2008 U.S. Open: Let the Madness Begin

Well folks, we're off and running. The U.S. Open is back for another go and we've got ourselves a week's worth of mayhem, parties, and even a bit of surfing...and if this last weekend's warm-up was even a hint of what we're in for as the main event gets cracking, it's going to be a hell of a ride. Julian Wilson, who's been in the States for over a month now and recently won the Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure, is in blistering form. From Round One of the Honda Junior Pro all the way through the semis, Julian's proven to be the man to beat. The final is coming up this weekend. And as for the main event, well, considering it's the only six-star WQS on the U.S. Mainland, it's safe to say everybody's amped out of their gourd. The Red Bull Rising crew just moved into their temporary digs up on 15th Street. "The house is sick," noted Hawaiian representative Gavin Gillette. "The surf's been pumping, it's definitely summertime in California." That being said, the first Red Bull Rising installment's coming up tomorrow, so tune back in for fresh videos, photos, and the ever-classic blog by Rising's own Ben Mondy, as well as the surfers themselves.