Watching the Waves : From Gawkers to Fans, U.S. Open Surfing Contest Draws Thousands

Whether they were cheering on competitors, gawking at surfing pros or simply enjoying an afternoon at the beach, thousands of people showed up Saturday at the U.S. Open surf contest.

Girls with tan bodies, muscled guys with sun-bleached hair and parents pushing strollers or towing children filed past dozens of vendor tents to view the G-Shock U.S. Open of Surfing.

Although the waves were good--about 2 to 4 feet--heavy clouds hovered over the beach in the morning, making the air muggy and sunless. But by afternoon, the cloud layer had burned off, bringing out the sun and the crowds.

Police said the roughly 30,000 people who attended the tournament got to see top surfers such as Kelly Slater and three-time world champion Tom Curren compete.

In all, organizers expected 350,000 to attend the tournament, which began Wednesday and ends today.

An ongoing pier construction project that wiped out 600 prime parking spots didn’t seem to keep too many spectators away.

“Parking nightmare?” asked Tina Lustig, who visited the beach with her husband, Steve, and their two young children. “What parking nightmare? There were plenty of spaces.”

Many of the fans, like 19-year-old Katie Costelo, had a personal connection with the surfers.

Costelo and a clan of girlfriends gathered early, front and center, on the bleachers to watch her boyfriend, Conan, compete.

Watching Conan, of course, was the main attraction, but they were also eager to get some shopping in and soak up the fun.

“It’s like there’s a lot of energy here,” said 17-year-old Summer Wheeler of Aliso Viejo. “Everybody comes here to watch.”

Lisa Curran was watching not only her nephew Tim Curran compete, but also keeping a close eye on her 1-year-old daughter, Sara, who zipped through the crowds at high speed.

Surfing is a family thing for the Currans; Lisa’s husband, Anthony, films surf videos for specialty shops.

“This is kind of a way of life for us,” Lisa Curran said.

For amateur surfer Anthony Feolo, 16, the tournament offered an opportunity to watch the pros and work on his technique.

Feolo drives from Lakewood to Huntington Beach every day of the summer for some surf action.

“I really like seeing the big guys,” he said. “You can really learn a lot by just watching them.”

It seemed there were many like Feolo, elbowing their way through the water teeming with surfers, floating on their boards like black, shiny seals in the distance.

Though the waves may have been good for surfing, the strong side current and undertow caused by a tropical storm kept lifeguards like Morgan Wolfe on alert.

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Mark White was bodysurfing when he disappeared in the waves, police said. Authorities have not found his body and assume that he has drowned.

On Friday, lifeguards reported about 30 rescues. On Saturday, they reported no drownings or near drownings.