Ward finishes second in Men’s event

Shaun Ward’s bid to win the Men’s Division event on the opening day

of the 2000 Southwest Conference Explorer season came up short Thursday

as La Jolla’s Ian Rotgans took the competition at Salt Creek in Dana

Point.

Ward, a Huntington Beach resident, won his opening heat, finished

second to Mike Lamm in a quarterfinal heat, and was second to Max Hoshino

in the second of two semifinal heats.

Ward was the highest finisher among Huntington Beach surfers in a

five-star rated competition that featured 1-2 foot mushy peaks.

In the Masters Division (ages 25-34), Huntington’s Darren Brilhart

placed third behind winner Aaron Checkwood of Oceanside and second place

Greg Browning of Redondo Beach. A pair of Surf City athletes, Liz Kampen

and Alison Arvizu, placed fourth and sixth, respectively in a Womens

Division (open) that was won by Oceanside’s Amber Phua.

The Seniors (35-44) competition, won by Oxnard’s Mike Lamm, saw

Huntington’s Peter Townend place fifth and Chas Wickwire of Seal Beach

finish fourth.

Two other Huntington surfers placed among the top five in their

respective divisions as Nicholas Kabiri was third overall in the

Bodyboard Division (open) and Dodger Kremel was fourth in the Longboard

Division (open).

Other division winners included Todd Glaser (San Diego) in Bodyboard,

Mike Gillard (Imperial Beach) in Longboard, Pat Schlick (La Mirada) in

Super Seniors (45 and up), Alex Gray (Palos Verdes) in Boys (13-14),

Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente) in Menehuene (12 and under), and Dane

Johnson (Carlsbad) in Juniors (15-17).