Updating US Open of Surfing Galleries
Updating the US Open of Surfing galleries has started and I’ve completed the years from 2011 through 2016. I’ve had them up from 2011 to present, but there were so many additional photos that I had not shared. I figured now was the best time to begin the process to update them one gallery at a time.
After each event, it take time to review the hundreds and thousands of photos and choose which ones make the “cut” into the galleries. A few weeks ago, I started with the 2011 US Open of Surfing when Kelly Slater won the men’s final. I had only attended a few days, so didn’t have too many photos, and only had up a few of Kelly Slater winning the final while the fans cheered from the beach. But after reviewing my archives, I was able to find more interesting shots from that year, like the photos of the crowds of fans at the festival village.
When I came to updating the US Open of Surfing galleries for 2012, the primary focus was the density of the crowd at Huntington Beach. So I added many more photos taken from different viewpoints of the Huntington Beach Pier. Like this one, where you can see the HB Pier Lifeguard Tower and crowds on the beach. Hundreds of thousands of fans attend the week-long event, so it’s always interesting to capture these photos showing the crowds.
For the US Open of Surfing gallery of 2013, I added more photos of the spectators in the festival area. Like this photo series of a lady asking some local girls for photos. I observed her looking at that group of girls while pulling out her phone to take a photo of them as they walked away. Then she ran up to them, asked if she could take a photo of them from behind and front. They obliged, then she asked if she could take a photo with them. Strange? Yes, but I saw this more as “street photography”, not what she was doing, but what I was doing. Sort of capturing a little moment in time of regular people.
Updating the US Open of Surfing gallery for 2014, included adding more overhead shots of the surfers as they paddled out by the Huntington Beach Pier. Here’s Tatiana Weston-Webb paddling out. And Nikki van Dijk paddling out. But also added Tia Blanco getting ready to head out to her heat. Oh, and of course some surfers running, like Tatiana.
The 2015 US Open of Surfing photo gallery update included adding Zoe McDougall and Meah Collins. As well as surfer turn model Luke Davis interacting with his fans on the beach. These moments are nice for historical purposes. Also to show the connection that the surfers have with the surfing fans.
When I came up to the 2016 US Open of Surfing, I had lots of updates. I added more new photos to this gallery than I did the prior years so far. Many intimate and behind the scenes photos. For example, Tatiana Weston-Webb hugging her mom before her heat. Or Tatiana Weston-Webb hugging her then fiancĂ©e, Jesse Mendes after winning the women’s US Open of Surfing. Not to mention Sally Fitzgibbons getting interviewed. And Courtney Conlogue interacting with fans. And who can remember Daniel Lara (damn Daniel), I spotted him at the Vans US Open of Surfing Village.
There are so many more updates coming, but it will take time. For now I finished updating the US Open of Surfing galleries up to 2016. When I finish updating the rest, up to present, I’ll let you guys know. Don’t forget, if you want to know how I started into surf photography, I wrote about it here and here.
