Quiksilver LI surf contest opens

The Quiksilver Pro New York opened Monday in laid-back surfer fashion, with top competitors from around the world gathering on the Long Beach shore for a brief morning blessing and a call for some "chill" waves.

Then they got down to business, practicing and performing "expressions" in the afternoon to showcase technical skills while organizers and forecasters determined whether Tuesday's ocean swells will produce competition-caliber waves.

Thousands of spectators surrounded a traditional six-person Hawaiian canoe, draped in leis, as organizers and surfers representing France, Brazil, South Africa and Australia thanked city residents for their hospitality for an event knocked down, but not out, by Tropical Storm Irene.

"You wouldn't even believe that something happened here just recently," said Mel Puu, a Hawaiian surfer and event promoter.

Lauren Greco, 26, of West Babylon, spends summers in Long Beach and had no doubt that the event would bounce back.

"I think we are a resilient people," Greco said. "We had been waiting for this competition all summer. I think it says a lot that this is still going on."

Last weekend's storm canceled some concerts, but the boardwalk and beach remained packed with visitors. Their biggest cheers were reserved for 10-time world champion Kelly Slater of Florida, considered the most accomplished American surfer of the last two decades, and Balaram Stack of Long Beach, who turned 20 Monday and is one of the "wild card" competitors.

Sticking with the casual attitude, the opening ceremonies closed with Quiksilver marketing director Peter Mel introducing Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano as simply "Ed from Nassau."

Over the next 10 days, the surfers will compete for $1 million in prize money. Only four of the days, those with the best ocean conditions, will be used for the surfing competition, with other activities held between contests.

While the pros participated only in technical moves Monday, fans were happy to watch.

Gina and Glenn Cuevas of Greenlawn brought Gina's son, Dylan O'Connor, 11, to the event.

"It's something different," Glenn Cuevas, 47, said. "He [Dylan] wants to learn how to surf, so we figured this is the way to go."

Event forecasters will assess surf conditions around 7 a.m. each day and update the schedule on quiksilverpro.com. Rising swells from Hurricane Katia far out at sea are expected to improve surfing conditions at Long Beach around midweek, competition officials noted.

The contest represents the first time such an event has been held on the East Coast.

Quiksilver Pro New York is the sixth of 11 stops on this year's Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour, after competitions in Australia, Brazil and South Africa.

With Barbara Barker