Just hours after the Quiksilver Pro N.Y. finals ended last Friday — and Australia’s Owen Wright won in a stunning upset over 10-time ASP champion Kelly Slater — local pro surfer Balaram Stack reflected on his experience competing in the event during an autograph signing at Quiksilver’s new retail space in Oceanside.
With “bring it back next year” shouted by the crowd during the award ceremony on National Boulevard, it was clear that residents are already hoping that the ASP World Tour makes a return to Long Beach next year.
Stack spoke during the grand opening of the Quiksilver store, owned by Unsound surf shop’s Mike Nelson and Dave Juan. Both are Long Beach residents who sponsored the Quiksilver Pro N.Y. Trials, a competition that determined the event’s second wildcard — Asher Nolan — who went up against 34 of the world’s best surfers on the tour.
Stack added that the event benefited both the surf community and local businesses, as thousands of spectators descended on Long Beach during the competition.
“All the businesses I’m sure are loving it, getting tons of business,” he said.
And while many residents debate whether the tour will return to Long Beach, Stack, who is sponsored by Quiksilver, said that he was confident that it would.
“I think they’re planning on having the [contest here the] next two years,” he said, “they already have it planned out, so hopefully it goes as well as this one.”
Check out the Herald's video interview with Stack, produced by Roger Gengo: