Hiroto Oharra and Johanne Defay: Your 2015 Vans US Open of Surfing Champions. Photo: WSL/Sean Rowland
You’ve got to love that oceans literally divide and connect us all. It’s precisely their magnitude that makes Hiroto Ohhara’s victory in front of surfing’s stadium crowd at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach today so special.
Yes, Orange County and certain segments of Australia’s Gold Coast might dictate much of surf culture to the world. Fashion. Trends. A lot of innovation. But all around this tiny globe, pockets of unique surf cultures flourish. Dreams hatch. And the next thing you know, Hiroto Ohhara is answering Strider Wasilewski’s questions on live webcast in front of more surf fans than he’s ever seen. And Ohhara is beside himself with excitement. He doesn’t wear the jaded dread of the annual pilgrimage to Huntington on his face and body. No. He’s stoked. Totally and completely.
“I don’t know how to say it, I’m just so stoked,” said Ohhara. “It feels like something very special today. Now I think I’m really looking forward to the rest of the year. I’ve learned everything here and I got a good result here.”
Ohhara defeated Tanner Hendrickson in the final – and took out Ryan Callinan and local Kanoa Igarashi to jump from No. 81 to No. 13 in the WQS rankings, which makes it entirely possible to see him join the Championship Tour in 2016. Ohhara also won the Hurley Trials a week earlier, and will also compete at the Hurley Pro as a wildcard. You could say the guy’s having a good week.
Hendrickson, unsponsored, defeated defending champion Filipe Toledo in his semi-final.
Johanne Defay is happy. Super happy. Photo: WSL/Sean Rowland
Among the women, Johanne Defay secured her first ever World Tour victory over Sally Fitzgibbons in the final. She also defeated her good friend Bianca Buitendag in the semi-finals by .01 points. One hundredth of a point. What does that even mean?
“I don’t think I can put it into words,” said Defay. “It’s very hard to digest and I don’t know how to say how I feel — it’s so crazy. I’m very happy to have some of my friends here and I’m thinking of the people back home too. I guess it’s all the work I’ve done before and it’s all come together.
After the rankings shakeup, semi-finalist Courtney Conlogue moves into the lead for the Women’s Championship Tour.
Also worth mentioning: There weren’t any riots! (At least, as of 3:56 PDT.)
The World Surf League resumes competition at the Billabong Pro Tahiti for the men and the Trestles Pro for the women.
Hiroto Ohhara claimed a 9.17 in the final minutes of the US Open Final to take home the trophy.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Hiroto Ohhara’s last name.
