San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad felt the pressure brewing, knowing she needed to do something big, she said.
Lindblad, 17, was up against veteran World Tour surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, who is fighting to rejoin the rankings of the world’s best.
Lindblad used her local knowledge and powerful surfing to take a wave toward the pier, hacking big turns, earning a big score, and ultimately, solidifying her big win at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.
“I’ve been dreaming of winning this event my entire life,” said the surfer after her best career win yet. “I honestly can’t believe it. I’m kind of speechless right now … it was really special having my whole family here for the event, supporting me.”
After nine days of competition, Lindblad was the only local, non-Hawaiian US Open winner, with fellow San Clemente surfer Crosby Colapinto taking runner up to men’s winner Eli Hanneman.
Hawaiian cousins took the titles in the longboarding division, with Kelis Kaleopaa earning a second consecutive longboard women’s US Open of Surfing title, and Kaniela Stewart winning the men’s event using toe-on-the-nose classic moves that brought traditional wave-riding style back to Surf City.
It was non-stop action on finals day in Huntington Beach, with several local surfers battling for prestigious US Open titles. Surf fans got to the beach early to get their spot on the sand and along the pier to watch the surfing action through the day. In the festival area, crowds flooded in through the day, where sponsor booths gave out free swag.
The longboarding semi-finals kicked off the day’s competition, with Filipino surfer Rogelio Jr Esquievel drawing a massive crowd of supporters who waved the country flag, hooting with every ride, a drum beating to pump up the impromptu beach party.
Esquievel earned two strong scores – a 7.50 and a 7.37 – but it wasn’t enough to overtake Stewart, who earned a high 8.40 and 7.70.
Despite losing the heat, it was a celebration for proud Filipino fans and Esquievel was met at the water’s line by a cheering crowd. He is the first Filipino surfer to compete at the US Open of Surfing, celebrated even by Stewart, who lifted him up when the heat ended, a moment of sportsmanship that prompted yet another wild cheer from fans.
“I didn’t expect this kind of crowd. It’s crazy. It’s like I’m at home. It’s very nice for me to have this here,” Esquievel said.
Lindblad was the first local surfer to make the finals after defeating Australia’s Ellie Harrison.
Fitzgibbons, who won this event in 2011 and is trying to regain her spot on the World Tour through points on the Challenger Series, won her heat against Costa Rica’s Leilani McGonagle to match up against Lindblad in the finals.
There was plenty of local support in the first men’s semi-final heat when Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza matched up against Colapinto, whose brother Griffin won the event in 2021.
Colapinto posted a high 7.33 to take an early lead, followed by a 5.67. Rapoza kept busy, trying to use his aerial skills to nab the big score needed to overtake his opponent, but struggled to stick his landings. With time ticking down, he used his power surfing and big turns to post his first big score, a 5.60.
Rapoza once again took to the air, this time landing his big air 360 for the score, following with two big inside turns, for another 5.60, but it wasn’t enough to stay in the contest.
Then, Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi went up against the only non-Southern California competitor, Hanneman. The two-time U.S. Open of Surfing winner, who clinched the wins in 2017 and 2018, trailed in second spot behind Hanneman.
Igarashi knew he needed a huge score, driving down the line on a righthander, taking his board above the lip of the wave and turning on the inside for a 5.37, still not enough to overtake his opponent. Hanneman’s win would match him up against Colapinto in the finals.
The women’s longboarders were the first to have their finals match. A flurry of waves showed up just as the heat started, Bloomfield taking the first wave but Kaleopaa taking the next bump. Kaleopaa posted up a 7.87 and 6.27 during the women’s longboard final, putting her opponent in second spot from early on and clinching Kaleopaa her second US Open of Surfing longboard title.
“It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said.
Stewart kept busy putting scores on the board, with a high 8.0 and 7.73 while opponent Taylor Jensen, of San Diego, waited for just the right wave before posting a 5.97 and then a 6.50, but neither score high enough to take the win.
“I knew the tide was going to be high and it was going to be slower in the heat, so I kept busy,” Stewart said. “Super stoked, soaking it in.”
In the women’s 35-minute final, Fitzgibbons earned a high 7.7 for her first score against Lindblad, who is poised to make it to the world’s elite World Tour if she continues her momentum on the Challenger Series, just like fellow San Clemente surfer Cole Houshmand did earlier in the week.
Lindblad earned a 5.67 and then split a wave with Fitzgibbons, who earned a 6-point score for three turns on a right-hand wave, but it was Lindblad’s left with two bigger hacks that pushed her to the top spot with a 7.6. Another wave with powerful turns toward the pier pilings earned her an 8.93 for the win.
The crowd chanted “USA, USA,” as Lindblad was chaired up the beach, the American flag hoisted behind her.
Aunt Stacy Viloria cheered at the top of her lungs as her niece was declared the winner.
“Fulfillment,” Viloria said of the moment. “She is the hardest working surfer out there. She is in the water 10 hours a day. And she is so tough and has grit and is so focused. Her dreams are coming true. She’s due for all this, I knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. She has been working so hard. This is just the beginning.”
Fitzgibbons, who has competed at the event for 20 years, said it’s the next generation like Lindblad that keeps her motivated.
“They are the ones putting the energy in my legs and pushing me to continually evolve,” she said.
It was a slow start to the men’s final, close to needing a restart after nearly 10 minutes of no waves. But when one finally rolled in, it was the Hawaiian who came out swinging.
Hanneman hurled his body and board to the air for a huge, no-hands aerial, followed by several big turns to post a high 9.0 for the first score on the board. He backed it up with a 4.5, Colapinto caught behind with just a 3.93 as the clock ticked down.
Hanneman put a stamp on the win with another huge aerial rotation, posting up a 8.17, his hands up to the air and thumping his chest, pumping up the cheering beach crowd.
Just seconds before the horn blew marking the end of the event, the duo hugged in the water, Hanneman was chaired up the sand with the Hawaiian flag waving. It was the second US Open of Surfing win in a row for the state, following last year’s win by fellow Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau.
“It means everything. You work so hard, every single day and for it to finally pay off is just crazy, it’s unbelievable. I feel like I’ve lost so much the past few years,” Hanneman said. “I can’t believe I won one.”
Colapinto earned a massive points jump with his second place finish, putting him in a prime spot to also join next year’s World Tour if he can maintain the momentum into the next two events.
“It was a super special contest to be home and surf in front of my people. It was just a really fun event and I love Huntington,” he said. “It was epic.”
