World
Olympic surfers, world’s best among competitors signed up for the US Open of Surfing
Some of the surfers competing at the US Open of Surfing are enjoying the luxury of their own comfy beds after a day in the water and time with loved ones while on a much-needed break from traveling the world.
Others showing up in Huntington Beach for this week’s competition are still jet lagged from surfing in Tahiti, Olympic athletes fresh out of the tropical waves at Teahupo’o, where the sport made its second appearance at the Summer Games, which wrapped up on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
While Surf City’s waves won’t be anywhere near as big as what surf enthusiasts and new fans got to see during the Olympics, the mega festival in Huntington Beach has its own personality – it’s a longtime favorite event among up-and-coming surfers hoping to make it to the elite level, as well as a draw for some of the world’s best surfers who enjoy putting on a show for the crowds.
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The surf action kicked off Saturday, Aug. 5, with the Huntington Beach Longboard Classic, the second stop on the World Surf League’s Longboard Tour, bringing top wave-riding stylists to showcase traditional surfing. Only a handful of surfers are left in that event, which wraps up Tuesday before the WSL’s Challenger Series kicks off on Wednesday.
Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi, a two-time US Open of Surfing winner and two-time Olympic surfer, spent Monday getting back into his routine at home, doing a warm-up surf session, running errands and catching up with family and friends.
Entering the US Open, Igarashi said he has one clear goal in mind: A three-peat at his home break. Igarshi won the event twice, in 2018 and 2017, tying fellow Huntington Beach surfer Brett Simpson’s record.
“It’s just one of those events that holds a really special place in my heart,” Igarashi, 26, said Monday morning as he settled back in at home. “I also have that fire to want to win a third one and be the most-winning surfer in the US Open.”
While the waves at Teahupo’o gave surfers a huge challenge – the athletes facing massive, death-defying mountains of water punching down on them during the event – Huntington Beach’s crowd factor is what makes the US Open so special.
“The way it’s set up, the way it’s like a stadium feeling, people can get so involved from the pier, from the beach, and you really feel everyone that’s on the beach,” Igarashi said. “In surfing, that’s the closest thing you can really get to a soccer or basketball stadium. And as a surfer, I love that feeling of being involved with the crowd and being part of something really big. So the US Open really is one of the biggest events that surfing has, it has a bit of an aura that not many events have.”
Igarashi won’t be the only Olympic athlete in the mix at the U.S. Open, with several Olympians signed up for the event.
Olympians in the women’s draw include Luana Silva, Teresa Bonvalot, Sanoa Demplfe-Olin, Vahine Fierro, Taina Hinckel, Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri, Sarah Baum, Nadia Erostarbe and Sol Aguirre.
For the men’s event, Olympians Lucca Mesinas, Kauli Vaast and Joao Chianca signed up for the contest. Vaast, a Tahitian surfer, would be coming off a massive gold medal victory on Monday for Team France in the Olympics.
There’s also expected to be some big-name, current and former World Tour surfers joining the competition.
When the first round kicks off, San Clemente surfer Kolohe Andino will hit the water. Andino spent several years on the elite World Tour, in recent years taking on a mentoring role for the younger generation of San Clemente surfers.
San Clement’s Crosby Colapinto, who came in second last year, is hoping to better his result to follow in his older brother’s footsteps.
Colapinto is currently surfing on the World Tour alongside brother Griffin, who won the US Open in 2021.
San Clemente’s Cole Houshmand, who did well enough at last year’s US Open to qualify for the World Tour, is also making an appearance.
He’s matched up in the first heat against Kade Matson, also from San Clemente, who suffered a mid-year cut during his maiden run on World Tour this year, with hopes of regaining his spot.
The US Open is the fourth of six stops on the World Surf League’s Challenger Series, where 80 men and 48 women compete for points to qualify within the top 10 men and top five women to make the cut for next year’s World Tour, the major leagues of the sport.
The women will have big names to go against, including Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons and Santa Barbara’s Lakey Peterson, both former World Tour veterans who have won the event in past years and are hoping to again join the world’s best.
San Clemente will also have plenty of representation on the women’s side. Last year’s winner Sawyer Lindblad will be back to defend her title. It was at the US Open of Surfing where she earned the needed points to join this year’s World Tour.
Also surfing in the women’s event from local waters are Kirra Pinkerton and Bella Kenworthy, both from San Clemente.
But don’t count out those who call Huntington Beach’s break home. Long Beach native Nolan Rapoza, who calls the south side his home break and recently moved to Surf City, came in runner-up last year and is looking to take the title.
On the women’s side, Huntington Beach’s Sara Freyre is hoping to make waves in the event.
Aside from the local surfers, the heats are stacked with surfers from around the globe who travel to Huntington Beach to make a name for themselves in front of the big crowds.
Longboarding action heats up
The longboard action continued on Monday with the number of competitors whittling down through the day.
The event is expected to wrap up Tuesday. Quarter-final heats will start the morning. In the men’s event, Cardiff surfer Richie Cravey will go up against Rogelio Jr. Esquievel, a Filipino surfer who has brought a huge fan base to the beach to cheer him on. United Kingdom’s Ben Skinner will match up against Kai Ellice-Flint, from Australia.
San Diego surfer Taylor Jensen will face Japan’s Taka Inoue, while Hawaii’s Kaniela Stewart, last year’s winner, will go up against Chase Lieder, from Montauk.
In the women’s event, Dana Point’s Rachael Tilly will match up against world champion Honolua Blomfield. Malibu’s Soleil Errrico will go against Alice Lemoigne, of Reunion Island, while Sophia Culhane from Hawaii will go against Mason Schremmer, surfing for the United States.
To see the full line up and schedule, go to worldsurfleague.com
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