“This year has been super fun,” said Vans US Open of Surfing Announcer Ryan Simmons, a reflective wistfulness deepening his ever-spritely tone. It was the final heat in the final showdown of the competition in Huntington Beach: Brazilian Yago Dora sought to claim victory over Cinderella-story Australian Liam O’Brien, who in an official press release…
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Surf in Newport Beach
Reflections on a day of surfing in Newport Beach, Feb. 14, 2019. Words and photos by Paul Bivens (@paulbivens_imagery).
Read MoreLocal Newport Beach Surfers Reveal their Favorite Surf Spots
Newport Beach has had a long history of surfing, from the early longboarders of the 1920s to the sophisticated shortboards of today. In fact, the first-ever surf competition was held in Corona del Mar in 1928, called the Pacific Coast Surf Board Championships. In the 90 years since, Newport Beach and surfing have come a…
Read MoreFlashback to the 2018 Vans US Open of Surfing
From the Vans US Open of Surfing press box, the shore at Huntington Beach is a labyrinth of bright umbrellas. To the right, the pier is lined with spectators hunched over the wooden barrier, fixed on the churning water below. Sometimes sheets of water are pitching fast toward the shore. Sometimes it’s flat. (“Lake Huntington”…
Read MoreVans U.S. Open of Surfing: Day 6 Was Upsetting
Day six of the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach proved just as action-packed as the past five, as sixteen of the world’s best female longboarders took to the water as the Finalists in the inaugural Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational were set. In a surprising upset, 2016 WSL Longboard Champion Tory Gilkerson (USA)…
Read MoreVans U.S. Open of Surfing: The Return of a Defending Champion
Things are certainly heating up on the beach in Surf City. 2017 Vans U.S. Open of Surfing defending champion Kanoa Igarashi scored the highest points on a wave and the round 2 of the Men’s Qualifying Series 10,000; and Men’s and Women’s Pro Junior Final match ups are set. The men also narrow their field…
Read MoreVans US Open of Surfing: Four Days of Competition Down
Day four of the 2018 Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Swatch is in the books! The competition was firing in Huntington Beach yesterday with the Men’s Qualifying Series (QS) 10,000 (Round 2, Heats 9-16) and the Men’s Pro Junior Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
Read More2018 Vans U.S. Open of Surfing: Weekend Recap
The 2018 Vans U.S. Open of Surfing kicked off this Saturday with sloppy little waves, white wash and a lumpy ocean. Still, the young surfers prevailed despite challenging conditions, finding good waves among the bad as an umbrella-shaded crowd cheered them on from the Southside of Huntington Beach Pier.
Read More‘Time Well Spent’ Lives Up to Its Name
Once in a while, a special film comes along that has the ability to transport you — mind, body and soul — from the time the lights dim to the time the credits roll. You can’t quite figure out how you’ve changed but when you leave the theater, you feel somehow different. Transformed. Time Well Spent,…
Read MoreWhen The Wedge Goes Off …
Sometimes, you don’t need too many words. Sometimes, you just let nature tell its story. But first, a little background: Earlier this weekend, a Southern Hemi swell arrived in Newport Beach, bringing with it massive, 10-foot waves to The Wedge. Hundreds stood watch Monday and Tuesday night as monster shapes took form. “Only experts should…
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