France’s Vincent Duvignac earning the day’s highest single-wave score with a 9.13. Image: ASP/MORRIS

With a mix of over-lapping small swell forecast all week, peaky one-to-three foot waves at Huntington Beach Pier saw the start to Round 1 at the Vans US Open of surfing yesterday. With the forecast not looking the best it will come as little surprise that Kelly has pulled out of the event last-minute citing a shoulder injury as cause.

Nevertheless, Euros got off to a strong start at the event with Frenchman Vincent Duvignac, who posted a breakthrough performance at last year’s event with a ninth-place result, continuing to display his connection with Huntington Beach while posting the day’s highest scores.

“It was a tough heat because I know I need a result here to say in the Primes for the rest of the year,” Duvignac said. “I knew it was going to be a hard heat and it’s a relief to get though that one. I’ll go back and watch that heat again to see what mistakes I made. I’m just going to do my best, and a win is the goal for everyone.”

Aritz Aranburu was another whose critical wave selection propelled him to a spot in Round 2. Currently rated 28th on the WCT, the Basque ripper is most likely now looking to re-qualify for next year’s tour via a strong standing on the QS tour.

“I saw Tanner (Gudauskas) surf a smart heat and sometimes the biggest ones are not the best,” Aranburu said. “The medium ones have the best reforms, so I knew which ones were the good ones and I tried to be patient. I think every heat is important to me. I don’t think that the Prime events are easier and I really enjoy competing in both the Primes and the CT. Hopefully I can do well in both.”

As a wildcard, 16-year-old hometown favourite Kanoa Igarashi punctuated a day of world-class surfing with a massive heat victory over 2012 event champion Julian Wilson, Yadin Nicol and Dillon Perillo. Igarashi took to his backhand for the win, smashing the day’s high heat total of 17.66 out of 20 in the process.

“This is probably one of the best heat wins I’ve ever had,” Igarashi said. “Julian beat me last year and I lost first round. I was laughing when I had him in my heat again this year and it feels so good to get the win over him.”

For the LIVE webcast head to: www.usopenofsurfing.com.

VANS US OPEN OF SURFING MEN’S ROUND 1 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.14, Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 13.60, Kai Barger (HAW) 12.53, Glenn Hall (IRL) 12.33
Heat 2: Tim Reyes (USA) 15.14, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 14.40, Dion Atkinson (AUS) 13.16, Cooper Chapman (AUS) 11.70
Heat 3: Mitch Crews (AUS) 15.50, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 14.74, Tomas Woods (AUS) 10.60, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 10.57
Heat 4: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.26, Thiago Camarao (BRA) 13.46, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 13.17, David Do Carmo (BRA) 10.97
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.70, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 14.06, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 14.00, Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 12.44
Heat 6: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 15.10, Joan Duru (FRA) 12.30, Kai Otton (AUS) 12.06, Messias Felix (BRA) 9.86
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 15.34, Willian Cardoso (BRA) 14.20, Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.90, Evan Geiselman (USA) 12.73
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.76, Krystian Kymerson (BRA) 13.83, Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 14.17, Dylan Graves (PRI) 11.83
Heat 9: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 16.00, Keanu Asing (HAW) 15.67, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.00, Heitor Alves (BRA) 11.30
Heat 10: Charles Martin (GLP) 10.73, Adam Melling (AUS) 9.90, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 8.40, Marlon Lipke (PRT) 5.50
Heat 11: Perth Standlick (AUS) 14.30, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.57, Marco Fernandez (BRA) 13.03, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 10.57
Heat 12: Gavin Gillette (HAW) 12.53, Bino Lopes (BRA) 12.36, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 12.27, Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.93
Heat 13: Cory Arrambide (USA) 14.87, Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 14.77, Nat Young (USA) 13.54, Dusty Payne (USA) 12.64
Heat 14: Matt Banting (AUS) 15.33, Michael Dunphy (USA) 12.17, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 11.07, Dale Staples (ZAF) 7.30
Heat 15: Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 13.60, Dane Reynolds (USA) 12.77, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.43, Conner Coffin (USA) 9.17
Heat 16: Carlos Munoz (CRI) 14.17, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.86, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 8.40, Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 7.57
Heat 17: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 17.66, Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.94, Dillon Perillo (USA) 12.53, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 11.80
Heat 18: Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.63, Granger Larsen (HAW) 11.37, Jean Da Silva (BRA) 10.33, Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.24