Local surfers have a home-surf advantage: riding waves they grew up charging, sleeping in their own beds and having local fans cheering them on while watching from the sand and pier.
Among the more than 200 surfers showing up in Huntington Beach to compete at the Vans Vans U.S. Open of Surfing, a handful of competitors call Orange County and California home – with San Clemente boasting an especially strong list of standouts to watch.
The U.S. Open of Surfing is a men’s QS10,000 event – one step below a world-tour event – valuable for hungry surfers looking to earn points to boost their rankings.
San Clemente native Patrick Gudauskas is one of them. He’s a former World Tour surfer working hard to earn points on the Qualifying Series to again make the list of the world’s top 34 male surfers. It’s not the best of waves, he said, but Huntington Beach’s consistency means there will always be some kind of swell showing up.
“You know it’s going to be rip-able,” he said. “It’s literally like a skate park, so we just have fun out there.”
Sorry Kelly Slater fans, the 11-time world champion, who won the event in 2011, is a no-show for the third straight year. A few of the other big names that usually show up, such as Hawaii phenom John John Florence and 2014 world champion Gabriel Medina, are also missing. Current men’s world champion Adriano de Souza is expected to show.
It’s been since 2010 that an Orange County local has clinched a U.S. Open of Surfing title in the main men’s division and since 2009 in the women’s division – but locals will be fighting hard for a chance to earn the prestigious win in front of a hometown crowd.
Here are a few names to watch:
KOLOHE ANDINO
Andino, of San Clemente, has come close to clinching a U.S. Open of Surfing title, but has come up just short in recent years.
In 2013, he made it to the finals before losing to Brazil’s Alejo Muniz. Last year, he made it to the quarterfinals.
Andino has a lot of experience at the Huntington Beach Pier, where he clinched several national titles while an amateur. He joined the ranks as one of the world’s best competitive surfers in 2012 when he earned a spot on the World Tour at the young age of 17.
He comes in as the top seed on the men’s list for the Open, and is ranked 15th on the World Surf League World Tour.
COURTNEY CONLOGUE
Santa Ana’s Conlogue comes in as the top-ranked female and is hungry for another U.S. Open title.
She earned a win in 2009, but it’s been a struggle to win another. Two years ago, she had to miss the event at her home break because of an injury, and last year she made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.
For the women, this event is one of 10 World Tour stops.
Conlogue was runner up in the World Surf League World Title race last year and is a hot contender for this year’s title – but much of that depends on how she does here.
Following close behind in the world title race is Australia’s Tyler Wright and the current world champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii.
“The plan depends on the swell, but I’m going out there and just going to do my best,” Conlogue said. “It’s amazing to be home, to have an event in my backyard. To be able to have my home crowd, family and friends down there, it makes you want to perform so much more, having your home audience makes you feel so welcome.”
GUDAUSKAS BROTHERS
Two of three Gudauskas brothers – Pat and Tanner – are eager to do well at the U.S. Open of Surfing.
Both are former World Tour surfers who are scrambling to make it back on the list of top surfers. They started the year with promising results on the World Qualifying Series, the minor leagues of the sport, and are in striking distance of making back on tour.
Brother Dane doesn’t do much competing these days, but he’ll be cheering his brothers on from the commentary booth.
Pat Gudauskas is ranked 10th on the QS, and the top ten make it onto the World Tour. He hopes his experience in Huntington will help him make it to the final day. He’s made it to the quarter- and semifinals in past years.
“I feel like a local because we’ve been coming here so many years,” he said. “It would be a career highlight to do well here.”
His brother Tanner dropped down in rankings after an early exit at a recent QS event in South Africa, but he has high hopes for a strong showing at the U.S. Open of Surfing.
“It would be important for the points, but for the prestige – it would be amazing,” Tanner said. “Growing up in Southern California, we’ve grown up coming to this event. I just want it so bad … That would be the dream.”
KANOA IGARASHI
Huntington Beach’s Igarashi has spent his life training on the south side of the pier, and last year made it to the semifinals in the main men’s event.
He was doing double duty, also competing in the juniors event where he made it to the finals, but this year he will focus all his energy into the main men’s event.
It’s Igarashi’s rookie year on the World Tour, where he’s the youngest surfer on the list of top 34. He’s ranked 21st, and needs a good showing at events for the rest of the year if he wants to secure his spot for next year.
BRETT SIMPSON
Hometown hero Simpson has been in hibernation this year, with few sightings since he fell off the World Tour.
He welcomed a son into the world about a month ago, his second child, and has been focusing on family life and taking a break from traveling the world after spending five years on tour since joining in 2010.
Fans will be eager for him to do well at the U.S. Open of Surfing, where he won titles in 2009 and 2010. And it looks like his break has served him well – he earned a spot at the Hurley Pro to be held at Trestles in September during a trial session held this week in San Clemente.
“I’ve had a good break these past few months,” he said in an interview with WSL. “We just welcomed a new baby into our family and I’ve had time to get healthy and clear my head, so I’m heading into the U.S. Open with the hopes of launching a strong QS campaign. I figure I’ll have one more good crack at the QS before considering other options.”
OTHER CALIFORNIA SURFERS
Nat Young of Santa Cruz is signed up to join the main men’s event, as is Conner Coffin of Santa Barbara.
Ventura’s Sage Erickson will be in women’s event, as well as Santa Barbara’s Lakey Peterson, who won in 2012.
PRO JUNIORS
Watch out Huntington, San Clemente juniors are taking over Surf City.
The pro junior roster is filled with San Clemente locals, including last year’s boys junior title winner Griffin Colapinto, who took out Igarashi for the win in 2015. He also has a spot in the main men’s event as a WSL wild card.
Fellow San Clemente standout Kei Kobayashi will also be surfing in the boys juniors, as well as Cole Houshmand, Kade Matson and Griffin’s brother Crosby Colapinto.
The girl’s side include Malia Osterkamp and Kirra Pinkerton, and last year’s winner and Florida transplant Caroline Marks.
But other local surfers will also have hometown support, like Tyler Gunter, of Newport Beach, and Meah Collins, of Costa Mesa. Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza is no stranger to the Huntington Pier and will be competing.
Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com