2015 US Open of Surfing

(you can skip to the gallery at the bottom…I won’t be offended, just don’t expect a xmas gift)

It always amazes me how many surfers say they hate competitive surfing. This goes for surf photographers as well, who often loath a day–or god forbid a week–at a contest venue. It’s especially true of how people bitch about the US Open of Surfing. Yet consistently world tour live webcasts get more viewers than the Super Bowl, and the US Open pulls in hundreds of thousands of bodies to the beach, not to mention the masses also watching live online, making it the biggest contest in the world.

The biggest complaints? Small or bad waves. Here’s the thing: competitive surfers GET to surf the best waves in the world, but they also HAVE to surf the worst conditions as well. It’s a reality from the very top on down to the smallest local competition. So what does this mean? It means that while you’re sleeping in, or playing a round of golf, or hanging on the beach with your girl because the waves suck, these guys are out there grinding away. Despite people bitching about bad waves at contests, dreaming of living their lives as free surfers, the best surfers in the lineup are going to be the contest surfers.

Bullshit you say. Look, I’m not claiming the best waves ever ridden have been or will be in a contest heat (though look at this year’s Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak and tell me the best waves this year weren’t ridden in 2-on-2 man heats). What I am saying is the best, most well rounded surfer, who can ride the best barrels, launch the biggest airs, and carve the best turns will be able to tear apart waves whether it’s the best conditions imaginable or knee high waves you might be struggling to even stand up on, or might not even bother paddling out for. How? Grinding it out for years in all conditions as they’ve been training and competing in the best and worst conditions imaginable.

What about Dane! Damn right, he’s unquestionably one of the best free surfers in history. A surfer who’s publicly denounced competitive surfing. Oh, what’s Dane doing now? Working his way to re-qualify for the CT. Yes, RE-qualify. Let’s not forget he battled his way as a grom through the scholastic, regional, and QS competitions, making his way to the tour before going the free surfer route. He wouldn’t be the free surfer he is without the hard work he put into qualifying for the world tour.

Here’s the paradox in surfing…most of us around the world are stoked to surf waist to chest high waves at our home breaks, yet for contests we get all pissy if we don’t always see the best, at their best, in the best conditions possible.

When a big contest comes around, we conveniently forget surfing is entirely subject to the whim of mother nature, who doesn’t always play nice with our scheduled and permitted event calendar. Hell, the currently running Billabong Pro Tahiti, which has indeed had some of the absolute best waves ridden ever (contest or free surf) in years past, has been on hold for 7 consecutive lay-days, with only 2 days left in the contest window.

Could it be we’ve gotten gotten spoiled always seeing our favorite surfers on the pages of our favorite magazines tearing apart the best waves the world has to offer? Have we become overly accustomed to a constant barrage of mind-blowing video clips spewed up every day online? CT events have the luxury of a contest window and lay-days to account for less than ideal conditions, but even then mother nature might not put out. QS, regional, and scholastic events often have a hard lined schedule, waves or not.

So if we know mother nature can be fickle, even at spots like Chopes, why hold the US Open in the summer months? Summer crowds, obviously.

Those of us who live here on the coast often overlook (except when we’re bitching about tourists) that we’re a vacation destination. Whether it be people flying across the globe to Disney World and mixing it up with a beach day, to summer renters, or just those who live inland coming down to the ocean for the day, we’re a destination. People want to be here.

One major reason why is that southern California, especially OC, is unique in that there are almost always surfable waves. No, we frequently don’t have epic conditions. In fact we rarely get those days worth writing home about or blasting across the interweb–though we do have our days in the spring and fall months. The summer months can be pretty average at best, with flat spells and the incredibly rare storm like we had last summer (which by the way despite begin Pipeline-like in Newport wasn’t even contestable conditions at the HB Pier where they hold the US Open…). What we do have is consistent, surfable waves all year round. It’s harder to find a day here when you cannot go surf than counting the days you can.

There I just said it–and you feel validated I admitted it! The waves in southern California are better during the spring and fall, so why not hold the such a big contest then? At the risk of begin repetitive because I can’t stress this enough…summer crowds. Small waves or not, there’s going to be waves, and there’s going to be a lot of people watching.

This year was no exception. We had the two required elements of a successful US Open: people watching the contest and waves. Need I say more? Well maybe a little. A few really big names were MIA this year-names like Kelley Slater, John John Florence, Mick Fanning, and Jordy Smith. Even without them, there was plenty of action, and plenty of drama.

All eyes were on Brazilian phenom Filipe Toledo (who just happens to also be the defending champ and at the time of writing current world #4), and local Huntington Beach junior charger Kanoa Igarashi, who looks good to qualify for the world tour this coming year. As the field struggled, Filipe continually found waves, grinding through to the inside launching massive airs and blow-tail turns in the shorebreak. Likewise local knowledge played a strong hand for Kanoa, who earned himself a second in the Jr. Men’s comp, and made it through to the semi-finals of the main event (combined with a recent win in Virginia at the ECSC he’s now ranked third on the QS; look for him soon on the CT). Despite the attention and standout performances, neither took the win.

The drama. Relatively unknown on the international scene, unsponsored Hawaiian charger Tanner Hendrikson took out the seemingly unstoppable Toledo in the semi-finals. Brazilian passions run high, and more upset at himself for not landing airs he’d been making all day long than anything else, Filipe denied Tanner a post heat handshake. A quick board bashing later to vent and cooler heads prevailed as Filipe found Tanner, still soaking in some fresh water in his amazement at making the finals, and offered a heartfelt hug and congratulations. Sportsmanship won out the day (although Toledo was quick leave the contest arena afterwards).

Showing respect to your fellow competitor is paramount, but we all need times to just yell “FUCK” at the top of our lungs, or bash a surfboard against the scaffolding after a big loss. These guys give it their all out there, and deserve a moment if they need one. Even Slater has shot the pier to escape talking to anyone after a loss, or punched his board in frustration. The takeaway from here is not that Filipe snubbed Tanner immediately after the heat, but took the opportunity to offer his sincere congratulations despite the torrent of emotions running through him.

To many the win was as shocking as the perceived drama between Toledo and Hendrickson. Japanese junior surfer Hiroto Ohhara, small in stature but large in skill and power, dominated the final. Hiroto had a hell of a month in Orange County. Despite the smaller summer conditions he decisively won the VANS US Open of Surfing, grinding it out with highly technical surfing, and jumping all the way up to 14th on the overall QS rankings.

The icing on the cake? A couple weeks prior Hiroto won the Hurley Pro Trials, earning himself a coveted spot at the upcoming CT event at Trestles. He’s home in Japan now, but all eyes will be on him when he hits the water at Lowers come September. Even a 3rd round elimination at the CT event could earn him enough points to be in qualifying position for next years tour. So do you really have cause to bitch about the US Open now?

(Photos below all published by either Surfline.com or Surfing Magazine…enjoy!)

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