Kanoa Igarashi puts on show for hometown fans at U.S. Open; H.B.'s Dwight Dunn enters Surfers' Hall of Fame

Los Angeles Times

2 days ago

Kanoa Igarashi is the No. 3-ranked surfer on the World Surf League Championship Tour, but he sat in last place halfway through his opening heat at the U.S. Open of Surfing on Friday morning.
The Huntington Beach native, a two-time U.S. Open champion, always wants to put on a show at his hometown event.
The next 15 minutes of the heat were magic.
Igarashi ripped off three rides that scored 7 or better, earning a standout two-wave score of 16.27 in the round of 64 heat. He looked like he was ready to make a run at a third title on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier in the Challenger Series event.
'I felt so lost out there,' said Igarashi, 27. 'I don't feel lost out there very often, but today I just felt like I was out of rhythm. I was forcing some things that I normally don't force out there, and getting a little bit antsy. Luckily, the ocean kept giving me chances. Normally, when you waste a few chances in the beginning, the ocean kind of punishes you. I'm just glad to keep surfing and to get to surf more heats.'
Igarashi, who has dual citizenship and represents Japan in international competitions, was happy that his country-mate Keijiro Nishi also could advance from the competitive heat.
He was also pleased that conditions appeared to be improving for the weekend, with organizers still hustling to get rounds in after Wednesday's surfing was canceled due to poor conditions. Igarashi will surf against Ian Gouveia of Brazil, Jacob Wilcox of Australia and Adur Amatriain of Basque Country in Heat 4 of the round of 32 heat on Saturday.
'Huntington always finds a way to prevail,' he said. 'The amount of high quality waves out there is really great, and you can't really ask for much more. It's 2- to 3 feet, and you have rights and lefts and chances for everybody. Huntington is providing, and hopefully the next couple of days will be just as good if not better.'
Nolan Rapoza of Long Beach, another local favorite, also found a way to make it through. Surfing in the first heat of the day shortly after 7 a.m., he led nearly the whole heat before advancing second with a score of 10.67, behind Liam O'Brien of Australia (11.36).
'The first heat's always the most nerve-racking heat of the whole event,' said Rapoza, also 27, who was a U.S. Open semifinalist in 2023. 'I loved how I started the heat, I did exactly what I wanted. I wanted to get to 10 points before the 10-minute mark, and I accomplished that, but then it went really slow. I got nervous again halfway through the heat, because I knew people in my heat were obviously good enough to beat me out there.'
He pulled through, which was a relief to his sizable cheering section. Rapoza will surf against Dimitri Poulos from Ventura, Mateus Herdy of Brazil and 2023 U.S. Open champion Eli Hanneman of Hawaii in Heat 2 of the round of 32 on Saturday.
'This is my home spot,' Rapoza said. 'I'm the most local here, other than maybe Kanoa, so I obviously want to show out for all of the fans, friends and family. I have a huge support crew here. I just want to enjoy myself this week, and I'm already doing that, already accomplished it. [I want to] stay locked in.'
Other men to advance Friday included Kolohe Andino and Kade Matson of San Clemente, as well as defending U.S. Open champion Alan Cleland of Mexico.
The women's competition was set to begin the round of 32 later Friday, with the round expected to continue into Saturday.
Dwight Dunn had a sizable cheering section on Friday morning at the Surfers' Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and for good reason.
Dunn is from Huntington Beach and spent a lifetime in surfing and later the surf clothing industry. He put his hands and feet into the cement in front of Huntington Surf and Sport, along with famed surf photographer Tom Servais and women's world champion and Olympic gold medalist Caroline Marks.
Dunn's message he carved into the cement was simple: 'See You in the Water.'
Dunn, a rider for Infinity Surfboards as a teenager, later started working with Bob Hurley, first as he was starting up Billabong USA then when Hurley formed his own label in 1999.
He worked there for 18 years before retiring in 2017.
'At the time [Hurley was formed], I was equally excited and panicked,' Dunn told attendees of Friday's ceremony. 'However, looking back, I can proudly say that I was part of a team that helped build two of the greatest surf apparel brands of our time.'
Event emcee Brett Simpson, a two-time U.S. Open of Surfing champion, led the crowd in chants of Dunn's nickname, 'Double D.'
Marks is just 23 but has quickly built a Hall of Fame résumé. She qualified for the Championship Tour at age 15, the youngest ever to do so.
Marks won the world title at Lower Trestles in 2023. Originally from Florida, she now resides in San Clemente.
'Surfing has truly changed my life,' she said. 'It's given me purpose, joy, discipline, a deep connection to nature and people all around the world. I'll be forever grateful for the sport. To be recognized among so many amazing surfers I've looked up to my entire life ... is incredibly humbling. I'm so proud to be a part of this community, and now, to be a part of this history.'
The 10 grandchildren of Huntington Surf and Sport owner Aaron Pai, who founded the Surfers' Hall of Fame, provided a blessing at the beginning of the 28th annual ceremony.