San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad solidified her spot in US Open of Surfing history on Sunday, Aug. 3, earning her second title at the mega event in Huntington Beach.
Only a few surfers in the contest’s history have claimed such a feat, and the 19-year-old did it just two years after her first title in 2023.
“It feels really good, this event is really iconic and it’s always been an event I wanted to win and to do it twice is just really surreal,” she said. “I’m just really grateful for all the fans coming down and my family, just a really special moment.”
Crowds flooded onto the sand, lined the pier and filled in the accompanying festival for the last day of the US Open of Surfing, a nine-day event set at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
While the wave size was bigger on finals day, the morning had a funky wind and waves that were difficult to read, at times closing out and shutting down opportunities for scoring. By the afternoon, the sun broke through and 4- to 6-foot surf was giving the surfers plenty of opportunities. At times, the whitewash was so powerful that water licked the bottom of the concrete pier.