The largest surfing event in the world has returned to the shores of Huntington Beach, California, after its cancellation in 2020. The reactivation of the 2021 U.S Open of Surfing Huntington Beach is being held from September 20th–26th. As a major stop on the World Surf League’s (WSL) worldwide tour, 96 men and 64 female professional surfers compete for a first-place cash prize of $20,000 for both male and female divisions. The contest, formerly known for drawing upwards of 500,000 people, is divided into 5 stages of rounds surfed between four surfers per heat until reaching the sixth state of the final round this Sunday, where surfers are judged by their two highest-ranking waves, ranging from one to ten points during their heat’s 30-minute interval. Tuesday morning’s surf conditions ranged into the 1–4-foot range with light winds, but the lack of power on the peaking waves created a challenge for …