Vans US Open of Surfing
Hawaii's Keanu Asing was impressive in Round 3 of the Vans US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach today. Asing linked together powerful and progressive turns to net a 9.00 and a 7.73 and a win over Aritz Aranburu (ESP) and Bino Lopes (BRA) to earn the right to skip Round 4 and advance directly into Round 5. Photo: ASP/ Rowland
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.