ocregister.com/travel - "O.C. Surfers of the Year 2009" contest

O.C. Surfers of the Year winners announced

SHORDBOARDER: Brett Simpson - For the second year in a row, this top surfer proved he was a fan favorite among Orange County locals and nabbed the victory for the shortboarder category.

LONGBOARDER: Joe Aaron - This young surfer made a dent in the voting early on, and no other longboarder seemed to be able to keep up through the weeks.

RISING STAR MALE: Andrew Doheny - The Newport Beach local caught the eye of many in the industry years ago at a very young age and continues on a path to greatness.

RISING STAR FEMALE: Courtney Conlogue - The young surfer from Santa Ana is arguably the best under 18 female surfer in the nation.

Congrats to the winners of the 2009 OC Surfer of the Year contest, and a big thanks to all the surfers who were a part of the contest. The Orange County Register puts on this contest as a way to honor and recognize these hard-working, talented surfers each year. And we want to thank those of you who voted – some consistently for weeks – for bringing energy to this contest.

Read more about the winners here


2008 winners Brett Simpson of Huntington Beach was the first winner of the Orange County Surfer of the Year Award as chosen by readers of ocregister.com. Simpson, a rising star on the WQS surf circuit edged out big wave surfer Greg Long of San Clemente, with each garnering over a million votes out of about three million cast. Voters seemed to have a crystal ball as Simpson has surfed to near the top of the WQS standings this year in a bid to move into the elite WCT next year. Like most surfing-related contests, the format was different last year. Greg Long received the expert's choice award as surfer of the year for taking on some of the largest breaks in the world, while shunning the regular contest circuit. Courtney Conlogue, a phenom out of Santa Ana who starred on the amateur circuit, was tapped by the expert as female surfer of the year. It's amazing to think it is still two years until we're likely to see her turn pro and compete for cash on the women's WQS or WCT circuit.	Events Jun 2-7 - WQS Rusty Arica Pro Challenge, El Gringo, Chile Jun 6-7 - Arnette Pro Junior presented by Jack's, 56th St. Newport, Calif. Jun 8-14 - WQS SriLankan Airlines Pro, Pasta Point-Maldives June 12-20 - NSSA Championships and Explorer Championships, Salt Creek, Dana Point June 17-20 - NSSA National Airshow Championships, Salt Creek, Dana Point Jun 20-21 - PLA Longboard/ Gidget Pro, Huntington Beach June 23-37 - NSSA Open & Explorer Championships, Lower Trestles, San Clemente Jun 27-28 - WWQS Mr Price Pro Ballito, South Africa June 28 - NSSA Awards Banquet, Huntington Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach Jun 27-July 5 - WCT Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro, Brazil Jun 29-July 5 - WQS South Africa Mr Price Pro Ballito, South Africa *Abbreviations:* WCT: World Championship Tour;WQS: World Qualifying Series;WWQS: Women's World Qualifying Series; NSSA: National Scholastic Surfing Association)	Rules RULES: Like a surf contest, points in the Orange County Surfer of the Year contest come in waves. Voters can cast 10 votes per hour for their favorite surfer - all for one or break it up among several contestants. This allows contestants to ride a late swell of votes into the lead. Voting is only allowed online at ocregister.com. The contest is not a scientific poll. CREDITS: Project manager: Jennifer Davis. Words by Gary A. Warner, Laylan Connelly and Fred Swegles. Contest design by Rick Ngoc Ho and Cindy Murphy; Geoff Boaz, Matthew Ralston and Anne Gillette. Video by Michele Cardon and Jim Zisk. A special thanks to Richelle Gregorio and Lenin Aviles. A special thanks to those who helped us compile the list of this year's nominated surfers: Peter "PT" Townend, ASP, WSA, and Surfing America.