Stoked for life

Veronica Duran

WEST NEWPORT -- The youngest surfer was 6. The oldest was 24. But all 48

who rode the waves in West Newport Thursday had one goal in mind:

winning.

But that wasn’t all. As open division finalist Zach Keenan, 23, said,

these events are about more than winning.

“They get the gromms [young surfers] stoked.”

Indeed.

Surfers grabbed their boards as parents, friends and passersby watched

the competition -- the end of a six-week surf series sponsored by Volcom

Youth Liberation, a clothing company that caters to surfers,

skateboarders and snowboarders.

As the waves rippled through the water, the surfers focused on riding

their way to the top -- remembering to have fun while they were doing

something they love.

The free annual event attracts many to the beach, despite the early hour,

said Brad Dougherty, who coordinated the event for Volcom.

“We do this promotion to give the kids something to do over the summer,”

he said. “We’ve had a full contest every time -- kids line up at 6:15 in

the morning.”

The main draw of the competition was the open division, which included

both professionals and amateurs. For competitors 15 and younger, there

was the grommet division, where they had a surf-off, with judges

selecting the highest-placing 15-or-younger surfer as the winner.

Finalists in the open division were Peter Rangel; 24, Adam Popp, 19; Mike

Kline, 16; Josh Hoyer, 22; Chris McLauglin, 22; and Keenan.

As judges rounded up the points for the 20-minute finals, they watched

for the surfer who got the largest wave in his heat.

The competition came to a halt at noon, with Hoyer in first place, Keenan

second, Rangel third, McLaughlin fourth, Popp in fifth and Kline sixth.

Hoyer also took first in the air show and Travis Mellum, 14, took first

in the top gromms. Jimmy Williams, 13, came in second.

For Keenan, surfing is more than fun, friends and winning. It’s his life.

“Surfing itself keeps me happy,” said Keenan, who is sponsored by Volcom.

“I’ve been surfing for 12 years, five years professionally. These events

are fun.”

McLauglin, who has surfed both professionally and as an amateur for eight

years, said surfing allows him to release stress and clear his mind.

“Some people play guitar, some people write, I surf. (When you are out

there), you don’t focus on the things you have to do, you focus more on

having fun.”

The most challenging part of competitive surfing, he said, is trying to

catch the largest wave.

“You have to connect from the outside all the way to the beach,”

McLauglin said.

After trying to win all summer, Hoyer said he was satisfied with his

effort in coming out with a victory.

“It felt good, and I got a new board,” he said of the surfboard that he

won. “That made all the difference.”