Hawaiian surfer Ezekiel Lau didn’t need the victory-lap wave in the final moments of the Vans US Open of Surfing, but the powerhouse surfer didn’t waste the moment to wow the crowd as he rode toward shore, his fists in the air as fans rushed him on the sand.
“It feels great. It’s definitely been a long week, there’s been a lot of conditions. I’ve ben feeling the love here in H.B.,” said Lau, the Hawaiian flag draped over his shoulders as he was crowned this year’s men’s US Open of Surfing champion on Sunday, Aug. 7. “I just want to thank everyone for coming out, I just really love the support from everyone here, it really makes a difference. I’m just glad I could perform for you all.”
Hawaiians brought a hurricane of action on the final day in front of big crowds, with fellow islanders Bettylou Sakura Johnson earning the women’s US Open title and longboarder Kelis Kaleopaa winning the Duct Tape Invitational. Oceanside surfer Taylor Jensen was the lone California winner, claiming the men’s longboard event.
This year’s nine-day event marked a massive return for the world’s largest action-sports festival – which was canceled in 2020 with a small-scale surf event last year – once again bringing together some of the world’s best surfers, skateboarders and BMX riders at the beachfront festival set up on 14 acres just south of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Fans through the day filled the sand and packed the pier to watch the action, cruising around the festival to check out booths or snatching free swag and samples.
In the water, the surf dropped drastically from mid-week when Hurricane Frank brought bombing surf that took down local surfers in the early days of the event.
Caroline Marks, a World Tour surfer who grew up in Florida but now calls San Clemente home, was the last local hopeful in the World Surf League Challenger Series but lost to Australia’s Macy Callaghan in the semifinals.
Callaghan matched up in the finals with Sakura Johnson, who earned a high 9.0 and a backup 6.5 to overtake Australia’s Sophie McCulloch in the semifinals.
“I think it’s all coming together,” Sakura Johnson said. “We’re praying for the ocean to give us what we need, which is waves.”
Despite small surf, Lau kept busy during his semifinal heat against Ventura’s Eithan Osborne, nabbing a wave just as the heat started. About halfway through the heat, Osborne took to the air, his body laying back but keeping his feet on the board and earning a 6.77 – but not enough to overtake Lau’s 12.77 (out of 20) total score.
Florida surfer Evan Geiselman and Brazil’s Joao Chianca matched up in the second semifinal in one of the most exciting heats of the day. Geiselman needed a 5.77 to overtake his opponent. He paddled into a buzzer-beater wave and took two big turns – but judges gave him a 5.67, just .10 points shy of the win.
In the women’s final, Callaghan earned the first big opening score of 5.67 against Sakura Johnson, but the Hawaiian answered back with a high 6.93 to take the lead, holding the top spot throughout the final.
Sakura Johnson was lifted up on the sand with her victory.
“It’s been a long week here in Huntington,” she said. “I have a lot of support. I’m healthy and I’ve been training hard for this.
“It gives me a ton of confidence, I think this is one of the biggest events. We have the support and everyone is here watching. This is my first event win in Huntington, I’ve always wanted to win here.”
The men’s final between Lau and Chianca had a slow start, with minutes ticking away as the surfers waited for waves. But it was Lau who took the first shot, earning a 4.17, followed by another wave with his fins to the air to spin above the wave’s lip, making his way on the inside for another aerial to nab a 5.5.
Chianca wanted in on the action, taking a left-hander toward the pier for a 5.10 and another 5.2 ride to put him to the lead. The Brazilian solidified his lead with a big air just on the shore break, earning a 6.3. But Lau answered back with his power surfing for two big turns for a 6.9, a wave that put Lau back to first spot and a lead he held onto until the buzzer sounded.
Lau was lifted on the same sands 10 years ago as an amateur surfer when he earned a NSSA national championship. He said he has wanted to win the US Open of Surfing since he was a kid and his idols and fellow Hawaiians Andy Irons and Sunny Garcia dominated the event.
And watching so many Hawaiians make the finals gave him even more motivation.
“Everyone was putting on crazy performances,” said Lau, who last year won the reality show “The Ultimate Surfer.”
Lau’s win will give him added momentum to again find his place on the World Tour among the best surfers in the world, where he competed earlier this year before suffering a new mid-year cut. A strong finish at the US Open, recently made a stop on the World Surf League’s seven-event Challenger Series, means big points for those looking for a chance to join the ranks of the world’s best for the following year’s tour.
The final day kicked off with the Vans Duct Tape Invitational, an event that showcases a classic style of surfing with bigger boards and stylish footwork, a surfing subculture that has had a resurgence in recent years.
The US Open of Surfing venue is the second stop for the World Longboard Tour, which will wrap up in early October in Malibu to crown a champion.
Dana Point native Rachael Tilly matched up in the semifinals against three-time world champion Honolua Blomfield of Hawaii. Tilly earned a 10.10 in the heat, not enough to overtake Blomfield’s 15.43.
Still, Tilly’s third-place finish was a strong result before heading to Malibu.
“I would have loved to nab it from (Blomfield), but she put on a good heat and I’m walking away with third place. I can’t be too bummed about that,” said Tilly, who still holds the record as youngest-ever world champion at age 17 in 2015.
The sand was filled with friends and family supporting Tilly, 24, who grew up surfing San Onofre and Doheny State Beach before moving to Australia four years ago.
“It’s great to have it here as part of the US Open, having the crowded beach cheering you on. I felt honored to be a part of it,” she said.
The addition of longboarding puts the surfing subculture on center stage as it continues to grow in popularity.
“It’s a whole side of surfing that should be celebrated and appreciated because it’s so beautiful,” she said.
Kaleopaa and Blomfield matched up in the first final of the day, both showcasing smooth style and flow during their 35-minute heat, walking to the nose of their boards and dancing gracefully with the waves.
But it was Kaleopaa who dominated the entire heat, walking to the nose of the board and perching on the tip in a traditional “hang 10” to earn a high 6.67 with a backup 5.90.
“I just feel so loved,” Kaleopaa said. “It’s unbelievable.”
The men’s final saw Jensen, a three-time world champion from Oceanside, match up against Hawaii’s Kaniela Stewart, both using precise footwork to glide on the waves. Stewart took an early lead while Jensen waited for just the right waves.
Jensen’s patience paid off, with waves that earned him a 7.67 and then a 6.17 to take the lead and eventually earn the win.
He’s a three-time US Open of Surfing champ, but it has been since 2008 since he’s won in Huntington Beach, he said.
“It’s huge, these are all the best surfers in the world,” he said.
More info: worldsurfleague.com
Source: Orange County Register
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