Reader Report: Thurston Surf Team starts strong

The Thurston Surf Team started off its Scholastic Surf Series season with a bang, taking second place.

After finishing third in the state last year and adding a fresh crop of new and returning surfers, expectations were high, but the team more than lived up to them.

The team posted one of its best combined scores to date and finished second to the Shore Cliffs surf team, which is made up of many of the best surfers in the state.

The surf series is a team event where each school’s surfers earn points based on how far they advance. The scores for each surfer are added up for a contest total for each school. The team includes two groups, Division 1 and Division.

Each team is made up of boys and girls short boarders, boys and girls long boarders, and body boarders. The contestants run through a series of single elimination heats, with the top three surfers advancing toward a final of six surfers.

Last weekend’s contest took place at the Church surf break in San Onofre State Park under great conditions, 4- to 6-foot surf that started glassy and finished with some south wind chop. Despite the deteriorating conditions, Thurston’s team continued to post solid results. This is the first of five contests that will be held throughout the year, leading to a state championship contest in May.

Many of Laguna’s surfers made it to the finals of their respective divisions.

CHAD NELSEN has a son on the Thurston Surf Team.