Paddle surfing to make debut at U.S. Open

Stand-up paddle surfing will make its debut at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing on Sunday when the Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge hits the Huntington Beach Pier.

The event will showcase seven of the world’s top surfers competing on individually selected Surftech-built stand-up paddleboards. The challenge begins at approximately 1:20 p.m.

Paddle surfers expected to appear in the inaugural Corona event as of Wednesday are current World Championship Tour competitor Timmy Reyes of Huntington Beach, longboard surfing champion Joel Tudor (Del Mar), four-time women’s world champion Lisa Andersen (Florida), Pat O’Connell of Laguna Beach, Josh Kerr (Australia), Jeremy Porfilio (Los Angeles) and Noah Shimabukuro (Oceanside).

The modern version of Stand-up Paddle Surfing originated in the 1960s in Hawaii, and in the last decade, some of the world’s top surfers used paddle surfing as a training tool when the surf was down. Surftech helped spearheaded this movement. Working with Legendary waterman Laird Hamilton, Surftech created a line of stand-up boards that have been embraced by the surf community and helped the sport gain traction worldwide.

“The Honda U.S. Open of Surfing is the world’s largest forum for showcasing all things surf and lifestyle and the Corona Stand-up Paddle Surf Challenge is sure to be a relevant addition to the mix,” said James Leitz, vice president of International Management Group and executive producer of the event.

— Mike Sciacca