Ohhara
and Defay Win it All
Written
by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
With a come from behind charge in the last four minutes, 18-year-old
Japanese surfer Hiroto Ohhara took
the lead in the 2015 Vans U.S. Open of
Surfing to become the first Japanese Open Champion.
Ohhara’s win stunned the surfing community since he was
the last competitor to be included in the men’s field. Overwhelmed as he
claimed the winner’s $100,000 prize, Ohhara said, “I’ve learned everything
here.”
Frenchwoman Johanne
Defay staged an upset win, as well, over Sally Fitzgibbons, winner of the
Fiji Pro. This was Defay’s first championship final and the 21-year-old was
overjoyed by the win.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Defay has shown that she’s
definitely a force to contend with on the women’s surf tour. “I guess it’s all
the work I’ve done and it’s all come together,” Defay said, still trying to
absorb the win.
Host Vans and Huntington Beach were winners, too,
with all the good will and revenues the event generated.
This year’s U.S. Open of Surfing was filled with
surprises. But, it was no surprise that it would be a week to remember and an
epic stop on the world surfing tour.
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Sunny
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