Sun, surf out for nationals

RICK FIGNETTI

The 2005 National Scholastic Surfing Assn.’s national championships

were going off last week at Lower Trestles point in San Clemente. The

weather was pretty incredible -- sunny skies and bakin’ most days,

plus a combo swell through the week and an overhead southwest swell

that hit for the weekend’s finals.

The best amateur surfers from around the nation pushed the surfing

limits up to high level, even setting some new records.

In the scholastic championships, it was another close battle in

the high schools with San Clemente High taking a close decision over

Huntington Beach High School’s A team for the national title. They

were followed by Ventura High and the H.B. B team, which ended up

placing fourth.

In the men’s final, San Clemente’s Dane Ward was ripping it up to

take first, followed by H.B.H.S.’s Chris Waring, who was shredding as

well. East Coaster Ryland McCart was third and H.B.’s Ian Ekberg took

fourth.

San Clemente took the women’s title with Colleen Mehlberg winning

it.

In longboarding, Edison’s Mike Jorgensen took first, while H.B.’s

Brenden Holloway was fourth and Kyle Harvel sixth. And in

bodyboarding, H.B.’s “rollmaster” Brad Mebust was first, Chris

Welpman took second and Edison’s Chris Espinoza placed fifth.

All the scholastics were held at Salt Creek the week before. In

the middle schools, San Clemente’s Bernice Ayer took the top spot,

while Dwyer was runner-up and Sowers’ was third.

In the boys’ final, Dwyer’s Alex Gullet was tearing it up and won.

In the girls, Hawaiian defending champ Carissa Moore took it again.

In longboards, Scott Brandenburg placed first and Dwyer’s Billy

Hopkins was fifth with some nice footwork.

In college action, UC Santa Barbara clinched another national

title, Point Loma was second, Mira Costa placed third and Long Beach

State finished fourth. Long Beach State team captain Justin Hugron

placed third in longboards.

The big final of the day was the Governor’s Cup in the mens

division, with the winner taking home a new Toyota Matrix, plus

winning a berth in the trials for the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’

Boost Mobile Pro at Lower’s in September.

It was a perfectly surfed final for Maui’s Clay Marzo as he

blasted a reverse-air 360, then tore the lip off with four more moves

to score a perfect 10. On another set, he bashed the lip so hard, he

came down tail first, spun it around, did four more lip bashes and

finished with another inside reverse for another perfect 10 and set a

finals record with 20 out of 20. Insane.

Hawaii’s Torrey Meister was second, S.C’s Ward third and Hawaiian

Mason Ho fourth. In the women’s, Moore defended her Governor’s Cup

title with another win, and O.C.’s Courtney Conlogue was sixth. San

Clemente’s Kolohe Andino won the open mini groms; Hawaii’s John John

Florence won the open boys, and Hawaii’s Kai Barger won the juniors

with former Seal Beach resident Chas Chidester finishing second. Up

North’s Killian Garland killed the air show, sticking a 360-air for

the win.

Onto the Explorer divisions. In menehunes (the little guys),

Florence won again, with Newport Beach’s Andrew Doheny in second. The

boys’ was won by Hawaiian shredder Granger Larsen. In juniors, the

Big Island’s “Downtown” Casey Brown took top honors, while the men’s

winner was Maui’s Dustin Payne. Dana Point’s Micah Pitts won the

masters, as did Surf City’s Jason Haughey in seniors. Malibu’s Mike

Lamm won supers; Bethany Hamilton took the women’s, while Justin

Quintal was first in longboarding with H.B.’s Shane Van Herk sixth.