The Wallex US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico got off to a roaring start in Huntington Beach on Saturday, July 29, bringing big beach crowds to soak in the scene.

In the water, surfers battled it out on opening day in front of fans who laid out towels and beach chairs to watch the show. Others meandered through the festival area, checking out the sponsor booths and lining up to win free gear.

Competitors kicked off the action early in the morning for the first heats of the nine-day event. Long Beach surfer Nolan Rapoza, who grew up surfing Huntington Beach, took first place in his heat with a score of 12.10 (out of 20) to move to the next round.

“Every competitor in that heat was really good. Any of us could have won that heat,” he said. “Competing at home is definitely nerve-wracking, the family showed up to watch me so I didn’t want to disappoint. But I’m extremely excited to make that heat.”

The US Open of Surfing is the premiere event in California for up-and-coming surfers like Rapoza, a contest he grew up watching every time it came to town.

Waves showed up for the first day, the best swell in months, he said.

“There’s definitely waves out there, hopefully it stays that way for the rest of the contest,” he said.

Another big draw this year was the high-flying daredevil action of freestyle motocross riders launching into the air as part of a Nitro Circus exhibition, Full Throttle FMX. Crowds let out cheers, with phones out recording the action, as the riders did flips and tricks high in the sky with the ocean as the backdrop.

Nitro Circus, headquartered in Costa Mesa, is kicking off a 20th anniversary tour Oct. 28 in Anaheim and the US Open appearance is just a taste of what fans can expect later in the year, said Ricky Melnik, general manager of Nitro Circus.

“This is our backyard,” he said.

Eight riders will be showcasing their skills during the next two exhibitions, Sunday, July 30, and Aug. 5, including Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Axell Hodges, Patrick Evans, Jarryd McNeil, Beau Bamburg, Keith Sayers and Brian McCarty and female rider Vicki Golden.

Just like the surfers, the moto riders have different moves, or “whips,” they are known for doing on the jumps. The riders are just coming off the X Games, held recently in Ventura.

“Introducing it to a whole new crowd is amazing,” Melnik said of the crowd that gathered in Huntington Beach.

The moto freestyle riders launched from a 75-foot-long ramp, hurling their bikes and bodies over a school bus to the cheers of the crowds.

The show was the reason Angie Mora, of Corona, made the trek down to Surf City. She’s a regular at the shows and races typically held inland.

“It’s definitely attracting a different crowd, like me,” she said. “I usually go to Supercross and stuff like that, so this is right up my alley. I’m just excited to see how big it gets. If it sticks, do they keep it?”

Christopher Kasurto, 12, patiently waited for a photo op and was able to nab a shot with Hodges. His family came from Redlands to spend his sister Giuliana’s 10th birthday at the event.

“It’s cool, the kids love it,” said his father Chris Kasurto. “This is cool to come out to see it live here and give inspiration to future moto-crossers. The tricks they do are crazy.”

Hodges, of Encinitas, said performing on the beach is “unreal.”

“Performing in the summer, it’s super hot so this is probably the best location you can ride in California right now,” he said, with the water just steps away. “The ocean view is nice. The best part is the breeze.”

Longboard surfers took to the water in the afternoon, the first stop of the WSL’s World Longboard Tour, bringing an old-school style of surfing to the event.

“This is a lot of fun. It’s the first time really sitting and enjoying, it’s been great,” said Darren Reilly, who was hanging out with his family on the sand watching the longboard action. “We were here last year, it looked a little bigger. But this has been fun.”

San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto spent the day, his 25th birthday, signing autographs for fans who lined up to meet the surfer who will be competing for a world championship down at Lower Trestles for the World Surf League’s Final 5 in September and was recently been named a member of Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Around the festival area, crowds filled in through the day despite cool, overcast skies, lining up at booths to play games for free swag, checking out products and buying gear from retailers on the sand. Food trucks were lined up for beachgoers to grab grub.

It has been a few years since San Pedro resident Sammy Razevich has been to the event. This year, he brought his 14-year-old daughter, Kalia. It seemed mellower than past years, he said, but he liked the set up and hopes there will be more vendors later in the week.

“But so far, I like it,” he said. “It’s a cool set up.”

Sheryl Uribe, 46, was in from Chino Hills to check the US Open off her bucket list, she said.

Uribe waited in a long line to toss balls into empty Cup Noodle containers, a game set up to win lip balms and other free swag from the company, which is open of many sponsors. But to get a prize, she had to get all three balls in and walked away empty handed.

Already, she got a free organic juice and a drink Koozie from the 805 Beer booth.

“I think it’s relaxing and nice and has good energy,” she said of this year’s event. “We were admiring the waves, they look so perfect.”

Roberto “Chuy” Madrigal, who is being inducted as “local hero” into the Surfing Walk of Fame on Thursday, Aug. 3, said he misses the free hot dogs, hamburgers and skate presence Vans had on the sand the past decade.

Madrigal helped create the US Open back in 1994 and has seen many changes over the years.

“It went from a giant thing to a more mellow event, which is OK,” he said while looking out at the festival area as crowds filled in.

But one thing that never changes?

“We always have surf.”