Trestles Pro gives early look at LA28 surf contest — and sand space is slim

Surf fans have shown up throughout the week to watch the world’s best surfers up close at the Lexus Trestles Pro surf contest, finding slivers of sand to set out their towels and beach chairs.

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One thing was quickly apparent: There wasn’t much beach real estate for spectators, some of whom had to scramble to keep their belongings from getting soaked as waves pushed up during the mid-day high tides.

Recent hurricane swell action has further eroded the already slender beach at Lower Trestles, not just the venue for this week’s World Surf League contest, but also where the LA28 Olympics will hold surfing in two years.

Even though the Summer Games are still two years away, planners and surfers are looking ahead to when the international games come to Southern California and the surf contest is staged at the remote beach wedged between San Clemente and San Diego.

“This is very narrow, right now. This winter is going to dictate how we plan and build out future events in this area,” State Parks Superintendent Scott Kibby said.

The Olympic build-out will be similar, if not smaller, than the footprint currently set up on the beach for the World Surf League event, he said.

“Nature is going to dictate, ultimately, what we can do,” Kibby said. “So we have been working very closely with LA28 on what the site plan could be, and being fully mindful that we will likely have to adjust that plan and think through back-up and contingency plans, to make sure we have a very successful event.”

Kibby also said State Parks leaders are working with military officials — Camp Pendleton is next door — and other partners to closely monitor coastal erosion, and consulting with UC Irvine experts to learn about sediment flow so they can educate themselves on what the future seascape could look like “to get as much information and science and data as we can to predict what the next couple years are going to look like.”

Forecasted El Niño storms could cut away sand from the shoreline. Or they could have positive impacts on the beach.

Heavy rains could help break open the San Mateo River, where about 100,000 cubic yards of sand has piled up in recent years, potentially adding to the sand supply on the beach.

“That’s something we will be closely monitoring,” Kibby said. “It’s been a little while since we’ve had a full flush for that sediment to come out.”

The prep of the Olympic venue will be done “in a mindful way,” with sustainability, natural resources and coastal resource protection at the forefront of decision making, he said. “Lower Trestles is an absolute gem in the State Park system, an iconic, high-performance wave.”

USA Surfing’s athlete commissioner, Todd Kline, said that while Team USA has yet to be determined, all of the potential Olympians have plenty of knowledge and experience at the surf break.

“They either live here or could be considered locals because they have come up through the amateur ranks that happen at Trestles,” he said. “So it’s exciting, as we look toward those games.”

The Trestles Pro has also been a chance to study the lineup, to see if sand bars have shifted in recent years, he said.

“The lineup will probably stay the same. But one thing that’s really interesting, and I’m curious to see, is the beach — or lack there of,” he said. “What’s going to happen for our venue as we head into the games?”

Kline said he, too, is hopeful that a wet winter will mean sediment will flow down the natural rivers.

“I’m excited to see what El Niño brings, and the blow out of the rivers potentially bringing the beach back. That’s what we’re looking at and hopefully that will rebuild the beach for us,” Kline said. “Otherwise it will be a challenge.”

Brooke Farris, chief marketing officer and president of North America for the World Surf League, echoed that the Olympics will likely be similar to the WSL contest being held this week.

This year has seen increased media interest, and several athletes have teams who have flown out to scope out the surf and do early planning, like figuring out where their crews will be staying.

France and Australia had teams out not just to support their athletes at the Trestles Pro, but to learn more about the region and what they’ll need for the upcoming Summer Games, Farris said.

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Surfers, too, have LA28 on their minds.

Italian surfer Leo Fioravanti recalled gathering with his family every time the Olympics would happen, watching all the sports and athletes from around the world.

Trestles will be a “cooler” Olympics, he said.

Tokyo, held in 2021 after being postponed due to the pandemic, didn’t have any fans on the beach. Surfing’s event was at a remote surf break in Tahiti for the Paris Olympics, which also didn’t allow for many fans to cheer on the athletes.

“I feel like here, you get the stadium,” he said. “Waves are going to be fun, fans will be crazy, and you’re near LA so you’ll be near the action.”

San Clemente Griffin Colapinto, who surfed in the Paris Games for Team USA, is keeping it simple right now:

“Just focus on making the Olympics and go from there,” he said. “It’s a pretty sick opportunity.”

Other surfers who were competing at Lower Trestles said they were keeping their focus on this week’s event, not two years ahead.

“I’m not really there yet, I’m pretty low on the rankings,” said San Diego surfer Eli Hanneman. “It definitely would be a cool thing one day. I think everyone would say that it would be an honor to be a part of and would aspire to be there. But honestly right now, I’m just focused on the tour and making some heats and getting in a rhythm. And becoming the best surfer I can.”

Finals Day set

The event went on “yellow alert” Thursday, meaning the final day is likely to happen in the next 24 hours, with organizers eyeing Friday, but contest organizers will make a call at 7:30 a.m. to determine whether to run.

A few Southern California surfers are still in the mix, including Encinitas surfer Jake Marshall, who advanced in his heat on Thursday.

“I feel like it was going my way,” he said of the heat. “That’s why we keep trying, keep showing up. Eventually the tide will turn your way.”

San Clemente’s Colapinto lost to Australia’s Callum Robson on Thursday, leaving just Cole Houshmand to represent the San Clemente crew in the last day of the men’s competition.

Robson will match up against Brazil’s Yago Dora, while France’s Marco Mignot is matched up against Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi. Marshall and Houshmand will also go head-to-head in the quarterfinals, while Brazilian surfers Mateus Herdy and Miguel Pupo will battle.

In the women’s event, San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad went up against Vahine Fierro, the local surfer earning the win. Now, she will go up against teen phenom and fellow San Clemente surfer Eden Walla.

Five-time world champion Carissa Moore edged out her competitor Brissa Hennessy with just 10 seconds left on the clock, her first heat win at Lower Trestles in five years.

“I love this wave; I won a (Championship Tour event) here,” Moore said. “It’s nice to make some new good moments.”

San Clemente’s Caroline Marks looked like she was set to move on in the contest when Canadian surfer Erin Brooks found a last-second wave to take the final lead in the heat.

“I don’t even know what to say, that was just a wave gifted by the lord,” she said. “I was having a shocker that whole entire heat.”

With the afternoon wind creating bumpy conditions, it was no easy task, though.

“I was just honestly lost the whole time,” Brooks said. “I’m just so happy to make the heat.”

San Clemente’s Bella Kenworthy had a huge win against Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, who won a world championship at Lower Trestles in 2024. Kenworthy earned a 7-point ride and a 6.33, with Simmers needing a score of 6.37 or higher to advance.

“I’m just going to stay as free as possible,” Kenworthy said of her finals day strategy. “This is home, so it’s like I’m just at home having fun. So we’ll see how it goes.”

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