On any given summer day, Huntington Beach is one of the busiest beaches in the country – but add the US Open of Surfing, and a day at the beach can turn into a massive maze of festivities to navigate.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help if you want to venture into what’s considered the world’s largest action-sports festival, a nine-day event that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier between Saturday, July 29, and Aug. 6.
RELATED: Sneak peek at what to expect at this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing
The best tip to avoid frustration: Get there early.
Parking will be gobbled up quickly with surf action kicking off early in the morning, so if you want a prime spot on the sand or pier to watch, it’s best to beat the crowds.
Here’s some tips about the schedule, parking, where to eat and happenings off the sand and around town to know before you go to the Wallex U.S. Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico:
Schedule
The surf action kicks off first thing Saturday morning, with most days starting at 7:30 a.m. and running until about 3:30 p.m., though bogus weather such as foggy conditions that cloud the judges’ view of the surfers or funky winds could cause delays.
The finals will wrap up on Aug. 6 at about 2:15 p.m. The awards ceremony happens from 2:30 to 3 p.m. on the sand just south of the pier.
The US Open retail store and welcome center opens at 8 a.m. each day, and food trucks on the sand will be dishing up as early as 8:30 a.m. and be open until 4 p.m.
Sponsor and partner activations kick off at 9 a.m. each day. With about 40 sponsors signed on this year, there should be plenty of free stuff to nab on the sand or games to play at the various booths. Typically, more brands participate later in the week and the final weekend.
The biggest buzz this year is the addition of Nitro Circus’ “Full Throttle FMX,” with pro freestyle motocross action in a massive 305-foot ramp-to-ramp demo.
The half-hour shows will happen July 29 and 30 and Aug. 5 at three different time slots: 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
There will be a few athlete signings down on the sand. Hawaiian pro surfer Coco Ho will be signing autographs on July 29 from noon to 1 p.m. and food company Sambazon will have an athlete signing at the same time the following day with San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad, Ella McCaffrey and Sara Freyere, a Huntington Beach stand-out who just earned the NSSA National Championship.
Mid-week, the action is mostly focused on the surf and beach festival. On Aug. 2, a “Cup Noodles Geo Selfie Live” is planned, though it’s unclear from the schedule what that’s all about — but hopefully there’s some fun noodle slurping involved.
On Aug. 3, there is a WSL Ocean x Shiseido Public Beach Cleanup planned to help pick up any mess left on the beach.
That same day, the first scheduled music performance by Sweet Nobody will happen on the main stage at 2 p.m. On Aug. 4, a music performance by Nice & Swell is planned. On Aug. 5, Wes Chiller will take the stage for the final music performance.
The final day is usually pretty mellow in the festival area with the spotlight on the surfers out in the water battling for the prestigious US Open of Surfing title.
Movie premieres, awards
The US Open of Surfing isn’t just about what’s happening on the sand, there are events planned throughout the week, including many that bring out well-known surfers to mingle with fans.
Quiksilver is having a premiere movie event at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 28, at the International Huntington Beach Surfing Museum for “Repeater,” a full-length surf film that includes San Clemente’s World Tour competitor Griffin Colapinto among the list of surfers. All ages are welcome.
Another big movie premiere is the 805 Beer film “Convergence,” shown at The Bungalow at Pacific City at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 3. The film follows Santa Barbara’s Conner Coffin, San Clemente’s Greyson Fletcher and Nate Tyler, exploring the trios’ deep-rooted familial connections.
Waterman’s Weekend, put on the past three decades by the Surf Industry Members Association, has raised nearly $10 million since 1989 to benefit nonprofits dedicated to preserving marine ecosystems, with a goal of $250,000 this year to benefit more than a dozen ocean conservation groups.
This year’s festivities will happen over two nights, with a luau at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 28, at The Pasea Resort and Spa featuring music by environmentalist Peter Harper. Tickets are $150 to $200.
At 5 p.m. on July 29 at The Pasea Resort and Spa, the Waterman’s Gala will brings together surfing industry leaders and others to to honor iconic surf photographer Art Brewer, who died in November, with a lifetime achievement award, big-wave charger Justine DuPont as Waterperson of the Year, and Dr. Cliff Kapono as Environmentalist of the Year. Tickets for the gala are $700.
The Surfing Walk of Fame at 10 a.m. on Aug. 3 in front of Jack’s Surfboards on Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway will honor surfers and adventurers Yvon Chouinard, Cheyene Horan, Dick Metz, Pauline Menczer, Don Hansen, Jesse Billauer and Robert “Chuy” Madrigal as its Class of 2023.
The following day, at 9 a.m. on Aug. 4, the Surfers’ Hall of Fame will induct Fernado Aguerre, the driving force behind surfing’s Olympic inclusion, Olympic gold medalist and WSL world champion Ítalo Ferreira, and Orange County Register beach reporter Laylan Connelly. The event happens in front of Huntington Surf and Sport on the corner of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
Where to eat
For the last decade, Steve Van Doren, son of Vans co-founder Paul Van Doren, has served up thousands of free hot dogs on the sand.
But with Vans pulling out as this year’s sponsor, you’re on your own to find food.
This year, food trucks have been added to the festival landscape, so you can line up for an array of offerings if you want to get some grub on the sand – but you’ll have to pay.
A few of the food truck offerings include Baby’s Burgers, Tacos 4 Troops, Bred Hot Chicken, Flames All Stars Pizza, Salt N Pepper Truck, The Empanada Maker, Drizzle and Scooters Italian Ice.
And, there’s plenty of surfer-vibe eateries around town if you really want to soak in the OC beach lifestyle.
Sessions West Coast Deli right across the street has killer breakfast burritos and sandwiches named after local surf breaks.
Sugar Shack Café on Main Street is a local favorite for a post-surf breakfast. Fun fact: The family operated eatery has three Surfers’ Hall of Fame inductees, brothers Timmy and Ryan Turner and mom Michele Turner.
Wahoo’s Fish Taco on Main Street is another surfer favorite. Wing Lam set out in 1988 to open a casual restaurant that catered to surfers like himself, drawing inspiration from travels to wave-rich Baja and Hawaii. The Huntington Beach location opened up in 1992 and has been serving up surfers for more than 30 years.
If you want to be transported to Hawaii, don’t miss the poke from Bear Flag Fish Co. at Pacific City, the perfect cool down for a hot summer day.
Where to park
Huntington Beach is set up for massive events, with plenty of parking structures downtown and on the streets just steps from the sand.
But be warned: Beachfront parking will be at a premium and tough to score.
The Pier Plaza parking lots, both north and south of the pier, are the closest spots to nab. Cost is $2 an hour or $15 daily max.
There are lots of meter spots along Pacific Coast Highway – from Goldenwest Boulevard to Beach Boulevard – that cost $2 an hour.
If you have a State Park pass, it might be worth parking at Huntington State Beach at Beach Boulevard and PCH, and walking north toward the pier. Day use passes there are $15.
You’ll find the most parking available at downtown structures, which also allow you to pop into shops or grab a bite or cocktail in the downtown area.
Another option is to park at Pacific City, just across the street from the action, where you can find discounts or validations if you shop or eat in the plaza.
Weather and what to wear
Slather on the sunscreen. Lots of it.
Forecasts are calling for temps in the mid-80s for the first weekend, so it will be toasty. You may also want to pack a hat or umbrella to keep out of the sun.
The weather is expected to dip slightly into the upper 70s early next week, before going back into the 80s heading into the finals weekend.
But be warned: Mornings have been overcast and foggy along the coast, so you might want to layer up if you’re headed down early.
Source: Orange County Register
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