Vans U.S. Open of Surfing
The Vans US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach is a carnival. It’s not really about surfing – it’s more about the scene, which is pretty awesome, even though it sometimes involves a riot or two. The surfing just acts as a catalyst, of sorts. People show up. People party. People surf. But most of all, people party. And while Huntington doesn’t normally get amazing waves (it’s a surf contest in California in mid-summer), it does get amazing surfers, and they do pretty amazing things on not-so-amazing waves. See proof above. One-to-three foot slop doesn’t usually equal gouging turns and big-ass boosts, but somehow, amid the Huntington cacophony, those were both accomplished.