It was a Southern California surf showdown.
San Clemente surfer Kolohe Andino flew to the air to stay at the top spot in his three-man heat, but battling for the second spot to stay in contention at the U.S. Open of Surfing were fellow San Clemente surfer Pat Gudauskas and Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza.
Would it be Gudauskas, a veteran surfer who has surfed the contest for nearly two decades, or the younger Rapoza, who grew up surfing Huntington Beach and is hungry for a big result?
The surfers stayed busy hunting for waves, a dozen ridden between the two competitors during the 30-minute heat. But it was one critical 7-point score that would punt Rapoza to advance into the quarter-finals at the big event.
“I’m insanely psyched. I feel like I’m living up to my expectations more,” Rapoza said. “It feels really good, like I’m living my dream.”
The list of remaining surfers was whittled down on Friday, Sept. 24, on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, with several locals claimed victory to move into the last two days of the event, with the finals set for Sunday afternoon.
The day kicked off with the women taking to the water, greeted with clean conditions but frustration as the tide grew higher through the morning.
San Clemente surfer Caroline Marks got an early start, posting a 5.17 with a right-hander, but was forced to wait patiently until the back end of the heat to get a second score, which put her in the lead against Australia’s Dimity Stoyles.
“It’s a beautiful morning, the waves are a little tricky out here but stoked to come out on top,” said Marks, an Olympian who joined the sport’s debut in Japan over the summer. “I think it’s a completely different swell today. It seems like it’s kind of your typical south swell in Huntington, longer lulls but when they come, it’s super fun.”
San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad blasted through her heat with an 11.67, edging past Australia’s Macy Callaghan, who had a 10.93.
Santa Ana’s Courtney Conlogue wasted no time in her heat, pumping her board near the pier pilings and pulling huge airs on the inside section. Halfway through the heat, Courtney got a steep wave, again next to the pier, giving spectators above something to cheer for, using huge turns on a steep wave to earn another solid score to overtake her opponent.
The waves slowed down so much that when the men took to the water, they had to restart the clock after 10 minutes of no waves.
But the ocean instantly turned on when Andino, Gudauskas and Rapoza hit the water, with non-stop action throughout the heat, all the surfers taking to the air above the lip and doing big turns on a flurry of waves.
On Rapoza’s 7-point score that edged Gudauskas down to the third spot, he did a big layback and followed with a blow-tail reverse on the inside, prompting cheers on the sand as he clenched his fists in elation.
Gudauskas scratched for a wave just as the buzzer sounded, finishing with a stylish floater at the end – but the score fell just shy of what he needed to advance.
The two other times Rapoza has surfed the U.S. Open, he was knocked out in the first round. So his latest heat win is the best result yet for him in the event.
“It’s definitely tricky trying to tell yourself in your mind you can beat these guys, because you’ve looked up to them your whole life, but the whole time I told myself I’m worth it and I can beat these guys and I have to beat these guys to get where I want to be,” Rapoza said.
The last-second wave worked for Griffin Colapinto during his heat, where the San Clemente surfer found himself in third spot and in jeopardy as the seconds ticked down.
With just 10 seconds on the clock, Colapinto threw two big moves and finished the wave strong on the inside – earning an 8, the highest score of the heat, taking top spot and advancing to the next round.
The U.S. Open of Surfing has big implications for surfers hoping to join the rankings of the world’s best; it is the first of four Challenger Series events hosted by the World Surf League offering big points toward qualification for the world tour. The U.S. Open of Surfing is one of four stops, the next going to Portugal, then France and the final event is in Hawaii.
San Clemente’s Cole Houshmand and Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi, a two-time U.S. Open of Surfing champ, both advanced in the same heat after taking the top two spots. Kade Matson, also from San Clemente, also won his heat to advance.
For Rapoza, advancing on Friday gets him closer to his goal of joining the world’s best.
“It would be insane, I’m feeling closer and closer to qualifying with each result,” he said. “If I can make it through to the finals day, it will make me comfortable for the rest of the year.”
Source: Orange County Register
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