The 2019 women’s event marked a historic milestone for the World Surf League Qualifying Series (QS) with the first-ever QS 10,000 point event and equal prize money at the Vans US Open.
After nine days of pumping surf at Huntington Beach, a bit of a rarity, Sage Erickson claimed the all-California Final over defending event winner Courtney Conlogue (USA) in incredible fashion with one of the day’s best performances, a 15.43 (out of a possible 20) heat total. Erickson’s signature backhand slash on the wave was put to work while sitting in second place and smashed an 8.17 (out of a possible 10) to push herself in the lead and leave Conlogue in need of an 8.90 for the remainder of the Final.
“I shed a lot of tears when I came in from the water and I just want to say this is dedicated to my grandma who passed two weeks ago,” said Erickson. “It’s crazy how it takes someone to leave for everything they’re about to really set in. A lot of the lessons and things she believed in me, I have to speak over myself here for a second for her and it’s just about the people you value in your life. Whether it’s your friends or your family or even the people you can make a mark on and encourage.”
Winning 10,000 QS Points for Erickson is massive in her journey to move back up one level to the Champions Tour.
“Surfing is unpredictable, there are highs and lows and sometimes the surf doesn’t come to you,” said Erickson. “I took what was give to me and made the best of what I had and trusted in my skill and proved to myself in the process that I can still win and beat some of the best in the world. I wanted to enjoy competing and to perform. The waves were incredible here in Huntington. I choose to allow myself to win. I believe in myself. When you speak those affirmations into existence, you find yourself in a better position. I don’t choose loosing. At the end of the day, I am the one who gets to say yes or no to what I am doing and I choose to surround myself in things that enrich my life.”
The women’s all-American Final had the crowd on the water’s edge for hometown hero Courtney Conlogue, as she hoped to claim an unprecedented back-to-back title.
But, it wasn’t meant to be with Erickson in dominating form throughout finals day that forced Conlogue into attempting hail mary airs toward the end of the heat. Though a runner-up was disappointing for the Santa Ana, California, native, her explosive air-reverse in Quarterfinal Heat 1 against phenom Caroline Marks (USA) started the day off in amazing fashion that carried through to the end and the recent Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame inductee can carry this momentum forward.
“This week has been incredible and anytime I have the chance to perform in front of my hometown it’s just very special,” Conlogue said. “I’m really happy for Sage, it was really well-deserved and a fun Final. This is where I was born and raised surfing, and to get to the finals here again, you want to win but I have had such a hectic week so to be able to come away with the results I did, and to take away some lessons learned, I am so happy.”
On the Men’s side, the high-flying airs of Yago Dora (BRA) came firing right out of the gates on finals day with the day’s top single-scoring wave of a near-perfect 9.27 after soaring through the air and landing it smoothly enroute to a win over a relatively unknown surfer Liam O’Brien (AUS). This win skyrockets Dora 46 spots to number 4 on the QS ranks and in a position to secure his CT spot for 2020 heading into a vital back-half of 2019.
Dora, not surprising, was overcome with emotion as he surfed up to the waters edge to be hoisted in the air by his family and friends.
“It feels so incredible right now and I just want to thank everyone who showed up today,” said Dora. “That countdown of the last ten seconds felt like an eternity. As I surfed into the beach, I could see my family and my friends running towards me and it is a feeling that is indescribable. You only get to have that experience of being lifted from the water when you win and there is nothing like it. It’s just amazing to surf in front of a huge crowd like this. It gets me fired up to do my best and that’s what I did today. I gave everything I had and it worked out for me.”
Alongside the surfing, the Vans US Open of Surfing also hosts skateboarding and BMX competitions alongside authentic community activations and artful entertainment in Surf City USA.
Recognized as the largest professional sports competition and action sports festival in the world, the Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Swatch is currently sanctioned and operated by the World Surf League under license from IMG, the event owner. Official partners of this year’s event include Vans, Swatch, Jeep, ULTRA, Red Bull, Jose Cuervo, Barefoot Wine, Hydro Flask, Harley-Davidson, Polo Blue, BF Goodrich, CLIF Bar, and Frontier Communications.