What a random year this is for competitive surfing, it seems like someone has got hold of the surfing snow-dome and given it a good shake. Now any competition could be taken out by anyone, it seems and the Vans US Open was no exception.
For those who don't follow regularly, the Vans US Open of Surfing is a World Tour stop for the women and a WSL 10,000 for the mens. To quickly explain, that is a top-tier event for the women and a qualifying tour event for the men. There are a lot of points up for grabs in both of these events and there is the prestige and heritage that goes along with the win not to mention the cash.
Hiroto makes a flightplan.
Huntington beach is the location for this long-standing event and it always has one of the biggest attendance numbers of any surf comp globally. Surely these numbers of people watching would have an effect on the performance of the rookies, you might think? Apparently it does not work like that any more, the young guns all seem to have this belief that they can win, it is no longer a career just to support a lifestyle, they mean business.
Making surfing history today was the young Japanese 18 year-old, Hiroto Ohhara, who took home the cash, fame and points. He marks the highest level that any Japanese surfer has reached to date and the first to win the US Open. His adversary in the final, Tanner Hendrikson, was a true underdog, not even sponsored but managing to take down the defending event champ Filipe Toledo in the the semifinals. Congrats Hiroto on the win. Check out his nine pointer that gave him the nod:
The Womens event finals featured Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbions and last years rookie of the year Joanne Defay from France (RU). Incredibly Defay still has no major sponsor apart from the cash the Jeremy Flores fires her way, she used to be a Roxy girl as did Fitzgibbons who recently ended her relationship with the brand. In the final it was a see-saw battle between the two girls who where trying to make the most of the small conditions, in the end Defays power and accuracy saw her pull ahead of Fitzgibbons who was the clear favourite. A huge congats to one of my personal favourites Joanne Defay.
Highlights of finals day right here:
So there we have it, apparently the rookies, unknowns and unseeded all think its okay for them to win a major surfing comp, well bring it one, everyone loves an underdog.
Hiroto makes a flightplan.
Birds eye of the US Open.
There are a few folk down there.
Joanne and Bianca.
Both girls firm freinds and celebrating Defays path to the finals.