San Clemente’s Crosby Colapinto enters U.S. Open of Surfing as top seed

Kanoa Igarashi is quick to say one of the best things about the U.S. Open of Surfing is that he can sleep in his own bed, get up, drive five minutes to the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier and compete in one of the world’s biggest surf contests.

The U.S. Open of Surfing gets underway next week as usual, but it is not business as usual for Igarashi, who has to travel halfway around the world to compete at his home break this year.

The Huntington Beach local has been in Tahiti (French Polynesia) surfing under the flag of Japan in the 2024 Paris Olympics. After winning the silver medal in surfing’s Olympic debut in Japan in 2021, Igarashi was eliminated in Round 3 in the Paris Olympics, losing out to fellow Championship Tour (CT) competitor Gabriel Medina of Brazil.

Medina put up a 9.90 score in the heat, the highest single-wave score in the Olympics’ brief surfing history. That left Igarashi with a little bit of time to pack his things and head home for the Open, with the Challenger Series surf competition slated to begin on Monday.

The event is holding opening ceremonies on Friday at 11 a.m., with skateboarding and longboard events are on tap for this weekend.

San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto, who along with John John Florence made up the U.S. men’s Olympic contingent, also was eliminated in Round 3 in Tahiti, but will not compete in this year’s Open.

Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach, shown surfing in last year’s competition, is a two-time U.S. Open of Surfing champion.

(James Carbone)

Griffin’s brother Crosby, however, will compete and is the No. 1 seed in the men’s division. Crosby, 23, reached the men’s final at last year’s Open, losing to Hawaii’s Eli Hanneman. But the second-place finish helped Crosby qualify for the CT, and he is ranked No. 9 in the world in his rookie year with one contest remaining.

While there are numerous brother tandems that have had success in the water — John John and Nathan Florence, Dane, Pat and Tanner Gudauskas, Bruce and Andy Irons, Damien and CJ Hobgood — there has not been a pair of brothers to win the U.S. Open. Griffin won it in 2021, so it’s up to Crosby to make history.

Crosby won’t have to worry about beating Griffin, though they nearly found themselves going head to head in the finals of the MEO Rip Curl Pro in Portugal last March in the third CT contest of the season.

Both reached the semifinals, but whereas Griffin won his semifinal heat and went on to win the final, Crosby lost his semifinal and settled for an equal-third.

“That’s what we were planning that whole day, that’s our dream,” Crosby said about facing Griffin in a CT final. “You hear about finals like with Bruce and Andy (Irons) and the Hobgoods. We really wanted to do that but unfortunately it didn’t work out, but hopefully we can do that one day.”

They did face each other at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Australia, the fourth CT contest of the season in April, Griffin winning out in a Round of 16 matchup.

Crosby Colapinto of San Clemente, shown at last year’s event, is trying to win the U.S. Open of Surfing, like his older brother Griffin did in 2021.

(Kenny Morris / World Surf League)

“He got me,” Crosby said. “I could tell in the heat that we had he definitely didn’t want me to beat him.”

All in all, Crosby said, it’s been a blessing to have older brother Griffin, 26, with him on the CT.

“It’s been really nice,” Crosby said. “It definitely feels like it’s me coming into my own, surfing with all those guys at such a high level, trying to find my truest potential and see where my level is at. And also traveling with Griffin and learning from him a lot. And being able to travel the world, learn about myself and learn about the world.”

With Crosby entering the Open as the No. 1 seed, San Clemente’s Cole Houshmand is seeded No. 2 and Igarashi No. 3. On the women’s side, San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad is seeded No. 1, Santa Barbara’s Lakey Peterson is No. 2 and Isabella Nichols of Australia is No. 3.

Huntington’s own Sara Freyre will compete again in the women’s main draw at the U.S. Open of Surfing this year.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Sara Freyre will surf in the women’s division, the Huntington Beach High School rising senior getting in as an alternate. She surfed the Open last year as an alternate as well, and advanced through her first-round heat before being eliminated in Round 2.

For Freyre, a year has made a world of difference considering the experience she’s gained. In the Qualifying Series this year, she placed third at the Ron Jon Roxy Pro in Florida and fifth at the Barbados Surf Pro.

And to cap it off, Freyre earned a bronze medal in El Salvador in the ISA World Junior Championships.

“I was so grateful I got in last year and advanced a heat, but I’m really stoked to get an opportunity again this year after a year of training,” Freyre said. “Competing in all of the events over the year has increased my confidence and given me more experience.”

The Open has major ramifications for surfers trying to qualify for next year’s CT, and in particular Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza is on the brink. The Open is a Challenger Series event, and the top 10 in the six-event season qualify. Rapoza is currently ranked No. 8, with two contests remaining after the Open.