Update on the way…
Location: Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
Event Window: January 18 – 28
Rating: Men’s Qualifying Series QS1,000
Today’s Conditions: Building 3 – 4ft+ NW swell, very clean offshore winds
Who’s Surfing: Round 1 Heats 1 – 8, and Round 2 Heats 1 – 12 (full heat draw here)
Aloha!
Competition is ON today, Tuesday January 22, at the Sunset Open (Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii), the opening event of the World Surf League (WSL) Hawaii/Tahiti Nui 2019 regional calendar.
Today is the first of three ON days; competition will start at 8:00 AM Hawaii Standard Time (HST) with Round 1 (Round of 112) Heat 1, and will run through Heat 12 of Round 2 (Round of 96), concluding by 4:30pm HST at Sunset Beach.
Athletes to watch during today’s action include perennial big-wave, Sunset standout Ian Walsh (HAW) — who finished third here last year — and 2015 Big Wave World Champion Makua Rothman (HAW).
WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Tour Manager Marty Thomas says: “We’ve got a building, long-period new northwest swell today; looking at clean wave faces up to four feet this morning that should hit double overhead by the evening. By running today, we’re lining up to take advantage of some solid surf and favorable winds over the next few days.”
Today’s schedule also includes many young up-and-comers, including 16-year-old Roi Kanazawa (JPN), who won the Sunset Pro Junior division just last Saturday, and fellow Sunset Pro Junior finalists Levi Young (HAW) and Eli Hanneman (HAW).
An official press release with high-res images will be distributed later today once the competition has ended. Please reach out for any specific requests; anyone wishing to cover the event must first complete the WSL Media Credential Request Form.
The Sunset Open is presented by the Hawaii Youth Surfing Development Organization (HYSDO), a 501c3 nonprofit providing greater opportunities for local youth in and around surfing. Live scores and results will be available at worldsurfleague.com, and on the free WSL app. After today, the event will need two more days of competition to crown a champion within the January 18 – 28 holding period.
Community partners, including the WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui regional office, are currently undertaking long-term erosion mitigation efforts at Sunset Beach. The public is encouraged to be mindful of limited parking, carpool or choose public transportation where possible, and use designated beach access points when on-site to protect the new sand dunes.
Robin Erb
Operations Manager, WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui
