2026 US Open of Surfing: Marshall and Kerr Break Through in Huntington Beach

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The 2026 Lexus US Open of Surfing came to a dramatic close under the mid-afternoon sun Sunday, with Jake Marshall and Sierra Kerr securing their first US Open titles in a pair of hard-fought finals.

In the men’s final, Encinitas native Marshall remained composed as Huntington Beach local and two-time event champion Kanoa Igarashi made one final push. Igarashi needed a 7.38 on his last ride but fell short, allowing Marshall’s earlier eight-point ride to stand as the decisive score.

The victory marked the biggest win of Marshall’s professional career and moved him to the top of the men’s World Surf League Challenger Series standings.

The women’s final featured 19-year-old Australian Sierra Kerr against fellow Australian Isla Huppatz in a rematch of the World Junior Championship final held earlier this year. Huppatz won their previous meeting, but Kerr reversed the result in Huntington Beach, posting a late score to secure her first US Open title.

Kerr’s victory carried additional significance after health issues, including Lyme disease, disrupted much of her previous competitive season. The win moved her to No. 1 in the women’s Challenger Series standings.

The 2026 event also marked my 16th year photographing the US Open of Surfing. Even after more than a decade and a half of covering it, the event has not lost its pull. Walking onto the sand with a camera in hand still brings the same anticipation and sense of awe I felt when I first began documenting this iconic California sporting event. The athletes evolve, the conditions shift and every year writes a new story in the surf. For me, however, the excitement of capturing it all remains unchanged.

=========

Here are some photos from the morning session: