This is scene that won’t be a part of the surfing tapestry in 2020. Photo: Victoria Smith
With a slew of WSL contest cancellations through the first half of 2020 in response to COVID-19, the League announced Monday that the Vans US Open of Surfing won’t return until 2021.
“The Vans US Open of Surfing has always been about bringing people together in a healthy, fun, and interactive environment, and given the size and scale of the event, we can’t see a way to do that this year without sacrificing the very thing that makes it so special. This event would not be the same without the amazing surf, skate, and BMX fans who come out to connect and have fun year after year. We can’t wait to return in 2021 and will be working harder than ever to stage another world-class event at Huntington Beach next summer.”
This year was meant to be one of opportunity for professional surfing’s growth and popularity with its Olympic debut, and now the Vans US Open of Surfing — one of the sport’s most attended events globally — joins the cancellation of the 2020 Tokyo Games and the postponement of all CT and QS events to this point as another lost to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The nine-day festival was originally scheduled for August 1-9 and is a major industry boom for the host city, Huntington Beach. According to data from Visit Huntington Beach, in 2018, it drew approximately 375,000 people with over $55 million being spent in connection to the contest when accounting for spending from athletes and other participants, sponsors, and the event organizer.
