California Surfing Competition to Draw Female Athletes from Around the Globe
What’s the latest buzz on the beach? The wait is over! The US Open of Surfing is back! The beloved surfing competition returns for a 7-day celebration of surfing and surf culture to the sands of Huntington City Beach, California. Fans can experience the top surfers from around the globe competing for the title.
The U.S. Open of Surfing is scheduled to hit the sand from September 20-26, 2021.
“I’m beyond excited. It feels kind of like Huntington’s baby,” stated Surf City resident and surf photographer Michael Latham, who has been going to the event for the past two decades. “We have the air show and all the other events, but the U.S. Open – to me, that’s Huntington Beach.”
The 2021 US Open of Surfing
The footprint for the surf contest will include an athlete area, judging and broadcast areas.
The surf contest will be part of a new female “Challenger Series,” one of four events that bring together the world’s best on the World Championship Tour (or CT) and surfers on the Qualifying Series, the sport’s minor leagues, to battle it out on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
The series, which will start in Huntington Beach before heading to Portugal, France, and Hawaii, is the ultimate battleground for surfers to showcase their talents for the chance to qualify for the following season of the elite-level Championship Tour (CT).
The event will come on the heels of the new World Surf League Finals held just south of San Clemente at Lower Trestles, with the top five male and female competitors fighting for a world championship in a one-day event.
The competition field will include 96 men and 64 women – including 34 men and 17 women from the Championship Tour, 58 men and 44 women allocated by the WSL regions, two men’s and women’s World Junior wildcards, and two men’s and one women’s wildcard.
Prize money for winners will be $20,000 for both men and women divisions.
The Inspiration of the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL), established in 1976, is the home of surfing. The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
The WSL is a global organization, headquartered in Santa Monica and with regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA. The WSL possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation, and performance at the highest levels.
