US Open of Surfing Legend Makes Candid Admission on Facing Former Rivals’ Kids at 41

On Saturday morning, Huntington Beach was buzzing with excitement as high-flying motocross riders put on a show just before the surfers hit the waves. While that might sound like an odd combination for the sports, fans all over the United States had gathered to watch some surfing action at the US Open of Surfing. Among the competitors was defending champion Taylor Jensen.

Last year, the 41-year-old surfing icon beat the first Filipino to make it to the event, Rogelio ‘JR’ Esquievel. “I love Huntington; this place is like a second home to me,” Jensen told the Orange County Register. “I’ve done so many events over the years,” said the surfer who has won the title four times (2011, 2012, 2017, and 2024). So imagine the surprise when the veteran saw the name of his rival’s kid on the competitors’ list.

Among the many surfers competing for the US Open of Surfing’s longboard title was San Clemente’s Kai McPhillips. The young surfer is relatively new to longboarding, as he grew up competing on the shortboard. His inspiration was none other than the former two-time Surfing’s US Open champ Colin McPhillips. Naturally, Jensen was “tripping out” after finding his former rival’s son on the heats draw.

“I’ve reached the age where I’m competing against my competitor’s kids,” the 2024 champion told The Orange County Register. “That’s pretty gnarly. Me and Colin fought for world titles,” said the 2024 World Longboarding Champion. In fact, the last time Jensen lost the US Open of Surfing title against Kai McPhillips’ father was way back in 2007.

“Colin going out and posting two 8’s in a row got under my skin. Then the nine just shut the door in my face,” Taylor Jensen told the publication back after his 2007 loss. Now, Kai McPhillips wants to extend his father’s legacy in longboard surfing. While he did have a valiant showing, it was the 41-year-old who made it to the final.

The US Open of Surfing has a new champion

“A lot of it is luck. I’m just having fun, honestly,” the 41-year-old had said after winning the title last year. Unfortunately, this year’s luck was not on Jensen’s side. Although he made it past the heats, his finals’ performance fell short of challenger Kai Ellice-Flint. Although the tsunami warning has endangered the rest of the event, the waves didn’t cooperate on July 29.

However, despite the 2-feet waves, the Hawaii native’s excellent footwork earned him 6.33 and 7.50 for a total of 13.83 after two rounds. Although Taylor Jensen kept things competitive (scoring 6.83 and 5.23, earning 12.06), his third wave failed to materialize, sealing the veteran surfer’s fate as the 2025 US Open of Surfing’s runner-up.

However, the loss has also set up a potential seasonal rivalry between the duo. They could go head-to-head in multiple upcoming contests, including events in Victoria, Australia, and Abu Dhabi. And there’s good reason to believe that the former champion will be surfing for the rest of the season. Despite now facing his old competitors’ children, Jensen is not backing down.

“You don’t want to give up, I’m living the dream — traveling the world, surfing with my family and friends,” the world champion said when asked about the possibility of retiring any time soon. So who knows, maybe this is the first of many clashes against Kai McPhillips.