The O.C. takes the lead

Mike Sciacca

Mike Todd knew that Team Orange County had one of the better teams

competing at last weekend’s National Surf League’s California Cup at

the Huntington Beach Pier.

What Todd said he underestimated, though, was the depth of talent

on the squad.

“We can have anyone of these guys on our team go out in the water

and put up big numbers, and that’s a real luxury,” said the Laguna

Beach resident. “Our guys really ripped out there.”

Todd and Laguna’s Pat O’Connell were two Team Orange County

members doing the ripping, as each contributed to the squad’s

three-game sweep over the three-day competition.

The California Cup, a month-long series of surfing contests,

featured competition among teams representing Orange, San Diego,

Ventura and Santa Cruz counties.

Team Orange County -- its members wearing orange T-shirts bearing

their name and number on back -- routed Team Santa Cruz, 188.25-142,

edged Team Ventura, 185.5-180.5, and wrapped up the weekend with a

decisive, 195.3-167.3 victory over Team San Diego.

The weekend competition at the pier kicked off the inaugural

National Surf League and huge swells and warm weather made for a

perfect beginning.

“We’re really, really happy with the weekend,” said Suzy Shortt,

who is partners with Brad Gerlach and Jeff Cutler in the National

Surf League. “We have four more weekends of competition and we hope

everybody comes out to see the tournament. This proved to be a great

start for the league.”

Locals Timmy Turner, Brett Simpson and Shaun Ward also tore it up

for Team Orange County, their performances instrumental in the team’s

dominance.

Ward, a 2001 graduate of Huntington Beach High, subbed in for Nate

Yeomans during the second day of the competition and pulled in

valuable points in his heat, which helped Team Orange County hold off

Team Ventura in the tournament’s best matchup.

“It was insane out there,” Ward said. “The team concept is

exciting for surfing, exciting for the crowd and the pressure to

perform well was there, too.

“What was great about this is that everybody was involved with

each other and rooting each other on. That doesn’t happen too often

in surfing.”

Todd agreed.

“I think that, overall, the goal of this event was reached,” Todd

said. “Everyone involved really liked the team concept and everybody

had a good time, win or lose.

“I liked the time outs and the substitutions. It was pretty neat

to open up the California Cup by surfing at the pier, where we are

familiar with the break, and it was great to be able to have my

family out there watching, and be able to talk with them about what

was happening. The game situation got everyone involved. The

scoreboard setup helped those who sometimes don’t understand the

scoring, to know what’s going on.”

Todd, who said he was pleased with his surfing during the

competition, earned game MVP honors following Sunday’s win over Team

San Diego.

O’Connell was rock-solid during all three of Team Orange County’s

games and easily could have wound up a game MVP.

“Pat did an awesome job out there,” Todd said. “He definitely was

one of our scoring leaders.”

Reyes took game MVP honors against Team Santa Cruz on Friday and

Simpson was named game MVP for Saturday’s win over Team Ventura.

What made the weekend even more memorable, Todd said, was the

outstanding morning swells.

“It was amazing out there, especially on Sunday, when the wind

didn’t really pick up,” he said.

The California Cup moves up the coast to Ventura, where the

second, three-day competition, the Quiksilver Game Weekend, begins

today at Seaside Park at C Street.

Todd said that Team Orange County traveled to Ventura on Thursday

to hold a game practice run.

“We’re looking to turn in more strong performances,” he added.

“We’re pretty loose but even though we’re having fun with this, we’re

serious about winning.”