U.S. Open of Surfing opens with big crowds but small waves

The U.S. Open of Surfing kicked off Saturday at the Huntington Beach Pier with plenty of sunshine but small waves. Junior men surfed their first and second rounds Saturday, and the men’s qualifying rounds begin Sunday, along with the junior women’s event.

An Assn. of Surfing Professional event, the U.S. Open has registered 30 of the top 32 Men’s ASP World Tour surfers. The contest runs through Aug. 5. Next to the pier is a small village of exhibitors, skate parks, a concert stage and bleachers to watch the waves.

Conditions Sunday are expected to be similar: 1- to 2-foot high waves, with west wind reaching up to 10 miles per hour in the late afternoon.

— Mike Reicher

Twitter: @mreicher