Jake Marshall, Sierra Kerr emerge as U.S. Open of Surfing champions
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During the men’s final of last year’s U.S. Open of Surfing, Jake Marshall was on an airplane on his way to Tahiti for a World Surf League contest. Meanwhile, his buddy and fellow Encinitas surfer Levi Slawson was in the water on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier on his way to winning the U.S. Open.
“I was trying to buy the Wi-Fi on the plane so I could watch it,” Marshall said. “Seeing him accomplish that was really cool, and it definitely gave me a lot of inspiration for this event.”
Marshall made it back-to-back wins for the Encinitas duo, claiming the trophy and $20,000 prize money Sunday afternoon with a victory over Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi in the finals heat of the U.S. Open of Surfing with a two-wave score of 14.77 over Igarashi’s 14.07.
“For us to go back-to-back out here, I feel like Encinitas surfing is on the come-up,” said Marshall, 27. “There are so many talented kids coming through who can hopefully draw some inspiration from us. I definitely don’t think I’ll be the last one from Encinitas to win this contest.”
Igarashi appeared on his way to a third U.S. Open win, taking the title in both 2017 and ’18, and holding the lead in the waning minutes of the 40-minute heat in front of several thousand sun-drenched observers on the sand and on the pier.
With the effects of Hurricane Genevieve diminishing — waves were 3-4 feet Sunday after getting up to eight feet during the week — Marshall needed a 7.31 to take the lead when a wave came with seven minutes remaining.
Marshall made the most of it, snapping a turn off the lip on the outside before connecting to the inside and finishing strong for a score of 8.00 to take the lead. Igarashi, though, did not go quietly, getting two decent waves in the final minutes.
Needing a 7.38, Igarashi fell short with his last two waves, both scoring in the six-point range.
“At this point, it’s about so much more than chasing points or prize money,” said Igarashi, currently ranked No. 9 in the world on the Championship Tour. “I just really want to have a good time and put on a show. I feel like I was able to do that this week. Whether I finished 10th, 15th, won the event, or came in second, I’m just happy with the way I surfed. That was really the goal for the week.”
The win was more important for Marshall, who is trying to re-qualify for next year’s CT. He’s ranked No. 23 and only the top 22 guarantee their spot. The other way onto the CT is to finish in the top 10 of the Challenger Series, the U.S. Open serving as the second Challenger Series event of the season.
The 10,000 points earned for the win catapulted Marshall to No. 1 on the CS.
“I definitely needed the points,” he said. “It’s been a rough year for me on tour, so these last couple of events have been really good. The points are awesome, but honestly, just winning this event is such a cool accomplishment. You could give me five points for it and I’d still be stoked.
“It definitely means a lot in the grand scheme of things, and hopefully it’ll help me re-qualify for next year. But more than anything, getting a win is something I’ve been trying to accomplish my whole career, so it’s really cool.”
In the women’s event, an all-Aussie final featured teenagers Sierra Kerr, 19, and Isla Huppatz, 18, with Kerr winning 12.50 to 11.90 for the trophy and $20,000.
Winning the contest was especially gratifying for Kerr, the daughter of former CT surfer Josh Kerr, considering she was stricken with Lyme Disease last year and has struggled to regain her health.
“There were definitely times when I didn’t know if I’d ever surf the way I used to again, or even feel the way I used to,” Kerr said. “I’m still not 100%, but to be able to do this while still not feeling completely back to myself just shows how far I’ve come. It’s unbelievable.”
Despite the setbacks, Sierra Kerr and Josh Kerr, 42, surfed in a few pro contests together last year, becoming the the first father-daughter duo to surf on the same circuit.
“It was amazing,” said Sierra Kerr, who won the World Juniors Championship in 2023. “We did the Qualifying Series events together and then the Challenger Series. Watching him compete was so cool, and whenever he does an interview, I watch every one. I don’t know how many more events he’s going to do — I’m trying to convince him to compete more — but he’s just so happy supporting me now. He has incredible insight and advice, and I’m so grateful to have him in my corner, not only as a coach but as my dad.”
Josh Kerr surfed on the CT from 2007-17 and finished in the top 10 four times.
“This is one of those wins that’s part of surfing history, kind of like winning the World Juniors,” Josh said. “The U.S. Open of Surfing is one of the biggest and most iconic events in the sport, so for her to win it is massive.”
San Clemente had six men’s surfers reach the Round of 16, but only two of them reached the semifinals, where both were eliminated. Griffin Colapinto, ranked No. 12 in the world, was taken out by Igarashi, and Hayden Rodgers was ousted by Marshall.
