US Open of Surfing: Photojournalist Delivers Despite Small Waves
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. – Award-winning photojournalist John Fredricks, a surfer himself, didn’t let the small, choppy waves (1-4 ft) bother him as he took these great shots at the U.S. Open for Surfing in Huntington Beach for The Epoch Times this week.
MEDIA ON MISSION
Fredricks was on assignment in Surf City USA for the mega-event, taking these beauties at the pier and offshore during the week before the championships over the weekend.
(John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
US Open of Surfing Returns to Huntington Beach
The largest surfing event in the world has returned to the shores of Huntington Beach, California, after its cancellation in 2020.
BY JOHN FREDRICKS
THE EPOCH TIMES
The reactivation of the 2021 U.S. Open of Surfing Huntington Beach is being held from September 20th–26th. As a major stop on the World Surf League’s (WSL) worldwide tour, 96 men and 64 female professional surfers compete for a first-place cash prize of $20,000 for both male and female divisions.
The contest, formerly known for drawing upwards of 500,000 people, is divided into 5 stages of rounds surfed between four surfers per heat until reaching the sixth state of the final round this Sunday, where surfers are judged by their two highest-ranking waves, ranging from one to ten points during their heat’s 30-minute interval.
Tuesday morning’s surf conditions ranged into the 1–4-foot range with light winds, but the lack of power on the peaking waves created a challenge for the surfers as they pumped with their boards through the surf’s flat sections.
(John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
John Fredricks is an award-winning photojournalist based in Southern California. His work appears everywhere from National Geographic Adventure to Time magazine. Passionate about social and humanitarian issues, he wants to impact his generation through a visual medium and put the spotlight on issues around the world. He has launched himself into locations and situations where his life and health were likely in danger in order to use his gift and skill in photography to share the truth. His camera is only an extension of the genuine love and care John feels for those around him.
