Hometown favorite Kanoa Igarashi eliminated in his first heat at the U.S. Open of Surfing
Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi will not win his third U.S. Open of Surfing title.
At least not this year.
Igarashi was bounced in the last round of 64 heat of the day Thursday on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Morgan Cibilic of Australia won the competitive heat with a two-wave score of 13.06, followed by San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino with a 12.93. Third-place heat finisher Charly Quivront of France (12.47) and fourth-place Igarashi (10.30) — the No. 3 seed — were both eliminated.
“I feel like he’s the best guy in this event,” said Cibilic, who finished ninth at the U.S. Open last year, of 2017 and ’18 winner Igarashi. “He’s pretty much the most winning surfer in this event. When you [go against] Kanoa, you’re kind of thinking that you’re fighting for second out here. So it always feels good to get a win. This is his home break, and he’s got the place dialed. Kolohe was also in that heat, who’s pretty much like that here too. Yeah, it was a hectic heat.”
Andino was not the only men’s surfer from San Clemente to advance to Friday’s round of 32. No. 2-seeded Cole Houshmand and Jett Schilling both won their heats to advance.
Crosby Colapinto of San Clemente, the top seed at the event, finished second in his round of 64 heat to also advance. His score of 14.37 in his heat was only bested by Ian Gentil of Hawaii, who earned a 15.33.
“It felt good,” said Colapinto, who was a U.S. Open finalist last year and is enjoying competing on the Championship Tour this year. “It was kind of nerve-wracking just to be doing heats at this level again. Everyone’s so good at surfing, and doing four-man heats it’s a little different, but it’s super-fun just to get out there.”
After advancing, he got to watch fellow San Clemente natives Houshmand and Kade Matson compete in the following heat. Matson was competitive, but his third-place score of 13.40 wasn’t enough to advance behind heat winner Marco Mignot of France and Houshmand.
“Everyone’s pushing each other so much from our town,” Colapinto said. “It’s really cool to have so many good surfers, and they’re all just rising together and pushing each other. It’s pretty sick.”
Nolan Rapoza of Long Beach, who finished third at the Challenger Series event last year, was also eliminated Thursday.
The round of 32 is the last round with four-man heats, before the bracket stage begins. Last year’s men’s champion, Eli Hanneman of Hawaii, remains in contention.
He will surf in Heat 8 on Friday, the final heat of the day, which also includes Cibilic, Schilling, and Shion Crawford, also of Hawaii.
Four- to 6-foot swells are expected for Friday, which starts with the women’s round of 32 at 7:30 a.m. before flipping to the men’s round of 32.
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