Professional surfers hit the waves on Thursday morning during the kick-off of the World Surf League's (WSL) SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay Qualifying Series (QS) 1000—a contest for the best male and female surfers in the North American region.
Competitors were vying for victory in the Men's Round of 104 and Round of 96, which will advance them to the upcoming Round of 64.
Eventually, all-around winners will compete in the QS 1000 finals in Morro Bay.
The action started at 8 a.m., with officials reporting three to five-foot clean wave conditions to begin the series.
"Today was actually supposed to be the worst of the four days. So I think it's just going to get better all weekend. There's a new swell coming in later today or tonight, and it's just going to get better in the conditions [...] over the weekend," Andy McKay, the associate director for local non-profit and organizer Surfing for Hope, told KSBY.
The women's competition was called off on Thursday, according to WSL.
Surfers at the local competition hailed from near and far.
Braden Jones, a Pismo Beach native, was one of the contenders in the Round of 96. He competed with male surfers from the U.S., Peru, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, and Italy.
Ultimately, surfers hope to land a place in the WSL's Championship Tour in 2025, which hosts some of the best people in the sport.
"It's a really unique event, not just for our area— which needs this kind of event in the off season [because] it really helps businesses— but these surfers are really fun to watch. They're super talented and they're trying to make a career out of it, and they're some of the best surfers in the world," McKay said.
The SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay QS 1000 is set to last through Dec. 8.
Community members can watch it live on WSL's website.
