The US Open of Surfing is back at Huntington Beach in 2022. After a brief hiatus during covid, the event is back and they are going big!  The 2022 Vans US Open of Surfing (VUSOS) will be a nine-day action sports festival including surf, skateboarding and BMX competition plus a ton of other side events, performances and activities for the entire family to enjoy.

“We are back in full swing, no half-stepping this year,” said Justin Villano, the senior marketing manager for Action Sports Brand Marketing at Vans. “We’re excited about the Vans US Open of Surfing. It’s our backyard. It’s incredibly important. We love the community. I think everyone is excited to get back to some sort of normalcy.” – Full Story from Laylan at the OC Register 

The Crowds:

The crowds can be overwhelming if you don’t anticipate it.  Plan ahead, have some patience while parking and know which events you want to see, as the event spans over a week.  In past years over 500,000+ people have walked through the sandy maze of vendor tents, skate demos, food tents, games and the full competition site.

*There aren’t any major music performances this year, so that may decrease the crowd size from years past, but there is not doubt this event draws a ton of people to HB and the Van Doren Village.

The event is a good place to watch some of the best surfers in the world (particularly if there is a good swell), but you can’t underestimate the people watching, as that is top notch as well.  From surf super-fans to family’s taking a break from Disneyland to street performers to the many-many Gen Z’ers in tiny bikinis, there is no shortage of folks that come to watch the US Open of Surfing.  *One note of warning, if you have kids, definitely keep a tight reign on them, so you don’t lose them in the dust-bowl.

Best Bets / Tips:

• Arrive early and purchase a full day parking pass at one of the covered parking lots.
• The best heats/surf rounds are usually early in the morning before the wind kicks in.
• Arrive early to claim some of the stadium seats, pop up an umbrella, or watch from the Huntington Beach Pier.
• As the event approaches, check the forecast and bring your board as there are some fun opportunities to catch waves as the crowds leave after the day’s events are over.

The Vans US Open offers a plethora of live action summer entertainment, including surfboard shaping workshops, art installations, customization workshops, music lessons, movie premieres and much more. Activities and workshops are scheduled every day beginning July 30. Highlights taking place on-site include:

ACTIVITIES

• 9 a.m. – 4p.m. DAILY: Van Doren Village is open daily featuring a multitude of activities, sponsor booths and the Vans Retail Experience, an immersive shopping experience tied directly to the theme of sustainability including:
  • Wetsuit Repair w/Stitchbox – In the spirit of upcycling and sustainability, the event will offer free wetsuit repair for the local community throughout the entire event w/ Buddy Pendergast and his crew at Stitchbox.
  • Duct Tape Shaping Bay – The shaping bay will use eco-friendly materials with Golden State Glassing and Shred Co. Experiences will be available to Vans Family, Athletes, Media, KOL’s and social sweepstake winners.
  • Vans Community Market – Featuring vendors such as Vinyl Solution, Costa Mesa Ceramics, Jokers Skateshop, Sustainable Coastlines, OC Coast Keeper and more. Thursday August 4 will also feature a community market board swap with rare and unique surf craft and accessories.

• 12-2 p.m. DAILY: Steve Van Doren BBQ – Vans founder Steve Van Doren will be on the grill serving free lunch to fans every day

• 9 a.m.-5 p.m. DAILY: The Vans Retail Store is open daily.

• August 1 & 2

  • Vans Skatepark Sessions (BMX / Skate) – Adding to the DIY skate element, Vans will again host open-to-the-public skate and BMX sessions for the community. BMX fans will also experience the brand-new Vans BMX Waffle Cup event, showcasing creative BMX street style and unique BMX obstacles. RSVP to secure your spot at www.vansusopenofsurfing.com.

• August 3 & 4

• Vans Surf Camp will take place each morning, providing access and resources to learn to surf for all ages. Vans will be partnering with non-profit organizations including Stoked Mentoring and City Surf Project to activate

COMPETITION (Surf, Skate & BMX)

• 7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. DAILY: World Surf League’s Challenger Series (Men & Women) – The Vans US Open of Surfing will feature the fourth stop of the WSL Challenger Series with 160 of the world’s best and rising talent who will be competing for Championship Tour qualification. Finals are scheduled to run on August 7.

• July 30 & 31: Vans BMX Waffle Cup (Men & Women) – Named by BMX star Dakota Roche, this competition is where the best in BMX will take center stage and will kick off this year’s Vans US Open of Surfing weekend.

• August 2-7: The Vans Duct Tape Invitational and Festival (Men & Women) – Where culture meets competition. For the first time ever, this year’s competition will be sanctioned by the WSL as part of the World Surf Longboard Tour. Featuring 40 of the world’s best male and female longboarders competing for a total prize purse of $50,000, including previous winner Justin Quintal and world number one, Harrison Roach, WSL Women’s World Longboarding Champion Honolua Blomfield, style maven Karina Rozunko, and more. The Duct Tape Invitational will also highlight four influential names in action sports to create hand-shaped surfboards for the community including Olympic Park Skateboarder Zion Wright, local renowned surfboard shaper Troy Elmore, pro surfer Holly Wawn and three-time X Games BMX medalist Dakota Roche.

• August 6 & 7: Vans Showdown (Men & Women) – Anchoring the nine-day festival is the Vans Showdown, featuring the most relevant street skaters from around the world to celebrate skate culture by bringing together the world’s most exciting and stylish skaters. Following the end of the 2022 Vans US Open of Surfing, all build materials will be repurposed through the Skatepark Project to donate towards an current park build in Southern California.