US Open of Surfing opens with fun in the sun, competition in the surf

Roger Jenkins had a perfect spot under a shade canopy on the sand as a front-row seat to the surf action on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

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“I’m going to be here a lot of the days,” said Jenkins of the Lexus US Open of Surfing that kicked off on Saturday, July 25, and runs through Aug. 2. “I think just the surfer lifestyle is so fun and so free, the ocean and the sun and the beach — you can’t beat it.”

Jenkins, who has been going to the US Open of Surfing since the ’80s, said through its evolution over the years, he’s always been drawn for one reason: the surf competition in the water.

“I’ll be cheering them all on,” Jenkins, who called Huntington Beach home in his younger years, said of the athletes who will take to the water the next nine days. “It’s always wonderful, always so much fun. To see the athletes and see the crowds — and it’s a beach day.”

The US Open of Surfing is considered the largest surf festival in the world, not only giving fans an up-close look at the surfers from around the world who show up to compete, but also a 13-acre event on the sand with booths to check out brands and win free swag, a Beach Bar to sip on a mid-day cocktail or three, and other activities and activations to enjoy one of Southern California’s iconic summer events.

Longtime surfer Artie Castro, of Orange, was strolling on the sand soaking in the scene, recounting when he competed in the event in 2008.

“I love seeing all my friends out there surfing, I came to give them some high fives and cheer them on,” he said. “I’m planning on being here through the rest of the week. Here it is, in Orange County, and we get this huge event. It’s incredible; I love being here and supporting everybody.”

The vibe has changed over the years, as different sponsors have put their own touches on the event, he said.

This year, a game room offered interactive games, drink companies set out samples to keep people hydrated and spectators found places to chill for a bit around the festival footprint. The Lexus House was a prime spot offering some shade, dishing out small bites and holding raffles through the day.

For those preferring to hang in the festival area, the surf contest was shown on a big screen near a slew of food trucks to offer fuel for their beach days.

GO RVING had a setup on the sand for outdoor adventurists, and Hoag Hospital and Red Bull had surf simulators to try out, the energy drink company with a DJ blaring music.

Craig Vom Lehn, CFO of Coco Love, was dishing out samples of the Las Vegas brand to introduce people in the Southern California area to their product.

“Surfing is awesome, it’s the sun and the beach,” he said. “It’s what we love.”

As a first-timer at the US Open, Vom Lehn said he was “blown away.”

“It is massive. I’m going to come back every year, just because I’m enjoying it,” he said, showing up early to catch the surf action.

As the afternoon heated up, people found spots at the bright yellow Pacifico lounge and the Beach Bar, both 21-and-over areas where seats set with shaded umbrellas offered a VIP vibe.

Back in the day, grandstands would be set up on the sand for spectators, while these days people bring their beach towels and chairs to find a spot to watch the show in the sea, Castro noted.

“I think it gives people more of a personal experience to show up and enjoy it,” he said, noting that spectators can get up-close looks at the pro surfers walking right across the beach.

There will be no shortage of big-name surfers throughout the week competing at the event. When the Challenger Series gets underway on Wednesday, July 29, there will be plenty of OC-based surfers to root for, including some off the elite level World Tour such as Griffin and Crosby Colapinto, and friend Cole Houshmand, all of San Clemente, who will be among the 80 men competitors hunting for the title.

On the women’s side, where 50 surfers will compete, World Tour surfer Sawyer Lindblad, of San Clemente, and veteran Sally Fitzgibbons — both US Open of Surfing champions — will be trying to repeat their wins.

The first day of surf action brought out the world’s best longboarders to navigate the big, 4- to 6-foot waves that showed up.

Oceanside’s Taylor Jensen, a four-time world champion who has the same number of US Open of Surfing titles under his belt, won his early-morning heat to move to the next round.

“The water’s warm, the waves are beautiful. We have really fun Huntington Beach swell, it’s a beautiful day at the beach, the crowd is really big,” said Jensen, 42.

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Jensen said he looks forward to the event because of Huntington Beach’s heritage, the atmosphere and prestige it has had since the ’60s.

“I think it’s cool to be performing on the same stage as our history of surf culture did before,” he said.

Longboarding is different from the shortboarding version of the competition, Jensen explained, based more on the style and flow, rather than the cut-throat, high-action style.

“I think it’s nicer to watch, someone who doesn’t surf can understand what we are doing,” he said.  “It’s more about noseriding; that’s what separates us from the shortboards, riding at the front of the board, and the flow. We are using footwork to connect the nose and tail and trim points. That combination is what gets a good score. It’s sort of like a dance in a way, which makes it really cool to watch.”

The forecast is the best he’s seen in the last 25 years competing at the event, with back-to-back tropical storms, swell from the southern hemisphere, and a northwest windswell that made for peaky conditions.

“It doesn’t get much better,” said Jensen.

Laguna Beach surfer Carl Dominguez, originally from the Philippines, was on the sand grilling chicken skewers and offering pastries from Filipino eatery Valerio’s to supporters who showed up to cheer on countryman Rogelio Jr Esquievel, who has come close to clinching the win in recent years.

After winning his opening heat, Esquievel said it felt good to be back in Huntington Beach to compete, especially with the supporters.

“We love them so much, it makes me feel at home. Everyone is here on the beach,” he said. “It feels so good.”

Each year, his fan group has grown, chanting, cheering and dancing to music, making it feel like a party right on the sand, Dominguez tapping drums any time Esquievel navigates a wave.

“I’m a big fan of traditional surfing, its roots, its history in Hawaii. I’m from the Philippines; I love surfing. To see the first Filipino on the world longboard tour, it’s inspiring as a surfer and a fan of my home country,” Dominguez said. “So I’ve really embraced this. I really love this community we’ve formed.”

San Juan Capistrano surfer Kevin Skvarna tapped into his experience competing at the pier in his younger years to win his heat.

“It’s a beautiful day in Huntington Beach. This kind of feels like my backyard; I grew up surfing contests here,” he said. “It feels comfortable. I get to sleep in my bed and come here, and it’s not like a foreign environment for me, which feels nice.”

A win at the US Open would mean the world, Skvarna said, as he hunts for his first World Tour win.

“I’ve had second, and third. It’s coming, I hope,” the 28-year-old said. “It would mean the world to do it, with my friends and family here.”

The women took to the water in the afternoon, with Hawaii three-time world champion Honolua Blomfield, last year’s US Open of Surfing winner Avalon Gall and San Clemente’s Rachael Tilly, also a three-time world champ and former winner of the event, all taking the winning spot in their heats.

Tilly said her legs were shaking out in the water as she was navigating the lineup, just starting to find her rhythm. She was surfing with an injury, her toenail on her left foot ripped off during practice on a recent day after hitting it with her other foot while cross-stepping.

She’s trying to remember advice her dad told her leading into the event: to use the injury distraction to ignore the nerves, she said.

“Show up and make sure everything is good, and deal with what is right in front of you,” she said.

Gall said she can’t wait to watch the other competitors — but also wants to take the win like last year.

“It means a lot to me,” she said. “It’s near my hometown, and I’ve been coming here my whole life, and I get to come here with my friends and family.”

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