A major melee broke out in Huntington Beach after the close of the Vans US Open of Surfing Sunday night.
Police called in reinforcements from other police departments for help, and had to shoot rubber balls and use tear gas to finally disperse the crowd, according to the Orange County Register.
Police called the incident a “major disturbance,” the newspaper said. Video on the Register website showed a broken store window, and a line of police firing rubber balls into the crowd.
I was at the US Open on Saturday afternoon, the day before the melee, and spent a lot of time on Main Street afterward. At 3 p.m., there were already long lines to get into nearly every bar, and there are many bars on Main Street. It’s not hard to imagine what can happen when people pour onto the street and down to the beach after several hours of drinking.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the melee began on Sunday around 7 p.m. when police tried to clear large crowds following the conclusion of the event. Unruly people in the group then damaged city vehicles and portable toilets and broke store windows.
Several fights also broke out between men and women on the street, the Register said. Eight people were arrested.
It’s an unfortunate ending for Vans, which sponsored the US of Surfing for the first time this year, and had hoped to change the reputation of the event to be more family-friendly and welcoming to locals.
The US Open of Surfing typically attracts a lot of spectators from other parts of California, who pour into Huntington Beach to see the event and also to be part of the scantily clad, sea of humanity that circulates around the event and on Main Street.
On the US Opening of Surfing website, Vans posted the following statement, and I also have an email into the team there to see if they want to comment further.
“We’re extremely disappointed and saddened by the disturbance that occurred up on Main Street after the close of the US Open of Surfing,” Vans said. “We work tirelessly with City staff, police, fire and other agencies to ensure a safe environment for all. We appreciate the quick response of HBPD and are awaiting further information.”
