US Open of surfing : Check your fear at the pier
The waves were the biggest in U.S. Open of Surfing history (50 years), swiping the bottom of the Huntington Beach Pier in Southern California, USA, and spitting whitewash on the spectators leaning off the sides. With sets rolling in at 10-12 feet, the young women hopped on the back of the Personal Water Crafts (PWC) against the strong rip currents over the lips of inside waves, to the line-up far outside, facing the large crowd on the beach. With thousands of eyes upon them, the women battled the big waves both physically and mentally, concluding with NSSA surfer Courtney Conlogue (USA) taking the win.
The six-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) event attracted surfers from all over the world ranging from top pro levels through up and coming amateurs. Everyone was hungry for the large serving of points offered, as well as the massive media attention and of course, to catch the biggest waves Huntington Beach has seen in a decade.
Young surfers took out the veterans in heat 1 of round 24, as last year U.S. Open finalists Coco Ho (HAW) and Malia Manuel (HAW) defeated Hawaii’s Megan Abubo (ranked 16th on WCT) and Australia’s Aimee Donohoe, (currently 13th on the WCT). Ho and Manuel found some of the bigger waves of the heat and rode them all the way to the beach to increase their score. The judges combine the two best scores and the vets were stuck in the 3-5 point range. Laura Enever (AUS) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) met in heat 2 of round 24, both advancing despite low wave combinations.
The south swell was in full force for day 3, round 12. The women took to the water after watching 9X world champion Kelly Slater (USA) break his board and get swept under the pier by the strong rip current. Manuel won her heat again with a backside, 7.0 ride, all the way to the pier. She was picked up by a PWC before she was swept under.
“I wasn’t expecting the waves to be like this when I woke up,” she said after her heat.
Ho scored a 9.17 surfing against 2X World Champ Gilmore, showing no hesitation on the bigger waves while Sayuroi Hashimoto (JPN) struggled to climb on the PWC in the wild surf, causing her to lose time in the line-up and ending the heat with only one score.
The crowd held their breath for heat 3 as enormous waves, 10 to a set, came roaring into the lineup with Sage Erickson (USA) Carissa Moore (HAW) and Conlogue (USA) in the line-up. Moore used the full height of the wave with fierce top turns, connecting her maneuvers with stylish execution. Erickson, 16 caught a huge wave out the back while Conlogue found overhead waves to tear up. All 3 surfers raised the bar throughout the heat of big waves, pushing the other competitors to prove how badly they wanted the win. From the bleachers, the bright jerseys appear as spots barely making it over the giant lips. PWCs idled on the inside while the two 16-year-olds and 18-year-old Erickson sat alone in the line-up on the biggest day; showing the true tenacity and athleticism of these rising stars.
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