4-star event and will be the final qualifier for the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing that begins November 12. As the final ASP regional contest of the year, it not only crowns the 2010 ASP Hawaii regional champion, but will also qualify six aspiring locals to compete on the world's premier surfing stage: the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. For more details of the event, take a look at Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.