Sofia and Curren Win US Open Women's Titles

Rob Machado puts the groove in groovy.

Bartels moved from fifth to fourth on the ratings once results from this event were tabulated.

Also crowning an event champion today was the ASP $10,000 Grade Two Target Pro Junior. Lee Ann Curren (Biarritz, FRA) claimed the title this afternoon edging out her fellow competitors Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Erica Hosseini (Newport Beach, CA) and Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA) in one of the closest heats of the entire event.

“I was pretty nervous today because I didn’t know if I was going to surf well,” Curren said. “I’m so happy that I won. The other girls are all very good surfers. It was hard and it was very close and difficult to find the good waves. I am trying to surf the WQS events, but I still have one more year of school.”

The Men’s Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill had no shortage of action as today’s Round of 24 was shortened to the final 12 surfers who will battle it out for the title tomorrow.

Bobby Martinez (Santa Barbara, CA), current no. four on the Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour, put an end to a potential Ben Dunn (Old Bar, AUS) double-event sweep (Dunn will surf the final of the Lost Pro Junior tomorrow) this morning with a commanding win in the opening heat of the men’s event.

With such a phenomenal start to his World Tour season, Martinez has said this will be the only WQS event he will surf this year.