Photo: Jacob Szekely // YouTube
The US Open of Surfing has concluded, though you’d be forgiven for not realizing it ever began in the first place. What was once a banner event that drew raucous crowds, hyped up surfers, and even a riot at one point, is now more of a series of brand activations, centered around Championship Tour hopefuls Huntington hopping their way to sub-five scores in knee-high slop.
Into that maelstrom of mediocrity waded La Jolla YouTuber Jacob Szekely. In his latest video, he endeavors to find the hidden, behind-the-scenes secrets of the US Open… if there are any.
“We’re going to get amongst the action,” explained Szekely at the top of the video. “The US Open is kind of looking like there’s some shit going on, so we’re going to give you the full rundown, what they don’t show you online. We’ll let you know if it’s a sick event, like it used to be, or if it’s kind of going downhill.”
With his trademark elan, Szekely pinballed around the event, querying as many attendees he could find. In the process, he captured a pretty robust cross-section of the US Open crowd: a visiting San Clemente contingent, clueless spectators, local high schoolers, and a few bona fide CT legends.
“Couple crazy heats, couple grindy moments. Overall, the US Open’s… kind of mellow this year,” summed up Szekely afterwards. “Not quite living up to the hype.”
If you’re looking for insights into the lives and minds of surfing’s elite, this is not the place. But If you’re looking for a general sense of what it’s like to go to the surfing event with the single highest hype to payoff ratio known to man, you’re in for a treat.
