Omaezaki Pro Opens With Big Scores and a Local Debut

The fifth whitebuffalo OMAEZAKI PRO opened October 28 at Omaezaki Long Beach in Shizuoka, bringing more than 180 surfers to Japan for a QS 2000 and Pro Junior competition. Day one featured shifting conditions, a standout score from Ryohei Nishino and a meaningful first contest appearance for local high schooler Eiru Watanabe.

Tide and wind shaped the opening rounds

Surfers faced stomach-high sets and persistent west winds. The changing tide influenced where competitors could find scoring opportunities: low water weakened waves farther offshore, while the incoming tide produced more powerful inside sections near shore. Choosing the right wave and adjusting to the conditions were central to building scores.

Ryohei Nishino earned the day’s top single-wave score, a 7.17. He delivered this after catching a clean opportunity with less than a minute remaining, linking three strong lip maneuvers without needing to trim down the wave. Men’s QS 2000 opening rounds and the Men’s Pro Junior Round of 56 got underway.

Watanabe’s first heat adds a Local highlight

Local surfer Eiru Watanabe made his official competition debut in the Pro Junior division. He had spent the previous four editions helping behind the scenes, and said the visiting professionals helped inspire him to enter the lineup. His debut reflects the event’s theme, “Waves Connect Us, Creating the Future,” and its emphasis on bringing local and regional surfers together.

Ranking stakes draw a deep Regional field

The event’s fifth edition has attracted more than 180 competitors from across Asia. QS 2000 results offer valuable regional ranking points and factor into the race for Challenger Series qualification. The Pro Junior is also a pathway for emerging surfers seeking qualification for the WSL World Junior Championships in Surf City El Salvador next month.

Last year’s winners are back: Minami Nonaka and Kei Kobayashi in the QS 2000, and Sumomo Sato and Riki Sato in the Pro Junior. The field also includes Japan’s rankings leader Kana Nakashio, Asian Games champion Mirai Ikeda, Olympians Reo Inaba and Shino Matsuda, Indonesian Challenger Series surfer Dylan Wilcoxen, and Korean QS contender Kanoa Hee-Jae.

With competition scheduled through November 1, the opening-day results set the stage for several days of racing for points, progression and regional standing.