9-time World Champion Kelly Slater looked like he was in a league of his own at the 2009 U.S. Open of Surfing on Thursday.  The ASP WCT veteran looked polished as always in the waist to head high crumbly lines on the southside of the Huntington Beach Pier.

Slater said it has been eight to ten years since I’ve surfed in the U.S. Open of Surfing, but decided to do it this year because of Pat O’connell and Bob Hurley.  He also said I’ve got a lot of friends from the old days and a lot of good memories from Huntington Beach.

Slater took the win in his Round of 48 heat with a combined heat score of 15.40 with Aussie Nic Muscroft wracking up 11.93 points.  Kelly Slater and Nic Muscroft now move on to the Round of 24 and both will hit the lineup again on Friday morning, July 24.

Meanwhile, as always everyone in the surf world is always anxious to see what type of equipment Kelly Slater is going to pull out of his quiver.  This time it wasn’t was one his owns shapes, but an Al Merrick Channel Islands 5’10″ rounded squash tail, quad fin with a thick carbon fibre strip between the fins.
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