The Top U18 Surfers in U.S. Take on Lowers for Toyota USA Surfing Championship - Olympic Edition

San Onofre State Beach, Calif. (June 19, 2021) - More than 250 of the best under 18 surfers from the East and West Coasts and Hawaii will take to world-renowned Lower Trestles to compete in the Toyota USA Surfing Championship presented by Got Milk? The elite competition will determine national champions and a chance to make USA Surfing’s national teams and compete internationally. 
 
The Championship event is the culmination of the qualifying USA Surfing Prime Series events held on the East and West Coasts, which was created to help bridge the gap between amateur and pro competitions. The surfers’ performances in the Toyota USA Surfing Championship provide a preview of surfers who could represent the United States in future Olympic Games, on the WSL Championship Tour. The schedule and heat draws can be found here. 
 
Team USA Olympic surfers Caroline Marks and Kolohe Andino got their start in USA Surfing’s Prime Series and Championship events, as did many Olympic surfers from other nations and professional surfers on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour.
 
According to Surfline, a strong run of South South West swell will peak early next week and hopefully hold and build again for finals day. Surfline will develop a forecast for Championship Lowers surfers on Monday. 
 
The first heat gets underway at 8:00 am Monday, June 21st with competition running through Friday, June 25th. The finals will start at 1:20 pm on Friday, with awards at 4:40 pm.  Surf fans can follow the action on STACTAPP. The webcast for semifinals and finals days (24th and 25th) will be found at usasurfing.org. 
 
“To surf epic Lowers with only three others in the lineup with a Toyota jersey on is a surfer’s dream and powerful opportunity for our junior surfers to take their surfing to the next level,” said USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse. 
 
USA Surfing Championship at Lowers features world-class judges (including Tory Gilkerson, judge for surfing’s first Olympic Games), instant replay, electronic scoring, and priority - surfing’s protocol for who has right a way to take a wave.
 
This year takes on extra significance, as surfing makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo next month. “Our up-and-coming surfers now have a new big goal to work towards – competing on the world’s largest sporting stage, the Olympic Games,” said COO Andrea Swayne. “We are stoked to support the next generation of American talent, as they continue to progress.”
 
In addition, Lowers is the World Surf League’s season finale surf off to crown a world champion woman and man. Two-time world champion John John Florence called Lowers a surfer’s skatepark with launch ramps and clean wave faces that are perfect for radical carves, blowtails and airs. 
 
​Thank you to our sponsors Toyota, Sun Bum, GoGoSqueeZ BlastZ, Carver Skateboards, Got Milk?, Hot Shoppe Designs, Hydro Flask, Blue Diamond Almonds, Jacuzzi, Rise Brewing Company, Oakley, DSC Performance, DJO Global, Oura Ring, Vessel Health, Murf Electric Bikes, American Optometric Association and AirBnB
 
Media contact: becky (at) usasurfing (dot) com