While the Word Title race will be heating up again later this week in Tahiti, the huge battle for spots on next year's Championship Tour (CT) just took a major turn at the Vans US Open of Surfing - Men's QS. The Huntington Beach event is one of only five QS 10,000 events, the most heavily weighted on the Qualifying Series (QS).
Kanoa Igarashi's Vans US Open Win couldn't have come at a better time. - WSL / Kenneth Morris
CT surfers who don't finish in the Top 22 on the Jeep Leaderboard at the end of the year lose their coveted seeds unless they "requalify" through the QS. To do that, they must finish in the Top 10 on the QS rankings. QS hopefuls, meanwhile, are hoping to fill those 10 spots themselves, and they were doing a good job of it heading into Huntington Beach. Jordy Smith was the only CT surfer in the Top 10 before the Vans US Open of Surfing.
Jordy, however, is in very little danger of not making the Top 22. On the contrary, he's smack in the World Title race. Kanoa Igarashi, however, is in quite a dangerous situation with his current spot on the Jeep Leaderboard. At No. 29, he's enduring a bit of a sophomore slump. But a bigger concern for Kanoa was that he was ranked No. 69 on the QS, a long way from requalifying...until yesterday.
Get a glimpse of the good stuff that happened during Sunday's championship rounds in Huntington Beach.
With the win, Igarashi jumped 66 spots up the QS rankings, to No. 3, putting him right back in the mix. Here's a list of the other big QS movers.
Michael February
Michael February - WSL / Steve Sherman
Current QS Rank: No. 2
Points: 14,750
Climbed: Up two spots from No. 4
The South African earned 5,200 points for his 5th-place finish. It was a strong backup to his 3rd-place finish at the first QS10,000 event of the year in his home country of South Africa. While he's not a lock for next year's CT, he's certainly bolstered his case.
Kanoa Igarashi
Kanoa Igarashi - WSL / Kenneth Morris
Current QS Rank: No. 3
Points: 13,310
Climbed: Up 66 spots from No. 69
The hero of Huntington Beach just did himself a huge favor with his emotional win on Sunday. He's been struggling on the CT this year, and at this stage he's one of many CT stars looking to hedge their bets on the QS. His win was a huge help.
Tomas Hermes
Tomas Hermes - WSL / Steve Sherman
Current QS Rank: No. 4
Points: 13,010
Climbed: Up 33 spots from No. 37
The Brazilian battler has been on the cusp of CT qualification twice before. He finished No. 18 on the QS in 2016, and No. 17 in 2014. He's been around long enough to know he's far from the finish line. At 30 years old, he knows the clock is ticking, and it seems to be fueling his fire this year.
Ricardo Christie
Ricardo Christie - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Current QS Rank: No. 9
Points: 10,550
Climbed: Up 17 spots from No. 26
The big man from New Zealand is a former CT surfer who's looking to get back into the big leagues. He ended up No. 31 on the CT in 2015, and was No. 21 the same year on the QS. While he slid all the way down to No. 57 last year he's hungry for another shot.
Patrick Gudauskas
Patrick Gudauskas - WSL / Sean Rowland
Current QS Rank: No. 10
Points: 10,300
Climbed: Up 17 spots from No. 27
Gudauskas is also another former CT competitor who would like to get back onto the center stage. He finished No. 27 on the CT in 2014, while finishing No. 33 on the QS the same season. He's been lurking in the back 20s for the past two seasons, but with his strong finish in Huntington Beach he's on his best pace in years.
Josh Kerr
Josh Kerr - WSL / Steve Sherman
Current QS Rank: 35
Points: 6200
Climbed: Up 217 spots from No. 252
The amazing Australian juggernaut is having a bit of a shocker on this year's CT, which is all the more surprising being 2016 was one of his best year's ever. He's advanced out of only one heat so far on the CT, which is why he's No. 35 on the Jeep Leaderboard. His performance at the Vans US Open, where he finished 5th, gives him hope. He's only surfed two QS events so far, so climbing is still easy. Qualifying, however, could be a nail-biter.
Vans US Open Aftermath: Qualifying Series Climbers
WSL
While the Word Title race will be heating up again later this week in Tahiti, the huge battle for spots on next year's Championship Tour (CT) just took a major turn at the Vans US Open of Surfing - Men's QS. The Huntington Beach event is one of only five QS 10,000 events, the most heavily weighted on the Qualifying Series (QS).
CT surfers who don't finish in the Top 22 on the Jeep Leaderboard at the end of the year lose their coveted seeds unless they "requalify" through the QS. To do that, they must finish in the Top 10 on the QS rankings. QS hopefuls, meanwhile, are hoping to fill those 10 spots themselves, and they were doing a good job of it heading into Huntington Beach. Jordy Smith was the only CT surfer in the Top 10 before the Vans US Open of Surfing.
Jordy, however, is in very little danger of not making the Top 22. On the contrary, he's smack in the World Title race. Kanoa Igarashi, however, is in quite a dangerous situation with his current spot on the Jeep Leaderboard. At No. 29, he's enduring a bit of a sophomore slump. But a bigger concern for Kanoa was that he was ranked No. 69 on the QS, a long way from requalifying...until yesterday.
With the win, Igarashi jumped 66 spots up the QS rankings, to No. 3, putting him right back in the mix. Here's a list of the other big QS movers.
Michael February
Current QS Rank: No. 2
Points: 14,750
Climbed: Up two spots from No. 4
The South African earned 5,200 points for his 5th-place finish. It was a strong backup to his 3rd-place finish at the first QS10,000 event of the year in his home country of South Africa. While he's not a lock for next year's CT, he's certainly bolstered his case.
Kanoa Igarashi
Current QS Rank: No. 3
Points: 13,310
Climbed: Up 66 spots from No. 69
The hero of Huntington Beach just did himself a huge favor with his emotional win on Sunday. He's been struggling on the CT this year, and at this stage he's one of many CT stars looking to hedge their bets on the QS. His win was a huge help.
Tomas Hermes
Current QS Rank: No. 4
Points: 13,010
Climbed: Up 33 spots from No. 37
The Brazilian battler has been on the cusp of CT qualification twice before. He finished No. 18 on the QS in 2016, and No. 17 in 2014. He's been around long enough to know he's far from the finish line. At 30 years old, he knows the clock is ticking, and it seems to be fueling his fire this year.
Ricardo Christie
Current QS Rank: No. 9 Points: 10,550 Climbed: Up 17 spots from No. 26
The big man from New Zealand is a former CT surfer who's looking to get back into the big leagues. He ended up No. 31 on the CT in 2015, and was No. 21 the same year on the QS. While he slid all the way down to No. 57 last year he's hungry for another shot.
Patrick Gudauskas
Current QS Rank: No. 10
Points: 10,300
Climbed: Up 17 spots from No. 27
Gudauskas is also another former CT competitor who would like to get back onto the center stage. He finished No. 27 on the CT in 2014, while finishing No. 33 on the QS the same season. He's been lurking in the back 20s for the past two seasons, but with his strong finish in Huntington Beach he's on his best pace in years.
Josh Kerr
Current QS Rank: 35
Points: 6200
Climbed: Up 217 spots from No. 252
The amazing Australian juggernaut is having a bit of a shocker on this year's CT, which is all the more surprising being 2016 was one of his best year's ever. He's advanced out of only one heat so far on the CT, which is why he's No. 35 on the Jeep Leaderboard. His performance at the Vans US Open, where he finished 5th, gives him hope. He's only surfed two QS events so far, so climbing is still easy. Qualifying, however, could be a nail-biter.
Michael February
The European QS heads to the idyllic Azores archipelago.
Portugal's Frederico Morais captures victory at the QS 6,000 Azores Airlines Pro and breaks into the Top 10 on the Qualifying Series.
The swell filled in for the Azores Airlines Pro and competitors had to put it all on the line to make the Final 16.
Competition resumed in beautiful conditions at the Azores Airlines Pro but was unfortunately cut short by gale-force winds.
The bump in swell came as expected, but the wind came with it and competition was forced to go on hold in the Azores.
Vans US Open of Surfing - Men's QS
Catching the "craziest" wave of his competitive career, Seth Moniz was the star of the day on Saturday at the U.S. Open.
Os norte-americanos festejaram os títulos em casa com Kanoa Igarashi e Sage Erickson.
Get a glimpse of the good stuff that happened during Sunday's championship rounds in Huntington Beach.
The kid who grew up in Huntington Beach takes out the event he's been dreaming of winning his entire life.
Sage Erickson and Kanoa Igarashi triumphed last year at the Vans US Open of Surfing.