Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig:Amateur surfing time

It’s that time of year again, time for the biggy for amateur surfers, the National Scholastic Surfing Championships. This event draws over 1,000 surfers who qualified from each of the seven conferences in the United States.

The top amateurs already have started surfing Salt Creek Beach Park for the scholastic championships, Air Show eliminations and Explorer eliminations that started Wednesday and will go to some of Saturday’s finals.

It’s there that San Clemente High, the No. 1 seed, will try to win it’s ninth title. There are a couple other schools in the mix; down south’s San Dieguito was second at the state titles and of course hot local team Huntington Beach High School is ready for battle.

The Oilers have an incredible 17 national titles, but haven’t won since 1998. Can they break the drought? Coach Verdone has some pretty good talent on this year’s squad: Quinn McCrystal and Logan Strook, and in women’s, Sarah Taylor, that could turn the tide.

In college action Saddleback is looking to repeat from last year’s win at Lowers, but Mira Costa has some big talent too. Plus, San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara could be tough.

In middle school, Shorecliffs won last year, and Dwyer and Sowers have some hot groms that could make for an upset.

The big show then moves to that classic point break, Lower Trestles, next Tuesday and runs through to Saturdays finals, June 26 to 30. The prestigious Open division starts there, with more eliminations in the Explorer divisions too.

In the Open mens’ last year’s reigning champ, Kekoa Cazimero, is back from Hawaii looking to repeat for the win. But Maui’s Granger Larsen has been on fire, winning five events at the end of the regular season, and he already holds four national titles.

Fellow Hawaiian Kai Barger is a three-time champ and has been ripping too, as has the Big Islands’ Tonino Bensen. The West Coast has fast-rising U.S. team star Cory Arrambide who’s been turning heads lately with his rad surfing. Plus, last year’s junior national winner Dillion Perillo is ready for action.

Locally San Clemente’s Trevor Saunders and Huntington Beach’s Quinn McCrystal are all gunning for the final and a possible win!

In the women’s the favorite is 14-year-old Carissa Moore, from Honolulu, who already has nine national titles and is making Assn. of Surfing Professionals A.S.P. pro-am finals. Look for Moore to add some more hardware to her vast collection, becoming one of the U.S.’s most decorated surfers ever.

Hawaii’s CoCo Ho, daughter of legendary Michael Ho, is another contender who’s been winning a lot. The Southwest’s No. 1 seed, U.S. teamer Courtney Conlogue, is one to be reckoned with as is Sage Erickson from Ventura and local Surf City standout Sarah Taylor. In juniors, Santa Cruz’s Nat Young has eleven wins this season and is holding it down for the cold water boys. Newport Beach’s Andrew Doheny has been winning in all divisions and wants a title at the big one. But Hawaii’s John John Florence is standing in the way, with four titles and is always on his game.

Hawaii’s Kiron Jabour comes in from the Hawaiian conference at No. 1 and rips too. San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino is seen as a favorite even with a mix of hot Hawaiians. Andino has won 14 events this season, the most of anyone and with the coaching of his dad, Dino Andino, a former top pro and U.S. champ Kolohe is rolling big time. Hawaii’s Koa Smith is number one ranked for the boys in da islands and is a threat too. So, sounds like fun, the best of the best will be here for the next couple weeks, friends will see friends, the competition will be fierce, titles will be on the line, and if there’s swell, watch out. We’ll see who’s left when the sand clears.

Good luck! Fig over and out.