The best in surfing, skate and BMX are ready to compete at U.S. Open in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach has been the home break to the largest professional sports competition and action sports festival in the world, and starting Saturday, Surf City again will hold that distinction when the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing gets underway on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
The action sports festival will run nine consecutive days, ending July 31, and culminate in championship finals in surfing, skate and BMX. Athletes from around the world will be in contention for titles in their respective sports.
The surfing competition begins Saturday, skate debuts Sunday, and BMX gets underway July 28. The surf schedule and heat draws were not being released until 48 hours before the start of the competition.
“We’re thrilled with everything the event offers this year,” said James Leitz, senior vice president and global head of action sports at IMG. “Vans, which is celebrating its 50th year, has renewed its sponsorship, which is really, really exciting to us because it reinforces their commitment to surfing, skate and BMX to the city of Huntington Beach and Southern California.
“Once again, this contest will feature some of the best athletes in their sport from around the world. These athletes constantly bring innovation to their sport, in big or small conditions. There’s sure to be plenty of drama and suspense in these competitions.”
Join the conversation on Facebook >>
Surfing championships and prize money are up for grabs in the World Surf League Men’s (Qualifying Series,10,000 points), WSL Women’s and combined WSL Pro Junior (Men, Women) events, and the Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational (longboard contest).
“It’s a regional surf contest, in a way, but it has global legs,” Leitz said. “It’s the place to be, surfing under the iconic Huntington Bach Pier. To be carried up the sand by your team before thousands of spectators, if you win, is a huge thrill. Every time I see that, it’s a real dramatic moment in this sport.”
The women’s competition will be the sixth stop on the Samsung Galaxy WSL World Championship Tour. All of the top contenders, including the last eight champions, are scheduled to vie for the title. Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana, a U.S. Open semifinalist last summer and U.S. Open winner at age 16 in 2009, is the Jeep ratings leader entering the event. Johanne Defay of France won the women’s title last year.
Other past champions in this year’s event include two-time winner Carissa Moore of Hawaii (2010, 2013), Tyler Wright of Australia (2014), Sally Fitzgibbons of Australia (2011), Stephanie Gilmore of Australia (2007) and Malia Manuel of Hawaii (2008). The field will get a boost with the return from injury of Lakey Peterson of Santa Barbara, who won in 2012.
The top 24 riders on the Men’s World Championship Tour are scheduled to compete at the U.S. Open. Kolohe Andino of San Clemente is No. 1 on the WSL seedings list. Right behind him is No. 2 Jadson Andre of Brazil, and No. 3 is Keanu Asing of Hawaii. Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach, a semifinalist last year, is the No. 15 seed.
In last year’s men’s competition, Hiroto Ohhara, currently seeded No. 44, became the first Japanese surfer to win the U.S. Open Men’s title.
In addition to Igarashi, other local athletes in title contention are Brett Simpson and Tim Reyes of Huntington Beach. Each is in final preparations for this year’s Open.
Reyes last year won his heats in Rounds 1, 2 and 3, before being eliminated in the Round of 16. He recently surfed the Ballito Pro in, he said, “deteriorating conditions” in South Africa. The contest ended July 3.
He won the Ballito Pro two years ago.
“Normally, during U.S. Open time, I haven’t really competed much, maybe normally once or twice,” Reyes said. “But this year, I think I had three events under the belt plus a couple local events. I felt good in South Africa (Ballito Pro), but the ocean thought otherwise. So, I’m trying to make it a point that I can surf anything.
“I’m surfing (here) pretty much during the choppy times of the day, trying to get my head wrapped around surfing harder waves to ride. The body feels good, mind feels to be pretty sharp, and surfboards are feeling great. There’s only a few things to do, and I will be ready to go. You never know what you’re going to get when you wake up. You just put on your best performance.”
Simpson, the Men’s U.S. Open winner in 2009 and 2010, was ousted in the first round of the main event last year.
“The U.S. Open is my favorite event of the year,” Simpson said. “Yeah, it might not have the greatest of waves, but it’s home for me and it has brought me my best competitive surfing memories.
“I’m feeling great (entering the Open), to be honest. It’s nice to have some time home with my family and rest up, but I’ve also had a lot of time in the water too. Last year, I bombed out early. I have this tendency, since I went back-to-back, of going a good year, then a bad year. So, in feeling, I’m due for a good one (year).”
The field for the men’s title is formidable, he says.
“It’s always a tough event,” Simpson said. “I heard that maybe 27 of the top 32 CT (Championship Tour) guys are entered. That says it right there. It’s a prestigious event for everybody. It’s one that goes down in the history books, ‘cause it’s Surf City.”
The Van Doren Invitational will draw some of the top BMX riders, including Dennis Enarson (San Diego), Gary Young (San Diego) and Scotty Cranmer (New Jersey).
The Vans Pro Skate Park Series, the first skateboarding international championship point series in park terrain competition, makes its final series stop at the U.S. Open of Surfing. Pro and amateur skateboards have competed in the series, which determines the final contenders for the Vans Pro Skate Park Series World Championship on Aug. 20 in Sweden.
Some of the Men’s Skate Pro Select competitors include Curren Caples (Ventura), Grant Taylor (Virginia) and Ben Hatchell (Houston).
::
U.S. Open of Surfing Schedule
Friday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open retail store is open
--
Saturday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open retail store is open
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Stoke-O-Rama with the Gudauskus Brothers (9th Street)
Noon to 4 p.m.: Juniors Division practice/registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
--
Sunday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open retail store is open
10 a.m. to noon: Juniors Division practice/registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
Noon to 4 p.m.: Juniors Division contest (Vans Pro Park Course)
1 to 3 p.m.: House of Vans DIY Sunglass Making with Kota Wade (Van Doren Village)
6:15 to 6:45 p.m.: Flatland BMX Demo (Amphitheater)
7 to 9 p.m.: Vans Movie Night: “Toy Story” (Amphitheater)
--
Monday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open Retail Store is open
8:30 a.m. to noon: BMX Open practice/registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
1 to 4 p.m.: Women’s Pro practice/rider registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
4 to 6 p.m.: Men’s Pro practice/rider registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
6:15 to 6:45 p.m.: Flatland BMX Demo (Amphitheater)
7 to 9 p.m.: Vans Movie Night: “Indiana Jones”
--
Tuesday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open Retail Store is open
8:30 a.m. to noon: BMX Open practice/registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
1 to 3 p.m.: Women’s Pro practice/rider registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
3 to 6 p.m.: Vans Pro Skate Series: Women’s Pro contest (Vans Pro Park Course)
6 to 6:15 p.m.: Vans Pro Skate Series: Women’s Pro awards (Vans Pro Park Course)
6:15 to 6:45 p.m.: Flatland BMX Demo (Amphitheater)
7 to 9 p.m.: Vans Movie Night: Vans BMX movie premiere (Amphitheater)
--
Wednesday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Vans US Open Retail Store is open
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: BMX Heat practice/rider registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Screen Printing Class with Micah Tompkins and Josh Ortega (Van Doren Village)
2 to 6 p.m.: Men’s Skate practice/rider registration (Vans Pro Park Course)
--
Follow me on Twitter: @mikesciacca
