Young Manuel wins women’s U.S. Open of Surfing crown

HUNTINGTON BEACH - There was a youth movement today at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Fourteen-year-old Malia Manuel of Hawaii became the youngest champion at the U.S. Open of Surfing when she captured the women’s U.S. Open crown following a two-person heat that included fellow Hawaiian Coco Ho.

Manuel was able to get a big wave score early and then maintained the advantage throughout the 20-minute heat.

Ho, just 17, needed to land a minimum wave score of 8.17 in the final five minutes of the heat to take the lead, but no ample set came in down the stretch.

Manuel outscored Ho, 14.34 to 7.90.

“I feel lucky to be here,” said a smiling Manuel moments after she was carried up the beach by well-wishers following her triumph. “I was just trying to have fun and enjoy the experience of the U.S. Open, and have fun surfing with my friend, Coco. I was happy that both of us made the finals.”

To reach the final, Manuel scored a major knockout when she eliminated Sofia Mulanovich of Peru in the quarterfinals earlier today. Mulanovich is the top-rated woman on the World Tour.

In the semifinal round, Ho also delivered a big blow when she outsted Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore who is No. 2 behind Mulnaovich on the World Tour.

“It was such an honor to surf with her,” Manuel said of going up against Mulanovich. “It was a great experience and I was lucky enough to win and move on.”

Manuel’s victory also denied the U.S. Open another first: having one athlete with two contests at the same event.

S3 Supergirl Junior Pro

A little more than an hour before competing for the Women’s U.S. Open title, Coco Ho won the S3 Supergirl Junior Pro final.

Had Ho won the Women’s pro title, she would have become the first surfer to win two events at the same U.S. Open.

Ho led throughout a four-person finals heat that included runner-up Sage Erickson (USA), Nikita Robb (South Africa) and local surfer Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana.

Robb won the last girls’ Junior Pro held in 2006.

Conlogue, who was eliminated Wednesday from contention for the women’s U.S. Open title, was emotional following the Supergirl Junior Pro.

“I was throwing it really hard and it just wasn’t happening for me,” said Conlogue, tears welling in her eyes. “Hopefully, it will pay off for me in a world title heat.

“I needed two above-average scores to win but it just wasn’t happening.”

Conlogue, who leaves Sunday for Indonesia, was happy for Ho.

“Coco’s always been an amazing surfer,” she said. “Kudos to her for making both finals. I’m stoked that she’s been able to show her stuff.”

Men’s U.S. Open

The locals are moving on.

Timmy Reyes and Brett Simpson were victorious today in the Round of 24 heats action.

The duo advances to compete beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the Round of 16 (heats 1-8). The quarterfinals follow at 10:50 a.m., the semifinals at 12:30 p.m. and the men”s final is at 3:05 p.m.

Also moving on to Sunday’s Round of 16 is another local, Chris Waring, a Huntington Beach High grad and resident of Seal Beach, who finished second in his heat.

Reyes, 26, easily won the first heat of the round, scoring 16.67 points (20.00 scale) for his top two waves combined score. He beat out Damien Fahrenfort (12.33) of South Africa and Hodei Collazo (10.00) of Spain.

Reyes is ranked 11th on the World Tour.

The 23-year-old Simpson, meanwhile, took the third heat of the round with a score of 14.03. Second place went to Eric Geiselman (13.00) of the USA and Chris Davidson (5.50) of Australia.

Waring, who last year finished runner-up to the boys’ Junior Pro title, finished in second-place today in a heat won by Nathaniel Curran of the USA.

Other Round of 24 heat winners were Tim Boal (France), Dane Gudauskas (USA), Torrey Meister (Hawaii), Shaun Cansdell (Australia) and Joan Duru (France).

Other non-heat winners in the Round of 24 to move on to the Round of 16 were Fahrenfort, Geiselman, Dusty Payne (Hawaii), Cory Lopez (USA), Roy Powers (Hawaii), Marlon Lipke (Germany) and Gabe Kling (USA).

Sunday’s Round of 16 two-man heats pairings are as follows:

Heat 1: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (Hawaii)

Heat 2: Tim Boal (France) vs. Damien Fahrenfort (South Africa)

Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Cory Lopez (USA)

Heat 4: Dane Gudauskas (USA) vs. Eric Geilseman (USA)

Heat 5: Nathaniel Curran (USA) vs. Roy Powers (Hawaii)

Heat 6: Chris Waring (USA) vs. Torrey Meister (Hawaii)

Heat 7: Shaun Cansdell (Australia) vs. Gabe Kling (USA)

Heat 8: Marlon Lipke (Germany) vs. Joan Duru (France)

In addition to the Men’s U.S. Open, both the boys’ Junior Pro and U.S. Open of Longboarding finals will be held Sunday, both preceding the men’s final.

The Junior Pro finals field Sunday (2:05 p.m.) is a four-man heat between Australians Julian Wilson and Chris Salisbury and Americans Nat Young and Tanner Gudauskas.

The U.S. Open of Longboarding final Sunday (2:35 p.m.) is a four-man shoot-out between Noah Shimabukuro, Tony Silvagni and Taylor Jensen of the USA and Ned Snow of Hawaii.

Sunday’s Schedule

7:30 a.m.: U.S. Open of Men (Round of 16, heats 1-8)

8:30 a.m.: Soul Bowl (Skate, BMX open practice)

9 a.m.: Festival Village opens

9:30 a.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (Snow rail jam practice)

10 a.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (Snow rail jam)

10 a.m.: Soul Bowl (Skate practice)

10:30 a.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (Street practice)

10:50 a.m.: U.S. Open of Men (Quarterfinals, heats 1-4)

11:30 a.m.: FMX Arena (MX Mayhem)

Noon: Soul Bowl (Skate jam qualifiers, heats 1-3)

Noon: S3 Supergirl Jam (Street finals)

12:30 p.m.: U.S. Open of Men (Semifinals, heats 1-2)

1 p.m.: FMX Arena (Whit It demo)

1:20 p.m.: Corona Stand Up Paddle Surf Challenge

2 p.m.: Soul Bowl (Skate jam finals, heats 1-2)

2 p.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (clinics)

2:05 p.m.: O’Neill U.S. Open Junior Pro (final)

2:35 p.m.: On’Neill U.S. Open of Longboarding (final)

3 p.m.: Soul Bowl (Skate best trick)

3 p.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (Clinics)

3:05 p.m.: U.S. Open of Men (final)

3:30 p.m.: Soul Bowl (Skate Jam awards)

3:30 p.m.: S3 Supergirl Jam (Vert demo)

4 p.m.: FMX Arena (FMX best trick)

4:30 p.m.: Festival Village closes