While on a family holiday in LA a few weeks ago, I decided to check out a surf spot and place I’d always had a yearning to visit, the infamouse, Huntington Beach. Unbeknown to myself, I was about to stumble upon one of the most up and coming exciting contests in the world, The US Surf Open.

I arrived to be greeted by a buzzing atmosphere similar to that of a music festival, combined with the thrill of being in the presence of some of the most influential female and male surfers in the world. Many things of the Open where encapsulating, aside from the contest, there was incredible skating in the bowls and parks around the site, the bands playing (TV on the Radio where amazing!), the scorching sun, the tastiest American food, the enthusasim and vibrance from the crowds of onlookers, and the individuals who provided endless entertainment when the surf was off, never shy of a marker pen or tiny bikini/speedos!

So yeah, I was very lucky to have chosen to visit Huntington Beach on a day it was taken over by thousands of surf enthusiasts. Even luckier that I had my camera and was able to document it all!

The US Surf Open was like a combination of Reading Festival/Boardmasters/ASP World Tour, and was an amazing experience as an English festival/surf devotee, as well as photographer, I couldn’t have hoped for a better event to shoot.

Such a cool contest and even cooler to have discovered by accident while on a trip to the beach!