US Open: Sierra Kerr, Jake Marshall win first titles at Huntington Beach
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 3, 2026
Sierra Kerr comeback
Australian surfer Sierra Kerr won her first US Open of Surfing title at Huntington Beach, and the result carried the weight of a comeback. Kerr beat fellow Australian Isla Huppatz in the women’s final to secure a breakthrough that was described as emotional after she battled Lyme disease. The victory gave her a first US Open crown at a venue that demanded adaptation all week and rewarded surfers who adjusted quickly as the conditions changed. Kerr splits her time between the Gold Coast and Encinitas, and she left Huntington Beach with a result that matched the scale of the effort behind her return.
The final day of the event brought a different test from the one that opened the week. Bigger surf had set the tone earlier, but Kerr handled a smaller, softer finish that still required clean timing and sharp decision-making. The closing rounds played out in conditions that moved the focus toward aerial surfing, which put a premium on speed, commitment and control. Kerr delivered when the event narrowed to its biggest stage, and her win added a personal milestone to a week that already reflected strong hurricane swell and favorable summer conditions.
Jake Marshall breakthrough
Jake Marshall of Encinitas won his first US Open of Surfing title at Huntington Beach after beating hometown favorite Kanoa Igarashi in the men’s final. Marshall called the victory a dream come true, and the result capped a difficult competitive year in which he needed Challenger Series points to stay in contention for the World Tour. The win gave him more than a trophy. It pushed him into the Challenger Series lead and earned him 10,000 extra points, a major boost at a stage of the season where every result can shift the path ahead.
Marshall finished the event with the kind of performance that carries real weight in the standings and in the locker room. He had to manage the pressure of facing a surfer with the home crowd behind him, then close the door in the final when the title was on the line. Huntington Beach provided that kind of test all week, and Marshall answered it with his first US Open title. The result landed as a turning point after a season built around survival, points and the chase to remain in the World Tour picture.
Huntington Beach surf
Huntington Beach shaped both finals with a final day that featured smaller 3- to 5-foot waves. That softer surf changed the look of the competition after much larger waves earlier in the week, and it shifted the contest toward aerial surfing. The event had already benefited from a week of strong hurricane swell and favorable summer conditions, so the closing day did not erase the power that came before it. It changed the way the titles were decided.
That contrast mattered across both brackets. The earlier stretch offered fuller surf and a heavier test, then the final day asked surfers to adjust to a lighter canvas and make the most of the opportunities it created. Kerr and Marshall both handled that shift and finished with first US Open titles. The event closed with two new champions, one emotional comeback and one career-changing breakthrough, all set against the changing conditions at Huntington Beach.
