Just one big event to go
WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN FIG
The surfing season is winding down with one major completion left,
the really big show for the amateurs of the National Scholastic
Surfing Assn. -- the National Championships. It’s coming up this week
with the start of the college, high school, middle school and air
show’s surf contests out at Salt Creek Friday and Saturday.
This year’s favorite in the college division looks to be UC San
Diego, winners of the state championships earlier this season. Last
year’s defending champ UC Santa Barbara will give some stiff
competition as will the 2001 national champs Cal. State Long Beach.
In the high schools, San Clemente’s Tritons are the team to beat,
stacked with hot talent they have been easily winning the state
titles and are going for their fifth national title. But tradition is
always with Huntington Beach High School as the Oilers have an
incredible 17 national wins and their big-gun shredder Brett Simpson
is back. Local schools Edison and Marina have qualified to be there,
too.
In the middle schools, San Clemente’s Bernice Ayer’s was looking
good and won the state meet. But cross town rival Shorecliffs won the
nationals last year. Local schools Dwyer, a three-time champ, and
Sowers a two-time champ will give them a run for the money. The Open
and Explorer divisions will start at Lower Trestles, that classic
point break in San Clemente Tuesday through 28, with approximately
700 surfers competing for national titles.
Categories range from, menehunes, 12 and under, boys 13-14,
juniors 15-17, mens 18-24, masters 25 and up, seniors 35 and up,
super seniors 45 and up, women all ages, longboards all ages and
bodyboard all ages. The top amateurs in the nation have qualified to
be in it from their prospective conferences, East Coast, West Coast,
Gulf Coast and Hawaii.
In the men’s division, last year’s big winner is back bustin’
Dustin Cuizon, 18, from Eva Beach, Hawaii, is the defending national
champ and the California State Parks Governor’s Cup winner and I hear
he’s still on fire. He has five national titles under his belt. From
the West Coast, Ventura’s 17-year-old Dane Reynolds is a five-time
regional winner and most are claiming it could be his year. He has
tons of raw talent and is ready to go big. East Coaster Jeremy
Johnston from New Smyrna, Fla. is the top representative from the
east. He’s last year’s junior national champ and south east mens and
juniors open and explorer season champ. The best in a few years off
the Island of Puerto Rico is Brian Toth. At the eastern
championships, he won the mens and juniors divisions and looks to be
a threat. From San Clemente, one of the brothers who helped San
Clemente High School win the big title last season, Patrick
Gudauskas, is just off a win at the westerns and is the defending air
champ. Also, teammate Travis Mellem the 2002 open season champ is
back from a foot injury that hampered him the last few months.
Huntington’s Simpson, a member of the elite Huntington Beach High
surf team for the last few years, pulled the move of the West Coast
championships, a huge backside 360-degree air and with his radical
innovative style of surfing is gunning for a possible national title.
Others to watch include rippers from Hawaii; T.J. Barron, Ola
Eleogram and from Maui, Nathan Carroll who have all done well in the
Hawaiian conference regionals. In the womens look for Newport’s Erica
Hosseini, the southwest open and explorer season champ to shine. East
Coast sensation and last years big winner Karina Petroni is entered,
and also from Hawaii, Leilani Gryde is the explorer national champ.
Surf City has a host of surfers in it, in all age brackets. Good
luck!
This weekend is the second Huntington Beach Surf Series at
Huntington Beach Pier on the south side, definitely worth a check.
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