Reo Inaba at the Hamamatsu Open Reo Inaba at the Hamamatsu Open - WSL / Y Kanai

Under rising heat and growing excitement along the Hamamatsu shoreline, Day 2 of the Hamamatsu Open saw a flurry of action. The women's QS 2000 progressed swiftly through Round of 24 and Round of 16, while the men's QS 2000 saw the completion of the Round of 64. From this round, seeded male surfers entered the fray. In Heat 3, Reo Inaba (JPN) - who placed fifth at the Paris Olympics, made his long-awaited appearance. Demonstrating his world-class form, Inaba secured second place and advanced to the Round of 32.

Jushin Osakabe at the Hamamatsu Open Jushin Osakabe at the Hamamatsu Open - WSL / Y Kanai

Local talent also made a strong impression. Hamamatsu natives Jushin Osakabe (JPN) (Heat 9) and Katsuto Takeuchi (JPN) (Heat 15) both claimed second place finishes, drawing loud cheers from their hometown supporters. Established names such as Joh Azuchi (JPN), Shohei Kato (JPN), and Jin Suzuki (JPN) also delivered solid performances to safely move on to the next round.

Kokoro Baba at the Hamamatsu Open Kokoro Baba at the Hamamatsu Open - WSL / Y Kanai

On the women's side, competition began with a standout performance. In Heat 1 of the Round of 16, Kokoro Baba (JPN) delivered a powerful ride scoring 7.17, the highest single-wave score of the day across both divisions. She advanced to the Quarterfinals in first place, ahead of Challenger Series competitor Mirai Ikeda (JPN). Familiar faces on the WSL circuit, including Sara Wakita (JPN) and Minami Nonaka (JPN), also advanced with confident displays.

Meanwhile, both the men's and women's LQS divisions had a day off, waiting calmly for their next set. Day 3 of the Hamamatsu Open is scheduled for Thursday, May 23, with the first call at 7:30 AM. All divisions in both the QS and LQS remain on standby.

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