We’re not making this up. Quiksilver announced today that not only are they holding an ASP World Tour event in NY in September, they’re putting up a million dollar prize purse.

“We are beyond excited to host the biggest pro surf event in the world, this September in New York,” Quiksilver CEO, Bob McKnight, said. “There has always been a huge contingent of dedicated surfers and surf enthusiasts on the East Coast, and they’ll now get a chance to watch the world’s best surfers in Long Beach (on Long Island). We are also bringing the best and brightest Quiksilver, Roxy and DC athletes to New York City, the largest media arena in the world, for twelve days of surf, skate, BMX, fashion, art and music that will bring incredible global attention to these phenomenal athletes and the action sports culture and lifestyle.”

It’s not just Quikky’s CEO who’s stoked. Given this will be the closest event to his home town of Cocoa Beach in Florida, a certain Mr Kelly Slater is into it, too. “When I was young, I remember some great waves on Long Island with my brother Sean and our friends,” said the ten times world champ. “This event itself will be unique and kind of an unknown for us and bringing the ASP tour to New York will be fun ’cause there’s a big surf culture there already.”

With Shaun White named second most powerful athlete in the world and Quiksilver bringing surf to New York with the largest prize purse in the history of the sport, 2011 could be the year that extreme goes properly mainstream.

As to the question on everybody’s lips about whether New York actually gets waves, well, it did last year.