Reminder: The Challenger Series Is Challenging

You can read our Premium US Open event wrap here.

“It’s fucking tough,” says longtime Challenger Series coach Matt Myers. “The CS is so wide open.

“As a coach, this is my fourth year doing the CS. So far, I’ve had insane results. I had Houshmand last year and Rio the year before. This year with Nolan Rapoza, Alyssa Spencer, Nat Young, and Sanoa Dempfe Olin, it’s a bit more of a challenge, kind of more emotional. I gotta be a little more therapeutic, be on more of an emotional ride with the surfers. 

“I mean, it’s crazy, you saw Al Cleland, he’d only made one heat this year before this. Then he won an event. Mikey McDonagh won Snapper and he’s only made one heat since then. Jordy Lawler won Narrabeen and he hasn’t even made any heats since. That’s how hard the Challenger is. It’s anyone’s game.”

Above, Episode 04 of Matts Wet Shoulder League is live, recorded during last weeks annual SoCal circus on the sand — the US Open.

“The US Open is so strange, creatures and characters and everything in between,” says Matt. “And, for some reason, it feels like it actually carries a lot more weight than the other events. You can just feel it. It’s just the history of it. The surfers treat it really seriously. I feel like they get more nervous or something.”

“I remember Jadson saying that the US Open was one of his dream events to win. There’s something about it, I guess. Maybe because of the history from Curren and Andy and Kelly.”

You can read our Premium US Open event wrap here.