The 2022 Vans US Open of Surfing photo update has been up on OCPix.com, but its not until now that I post about it here on the blog. Normally I post a short update here when the photos are up, but this past year has been especially busy for me. I have been re-designing my OCPix website as well as the rest of the galleries in that site. Plus I’ve been adding more photos from the past surfing events in Huntington Beach to the galleries.

For 2022, the Vans US Open in Huntington Beach was a nice change of pace for me. Although I only attended a couple of days of the week-long event, they were fun and exciting. Some notable surfers that I was able to capture included Lakey Peterson, Courtney Conlogue, Tia Blanco and talented Alyssa Spencer.

It’s always a challenge to photograph these surfing events as it takes lots of preparation, endurance and dedication. I talk about it on my photography blog in parts one and two of surf photography. There I explain how I started in surf photography and how this site OCSurfpix originated.

I skipped the 2021 US Open, so the last time I had attended was the 2019 US Open of Surfing. I must say, I was a little rusty. You can probably notice after looking at some of the other galleries from the previous years. Normally I like to photography some behind the scenes shots like this one of Sally Fitzgibbons in 2016. Or a World Surfing League camera man recording fans with Courtney Conlogue after her set. And of course action shots like Samantha Sibley at the 2019 US Open of Surfing. Or Alyssa Spencer at the 2019 US Open of Surfing.

This year, for 2022 I was able to capture some nice images of surfers with their coaches. The surf was strong and pushing surfers north west toward the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier. So they had to run south on the beach instead of paddling out each time they caught a wave. Here Alyssa Spencer and coach are seen talking as she was still in her heat but having to run south on the sand to paddle out after catching a wave.

The same situation happened with Sol Aguirre, Samantha Sibley and Zoe McDougall. I spent most of my time on the beach capturing images as they ran back and forth.

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Sage Erickson and Yago Dora picked up the top prizes in the woman’s and men’s title at the 2019 Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach this past week. It was an action packed event with surfing, BMX, skateboarding and lots of people having fun in the festival village.

Each year hundreds of thousands of people flock to Huntington Beach during this weeklong event. There really isn’t anything like it here in Southern California. Sure we have great weather and lots of places to see and visit, but when it comes to combining sports and beach, there isn’t anything like the Vans US Open of Surfing.

Here you can watch professional BMX and skateboarding right on the beach, a stadium is built for each. Taking weeks to build then taken down in a matter of hours. All for this special and unique event that has been going on for many years. Be sure to see our photos from past US Opens in HB here.

Below are photos we’ve taken during this year’s event.

The women really stole the show this week at the US Open, Alyssa Spencer Leah Thompson and Samantha Sibley were all fun to watch.

Some people have asked me how I get some of these overhead shots as they are either surfing or paddling out. Easy, the Huntington Beach Pier is close enough that with only a little zoom lens, one can capture some really good action shots.

A little tip for any spectators that plan on coming in future years, get here early because the south side of the pier gets full of people watching the heats and photographers also line up against the rail to capture the action. If you arrive early, you can get a nice spot and view the action up close.

Below the Huntington Beach pier is also a great place to view the action. You’ll have the shade and get to see the surfers paddle out and maybe if you’re lucky, one of them will cut under the pier during a heat

Finally, don’t forget to spend some time at the festival village in the sand. There’s lots to see, like this photo I took of an art piece by local Ed Templeton. These were large, bright and colorful and I snapped this photo of it with the spectators in the background. You can see the complete photo gallery of all the surfers from this day on OCPix.

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The 2019 Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro came with lots of changes but also many of the same things we have come to love about this surf competition. With a new title sponsor, Nissan, the event is now bigger and better than ever. More of youth sports, music and activities for all family members. But still keeping the focus of the event on female sports and positive vibes.

However, I wasn’t there for the full weekend events nor the final, so yes I missed out watching local 17 yr old Samantha Sibley win the Super Girl Surf title. Oh well, like surfing, sometimes all one can do is ride the waves as they come.

But I did spend a few hours earlier in the surf event and captured a few photos, see below and click to enlarge.

All photos taken by OCPix.com based out of Orange County. To view all photos from this event and other surfing events in Southern California, visit OCPix.com.

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Courtney Conlogue ended the 2018 Vans US Open as the top woman’s title holder and her local Huntington Beach fans were ready to celebrate. The US Open in HB is always a fun event, filled with surf, skateboarding, BMX and of course large crowds. And this year didn’t disappoint. Vans title sponsor had a huge retail store right on the beach and the tournament village was the place to be this summer.

Here’s a photo wrap of the the week-long surf event. Click on photos to enlarge. All photos provided by OCPix.com

If you’ve never attended a surfing event, first thing you’ll notice is that each surfer has their own way of preparing for their heat. Most will head out to the edge of the shore, stretch, breathe and some will calm their minds with a little meditation as shown below.

Most of the surfers really love the crowds and as each heat ends, the pros spend some time with the spectators taking photos and giving out autographs, or in Yago Dora’s case, a “high five”!

Most heats take place in the early morning, which is also the best time to view the action. The crowds are less and the lighting is even better for photography. The Huntington Beach pier especially is a nice place to watch the pros during the event.

If you are interested in photographing surf events, be sure to read OCPix’s experience and adventure into photographing the US Open of Surfing. He posted two part series, One and Two.

From the mounted police on the US Open of Surfing village on the beach to the HB Pier, there is always something to see and do during this weeklong event.

The 2018 US Open of Surfing was especially a great place to spend the summer break. Blue skies, warm weather and great sports action at the beach.

Finally, the Vans US Open of Surfing is an event for all age groups. Young and old, there is something for everyone. Relax by the beach and enjoy the surfing, or head out to the village on the sand and do some shopping at the Vans superstore. Or talk a walk into main street and have lunch and a drink at one of the many restaurants. We here at OCSurfpix and OCPix.com always have fun at this event.

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Each year Oceanside California hosts the Paul Mitchell Super Girl Surf Pro and 2018 event was won by Carissa Moore. The Super Girl Pro competition is very unique, its all woman of various ages and levels. It’s an event where you see young surfers competing along seasoned pro female athletes. Plus, its located in beautiful Oceanside, with lots of music, food and events scheduled around a weekend timeframe.

If you’ve never attended, makes sure to check out their schedule at Super Girl Pro Surf.

And now for a few photos from this year’s 2018 event. Sorry, I wasn’t there all weekend, so only was able to take a few photos, but I’m sure these will hold you off until next years’ event!

It’s always fun to see some of the pro surfers at this event. Tia Blanco below as well as Tatiana Weston-Webb usually participate in this competition. Not only do they draw in the crowds of fans, but makes it fun for the younger surfers to be able to see and compete along with them.

And here is a tip for anyone wanting to come to this event…get here early! Parking can be challenging. The event takes place right next to the Oceanside Pier, and parking spaces are limited, so be prepared to spend some time looking for parking. But if you get here early, then not only will you get parking but will also see some of the better action, as the surf conditions tend to be better in the early morning.

You can view the event from the beach or the south side of the Oceanside Pier. Both are optimal locations for viewing. And make it an family event, bring your beach umbrella and spend the day. Or better yet, take a walk in the festival village, there’s lots of activities for the kids. Foods to purchase and oh yeah, did I mention they have live bands all weekend long? The best part is that the music and festival is all targeted to youth sports and music, specifically to females, which is a nice since it seems most sporting events today are male dominated.

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Construction for the upcoming 2018 Vans US Open of Surfing started a couple of weeks ago and it’s coming along well. If you take a stroll down the Huntington Beach Pier you’ll see the large city being erected on the south side of the pier, right on the sand!  The event will take place 7/28/18 through 8/5/18, so they have some work ahead of them. But each year they manage to finish construction just in time for the crowds. 

Each year I try to photograph the construction of the US Open in Huntington Beach, not sure why, maybe it’s because the location is beautiful and to see a crew of people build a small city in the sand fascinates me? Perhaps, but maybe it has to do with the anticipation of the event, the progress of the build sort of “builds” the anticipation that it will soon start. 

We’ve been photographing and posting about the US Open of Surfing going on for eight years now. Sure it’s not that many, but I will say that the construction of this event is one of the coolest I’ve ever seen. I mean, they make regular old storage containers look like pieces of art! 

For now all we have is the construction to let us know the day is getting closer.  Soon the crowds will arrive and it will all be worth it. The US Open of Surfing has taken the phrase “build it and they will come” to an all new level!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @ocsurfpix for more updates from this event in the coming weeks. 

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The 11th annual Paul Mitchell Supergirl Surf Pro will be in Oceanside July 27 – 29th, 2018. This is one of those events that locals as well as pro female surfers from around the world look forward to each year. I mean, the location is beautiful, it takes place on the south side of the Oceanside Pier. The festival is family friendly, plus they have live music all three days of the event! 

According to the SuperGirlPro website, there are over 150 registered female entries for the surfing competition. Wow, that should be a good weekend. Locals compete alongside pros, and this year we’ll see most of the top female pro surfers from around the world, Stephanie Gilmore, Lakey Peterson, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Johanne Defay and of course last year’s winner Courtney Conlogue. 

Visit the official Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro website for a full schedule of events. 

Below are a few photos we took during last years event, just to hold you over until next week!

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Sage Erickson and Kanoa Igarashi (both from the USA) claimed the top prizes for the women and men titles at the 2017 Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. The crowds were at capacity for most of the final weekend, but Sunday’s crowd was especially roaring with excitement. 

Erickson beat out last year’s winner, Tatiana Weston-Webb, in a very exciting final. I was there all week long and I can tell you, I was in pin and needles watching that particular heat. It came down to the last minute. And you can’t forget Igarashi, hes a local and was on fire on Sunday. 

You can get more details about this year’s US Open of Surfing on their website here. 

Overall the US Open of Surfing was better than recent years. Why you ask? Well it has returned to a week-long event about sports and family. Surfing being the main event, but skateboarding and BMX where also popular attractions. 

Huntington Beach is usually a popular place to be in the summer, but during the US Open of Surfing, it’s THE place to be. And I was there most days of the week photographing the event for this site. 

So lets get started. 

Photo looking south to the beach from the Huntington Beach pier to the crowds at the US Open of Surfing. As you can see, it was standing room only. 

Below Brisa Hennessy, Nicole Fulford and Filipe Toledo during the week at the US Open in Huntington Beach. 

Below Patrick Gudauskas smiles after completing one of his heats in Huntington Beach.

Below, Tatiana Weston-Webb on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier during the US Open event. She was on fire throughout the event. 

Meanwhile, Frederico Morais and Italo Ferreira show a little sportsmanship after their heat.

You can always count on Courtney Conlogue to show up and give it her all. She’s one of my favorite female pro surfers, a true athlete. 

And we can’t forget fun and energetic Coco Ho…

Below are a few photos of Macy Jane Callaghan. 

This event is not just about surfing, but also about kids, and where dreams can come true. I’m sure every young surfer dreams about the day they too can surf at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington beach. 

And we can’t forget my annual photo of the mounted police at the US Open. From the left to right, are the Santa Ana PD, Huntington Beach PD and Anaheim PD. Always cool to see them around.

Tatiana Weston-Web getting in the “zone” before she heads out to her heat. 

Finally, who can’t resist a few moments of relaxation in the summer under the Huntington Beach Pier as the surfing event with thousands of fans only a few feet away to their left. It was a fun week, I met lots of interesting people and enjoyed another annual event in Huntington Beach. And as always, since I had so many people ask me what photography gear I used this week to shoot the event, don’t forget to visit my photography page HERE where I list the cameras, lenses and other gear I used to shoot this and other events in Orange County. 

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This past weekend marked the 10 year anniversary of the Paul Mitchell SuperGirl Pro Surf competition and it didn’t disappoint. The surf was great, the action was non-stop and in the end, a fan favorite, Courtney Conlogue took the win over Sage Erickson. 

The 2017 competition in Oceanside will go down as one of the best in SuperGirl Pro history. I can’t remember in recent years seeing such great surfing conditions. It was fun both for the surfers and the spectators. 

For most of Saturday and Sunday the Oceanside Pier was lined with people and photographers looking south at the competition. Everyone wanted to see the girls power on and compete. Win or lose it was inspiring watching all the young girls shred alongside the established pros like Courtney, Sage, Coco Ho. 

Past winner Tatiana Weston-Webb was on fire for most of Friday and Saturday, she looked unstoppable. It was fun to see the pro’s really put out their best. 

The venue was filled with things to see and do. From skateboarding, live concerts and of course lots of food! 

Sage Erickson was so much fun to watch, plus her smile and positive attitude radiated as she greeted fans. 

Alyssa Spencer is one to watch in the coming years. She was eliminated on Saturday, but this girl can surf, a true athlete. 

Summer Macedo is of course another really good surfer. She was on fire during the heat I shot this photo below. Keep an eye out for her, she’s only going to get better.

Ellie Jean Coffey also made it through Saturday and gave the crowd a little eye candy. But don’t be fooled, she can surf and just barely got eliminated on Saturday. 

Overall, the 2017 SuperGirl Pro was a huge success. I don’t know how they can top it next year, but I can’t wait for next summer, it’s going to be fun! I took many photos on Saturday and Sunday, and of course cannot show them all here. If you surfed on those days and are looking for your shots, just send me an email with your name and I’ll look to see if I have them. You can have the digital files of yourself for free. Or visit my main photography site to view the full album of photos from the Supergirl Pro! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @ocsurfpix

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Each year as the Fourth of July weekend approaches in Huntington Beach, you know what’s coming…that’s right the NSSA Championships in Huntington Beach. Each year the event takes place on the south side of the Huntington Beach pier and runs up to a couple of days before the 4th of July. 

Here’s a few photos from that event. Many were getting ready for the SuperGirlPro and the US Open of Surfing that will take place later in the month. 

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