Here’s the opening action from the WSL Huntington Beach

The surf has been rather typically Huntington – peaky, short, sharp, and sideshorey – but of course the surfing has been wonderful and well worth dragging yourself away from the Olympics to catch it live.

Here’s the wrap and results of the opening two days direct from the WSL:

Lexus US Open of Surfing Witnesses First Eliminations for Huntington Beach Longboard Classic

* Avalon Gall Gets One Back Near Home In Elimination Scare
* Kelis Kaleopa’a Keeps Three-Peat Potential Alive, Tully White Shines
* Reigning World Champ Kai Sallas Remains Poised Under Pressure
* Ben Skinner’s Showcase Pushes the Scale Into Excellence, Taka Inoue Thrives

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., USA (Sunday, August 4, 2024) - Day Two of the World Surf League (WSL) Lexus US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico, the Huntington Beach Longboard Classic, kicked off with tight competition in elimination round action. Throughout the day, the WSL Longboard Tour’s best athletes dealt with high-scoring, emerging talent in two-to-three foot conditions. All-important Round of 16 draws no await to see who will march into Finals Day in Surf City USA.

Avalon Gall Gets One Back Near Home In Elimination Scare
 
2022-2023 North America Longboard Regional winner Avalon Gall (USA) found her form after a tough opening round loss and glided her way to the round of 16. Gall’s style and composure on the nose, mixed with great footwork, earned an impressive 7.60 (out of a possible 20) and 14.73 (out of a possible 20) heat total. The Laguna Beach, California native continues to build her resume among the world’s best and strives for a breakthrough season.
 
“I kind of had a strategy going into it to get some waves on the pier bowl where everyone had been surfing all morning,” said Gall. “But, I knew I really wanted to go left and I just got really lucky to find a couple of good ones. At a beach break, I feel like most goofy-foots go left and watching people like Justin Quintal growing up, I’ve just always loved going left out there.”

Kelis Kaleopa’a Keeps Three-Peat Potential Alive
 
Kelis Kaleopa’a (HAW) looks to etch her name in Huntington Beach history with an opportunity to three-peat, but was threatened with elimination by wildcard threat Malia Ilaghan (USA). The 2023 World Title runner-up, Kaleopa’a, showed her composure under pressure and delivered a solid 6.00 (out of a possible 10) to fend off Ilaghan. Now, Kaleopa’a continues her hunt to regain momentum in the 2024 season.
 
“Yesterday’s loss was really tough for me, I just went home and regrouped with my family and I have a really good support crew so I’m super grateful,” said Kaleopa’a. “I’m still trying to find my rhythm. I think getting into the elimination round lit a fire underneath me but I’m just excited to move on.”

Tully White (AUS) stunned with a last-minute effort that posted the first excellent score of the day, an 8.00, in her bout with wildcard Kaitlin Mikkelsen (USA). White’s control on the nose before belting the end section was enough to take the lead from former Longboard Tour veteran, Mikkelsen, and seal a round of 16 appearance.

Also advancing into the round of 16, Natalia Wunderlich (HAW) had a clutch performance that pushed her through alongside Zoe Grospiron (FRA), Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER), Kirra Busch (USA), and Sive Jarrard (ASM).

Reigning World Champ Kai Sallas Remains Poised Under Pressure
 
A near-disastrous start to Kai Sallas’ (HAW) 2024 season was salvaged in front of the Huntington Beach crowd during his elimination round bout when wildcard Kaimana Takayama (USA) scored a 6.83. The reigning WSL Longboard Champion, Sallas, took control of the heat with a solid 7.00 to establish his rhythm in the competition before posting the day’s highest single-wave score of an 8.83.
 
“It’s really fun, it’s warm, the sun is out, a bunch of people are on the beach and the pier bowl is super fun,” said Sallas. “I’m the worst at switching boards this year so I made a board that kind of works for everything. I’m riding the exact same board I rode in Bells and it seemed to be working out really well today. That was the wave I had in mind, and it stood up right over the pilings. It was just a matter of getting in position and surfing it to what it was telling me to do, so I was stoked.”

World Title Contender Ben Skinner Delivers Stunning Performance Facing Elimination 

WSL Longboard Tour veteran and perennial World Title threat, Ben Skinner (GBR), showcased excellent footwork and composure on the nose earning a 16.43, the event’s best performance so far. Skinner’s tough start to competition in Huntington Beach pushed him to perform well against Uruguay’s Ignacio Pignataro, who needed a near-perfect score to move on. Skinner came out on top and is headed for the round of 16.

“It’s not a nice feeling being in the elimination round and yesterday was a tough loss for me,” said Skinner. “I just couldn’t get in a rhythm, so it was really important to go out there today and have a heat like that. The waves are so fun today, very different than yesterday, so I’m hoping we get to see more of this for the event. I’m pretty excited to keep surfing.”

Japan’s consistently strong competitor, Taka Inoue rose to the occasion with a 16.07 heat total alongside an in-form Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS), Antonio Dantas (PRT), Sam Christianson (RSA), Edouard Delpero (FRA), and Chase Lieder (USA) to join Round of 16 action. 
 
Event organizers will reconvene at 7:00 a.m. PDT to determine a possible 7:35 a.m. PDT start.

Watch LIVE
The Lexus US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico runs through August 11,  2024. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners. 

Women’s Elimination Round Results:

HEAT 1: Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) 10.77 DEF. Malia Ilagan (USA) 9.20
HEAT 2: Kirra Busch (HAW) 10.04 DEF. Kirra Molnar (AUS) 8.34
HEAT 3: Zoe Grospiron (FRA) 13.17 DEF. Star D'Elia (USA) 9.40
HEAT 4: Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER) 13.93 DEF. Emily Currie (GBR) 7.47
HEAT 5: Avalon Gall (USA) 14.73 DEF. Liv Stokes (CAN) 12.60
HEAT 6: Natalia Wunderlich (HAW) 14.37 DEF. Keani Canullo (HAW) 13.06
HEAT 7: Tully White (AUS) 14.67 DEF. Kaitlin Mikkelsen (USA) 13.56
HEAT 8: Sive Jarrard (ASM) 9.10 DEF. Emma Perrier (AUS) 8.94

Men’s Elimination Round Results:

HEAT 1: Kai Sallas (HAW) 15.83 DEF. Kaimana Takayama (USA) 11.23
HEAT 2: Taka Inoue (JPN) 16.07 DEF. Jack Van Wagoner (USA) 13.10
HEAT 3: Ben Skinner (GBR) 16.43 DEF. Ignacio Pignataro (URY) 10.24
HEAT 4: Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS) 14.34 DEF. Martin Coret (FRA) 11.64
HEAT 5: António Dantas (POR) 13.40 DEF. Tony Silvagni (USA) 12.27
HEAT 6: Sam Christianson (RSA) 10.10 DEF. Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW) 8.00
HEAT 7: Edouard Delpero (FRA) 11.67 DEF. Alexandre Escobar (BRA) 11.30
HEAT 8: Chase Lieder (USA) 15.50 DEF. Kai Hamase (JPN) 12.43

Women’s Round of 16 Matchups:

HEAT 1: Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) vs. Natalia Wunderlich (HAW)
HEAT 2: Natsumi Taoka (JPN) vs. Avalon Gall (USA)
HEAT 3: Honolua Blomfield (HAW) vs. Sive Jarrard (ASM)
HEAT 4: Rachael Tilly (USA) vs. Tully White (AUS)
HEAT 5: Soleil Errico (USA) vs. Kirra Busch (HAW)
HEAT 6: Alice Lemoigne (FRA) vs. Zoe Grospiron (FRA)
HEAT 7: Sophia Culhane (HAW) vs. Chloe Coleman (USA)
HEAT 8: Mason Schremmer (USA) vs. Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER)

Men’s Elimination Round Matchups:

HEAT 1: Kai Sallas (HAW) vs. Richie Cravey (USA)
HEAT 2: Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL) vs. Kevin Skvarna (USA)
HEAT 3: Ben Skinner (GBR) vs. António Dantas (POR)
HEAT 4: John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW) vs. Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS)
HEAT 5: Taylor Jensen (USA) vs. Cole Robbins (USA)
HEAT 6: Edouard Delpero (FRA) vs. Taka Inoue (JPN)
HEAT 7: Kaniela Stewart (HAW) vs. Sam Christianson (RSA)
HEAT 8: Declan Wyton (AUS) vs. Chase Lieder (USA)