What to watch, how to survive the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach

The concrete in the skate bowl has dried, the city on the sand is nearly complete, and a hurricane might bring better-than-decent waves to the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing.

The action sports event, which kicks off on July 29, annually draws some of the world’s best surfers, skaters and BMX competitors, along with tens of thousands of fans and festival-goers, for a nine-day stint on the south side of the Huntington Beach pier.

Navigating the U.S. Open of Surfing can be a task, overwhelming for newcomers – and changing enough from year to year that even veteran fans can use a cheat sheet.

Here’s some info to help you enjoy this year’s event:

Hurricane surf

This year’s U.S. Open could start with some epic — or at least very decent — waves. Huntington Beach surf forecasting company Surfline.com expects a 3 to 5 foot swell for Saturday, growing up to 8 foot by Sunday, much of it courtesy of Hurricane Hilary.

Here’s the word-by-word description of the model from Surfline forecaster Kevin Wallis:

“Head high to overhead surf is a strong possibility on the south side (of the pier) by Sun-Mon and there is potential for larger surf, dependent on how Hilary behaves later this week. As the swell from Hilary winds down early next week, we’ll see a new south swell build from a South Pacific storm currently off of Chile. This should keep the surf strong, with more overhead waves at the pier.

“At this point it looks like this swell will slowly fade into the finals weekend, but even the last two days of the event could see fun, rippable surf in the chest-head high range.”

Skate and BMX

Despite the name, the U.S. Open of Surfing isn’t just about watching competitors in the water.

Skate and BMX fans will have plenty to watch on the sand, with some of the world’s best athletes showcasing their skills for the Vans Park Series and the inaugural Vans BMX Pro Cup World Championships.

The 2017 Vans Park Series Pro Tour is the premiere series for professional park terrain skateboarders. The series consists of five men’s global qualifiers and one women’s global qualifier spanning five countries over six months and culminating with the official Vans Park Series World Championships in Shanghai, China.

Known for its combination of speed, style, flow, amplitude and creativity, park terrain is the fastest growing discipline in competitive skateboarding. Competitors are battling for a total prize purse of more than $500,000 during the entire world tour series.

Navigating the festival

The festival behind the surf bleachers can be a task to navigate. Beyond the water’s edge, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

Want to win some free swag? You can do that by playing games in the Van Doren Village. Last year, there were even a few old-school arcade games set up for people wanting a taste of nostalgia.

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If you want to explore your artistic side, organizers have plenty of workshop areas where you can color shoes or hats. Last year, festival goers could get free guitar lessons or make slow-mo videos of themselves.

Want an autograph? Signings happen at booths and local surf shops throughout the week.

Sponsor booths also will have products and demonstrations set around the sand. In past years, there’s been everything from an Army pull-up challenge, to a gym with competitive workouts set up on the sand, to demonstrations of virtual reality technology.

There’s also some kid-friendly entertainment; “Moana” will play on a big screen at 7 p.m. on July 30, followed by “E.T.” a night later. Both come with free popco and gelato.

Where, what to eat

There’s no shortage of epic grub. Here are our suggestions for where you can grab a bite near the event.

Bear Flag Fish Co.: At this surfer favorite, fresh fish is served up alongside rice and veggies.

Pie Not : If you’ve ever surfed Down Under, you know the Australians are on to something with their meat pies. Pie Not tests that theory here.

Lemonade: Salads, sandwiches and, of course, a certain lemon-flavored beverage — all in buffet style.

Session West Coast Deli: Breakfast is fine and the sandwiches pay homage to action-sports culture. A favorite (especially on a hot day on the beach) is the Summer Zephyr — a cool mix of mozzarella, tomato and arugula.

Sugar Shack: Old school breakfast, lunch run by locals (the Tuer family) who’ve been part of the Huntington Beach surf scene for decades. You’ll most definitely come across a celebrity surfer sighting here.

Sandy’s Beach Shack: The roof is open, the view of the boardwalk and volleyball players is good and the island bar remains a strong spot for people watching. The menu runs from fish tacos to ahi tiki salad.

Bonus food tip: If you don’t want to leave the festival, line up for a free hot dog served up by Vans’ leader Steve Van Doren each day at about noon.

Parking, shuttles, etc.

Parking can be stressful.

Even with big parking lots dotting downtown Huntington Beach, you could end up frustrated as you compete with thousands of other people battling for a spot. And be waed, some of the parking structures beef up rates during the high-demand days.

To dodge all of this, you might try a shuttle: Visit Huntington Beach has re-launched its Surf City USA shuttle program, with a special route for the weekends (July 29 — 30 and Aug. 5-6) during the U.S. Open of Surfing.

If you want to explore more than just downtown, there’s a new city loop that includes 13 stops throughout the city.

But if you want to park near the event, know that spots on the beach side of the Pacific Coast Highway will be scarce, with any vacancies gobbled up by early-moing surfers, fans and event workers.

The Main Promenade Parking Structure at Main Street between Walnut and Olive streets has about 830 spaces. Rates vary, but know that the maximum daily rate for the U.S. Open event is $20. The Strand Parking Structure off Fifth street also has a $20 max, with the first two hours or less $2, and $3 every 20 minutes after. The Pierside Pavilion parking garage off Walnut near Main Street has complimentary valet service on weekends, but the rate for U,S. Open weekends spikes up to $35 all day.

Watch the events live or find more info at usopenofsurfing.com

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