Big Bite o’ The Apple

Remember a while back when we alluded to the high possibility of a New York WT event? Well, Quiksilver and the ASP have confirmed that Long Beach in Long Island, New York, will be stop six on the Dream Tour in 2011. Running from September fourth to September 15th, the event’ll be the first-ever ASP WT stop on the East Coast of the US. The event will up Quik’s Pro global series to three, alongside the Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast (starting February 26th) and the Quiksilver Pro, France.

Not only will the Quiksilver Pro, NY, be the maiden US East Coast WT event, it’ll also have the largest prize purse ever offered by a WT event. The one million dollar prize purse is broken down as follows:

1st – $300,000
2nd – $100,000
3rd – $50,000
5th – $30,000
9th – $20,000
13th – $15,000
25th – $10,000

This is pretty immense, considering the next biggest prize purse is half as big: The 2011 Billabong Pro, Rio Di Janeiro, is the second largest and boasts a $500,000 packet. The rest of the WT events offer a $425,000 purse. That kinda (really) puts the Quiksilver Pro, NY, in a league of its own. In 2010 you’d pocket $40,000 for a first place at most events. Come out on top in 2011 at the Quiksilver Pro, NY, and you’re taking home seven-and-a-half times as much.

Findings by a Surfline study found that the allocated timeframe offers the highest chance of hurricane swell, and the findings were supported by local feedback, so y’could surmise that there’ll be a playful arena.

Kelly Slater is thrilled with the event: “When I was young, I remember some great waves on Long Island with my brother Sean and our friends. I’m really looking forward to being in New York. This event itself will be unique and kind of an unknown for us and bringing the ASP tour to Long Island should be fun ’cause there’s a big surf culture there already and some great surf shops.”

Kelly basically holds every record in the surfing book – including largest first place prize money ($105,000 at the 2010 Hurley Pro, Trestles). Reckon it’s a record he’ll wanna defend?