As the surfing world decended on Huntington Beach this past week for the Vans US Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach and Mother Nature responded in kind and provided nine straight days of waves providing fans of the sport both new and veteran a send off show as this was the last time these surfers would be competing on U.S. soil until after the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
So who knows, maybe soon you will be seeing a surfing Olympic medalist in the Vans US Open in the near future.
If you only stayed near the water you may have missed some of the best parts of the event. From athlete interactions, a BBQ, to surfboard shaping, shopping, skateboarding and more, the stuff you didn’t see make up the best B sides of the event.
“Choosing to allow yourself to win” – One of the most poignant things that was said at the Vans US Open was from Sage Erickson. “I choose to allow myself to win.” Often times the barriers that prevent us from accomplishing what we want in life are placed there by ourselves. Removing those barriers and choosing to allow yourself to achieve those things is a positive affirmation we all can strive for.
“Sometimes things or waves come in different shapes and sizes and we need to be prepared for whatever is presented to us” – Yago Dora spoke to being prepared for different waves and different conditions and how when you trust in your preparation no matter what is in front of you even when intimidating you have something to rely on. A lesson we can apply anywhere or for anything.
Rising Tides inspires the pros just as much as it does the young lady groms in the water with them – Rising Tides hosted an inclusive surf day to inspire young girls and women to become interested in professional surfing and CT events on a global scale. A massive turnout of young women from around Orange County, California, was on hand to share the lineup with the likes of reigning World Champion Stephanie Gilmore, defending Vans US Open Champ Courtney Conlogue, 2018 Rookie of the Year Caroline Marks, as well as the ever-inspirational Bethany Hamilton and a host of other CT stars.
“The beauty of the Rising Tides is that each place we go we get to see how much that local group of girls has actually progressed and how they’re surfing,” explained Gilmore. “Here in California there’s a lot more support for young surfers and these girls surf really well. These will be the girls that we see on the World Tour in no time. It’s really exciting to actually be out there in the water with them and share a bit of knowledge with them.”
Shaping A Surfboard is still as traditional as when it first became a thing – While most of the action was in the water, one of the best parts if the Vans US Open of Surfing is what is happening in the festival village.
It is said that surfing is a community, well thanks to one of the coolest festival experiences with Golden State Glassing, you could watch a surfboard be built, and if you wanted, you could buy and build one yourself.
Even with the modernization of power tools and new buildable material, shaping a surfboard still requires a keen eye and attention to detail to make sure the rails are tight and there are no hard edges. It also teaches you patience. You cannot rush through the process. When you rush you miss the fine details or you overdo it. I was told that if you try and hide the imperfections with the hard exterior, they still exist. So never try to hide your imperfections, try to smooth them out.