Sailors shine in Classic

More than 100 surfers competed in the 10th annual Newport Classic, contested Saturday and Sunday at 56th Street in Newport Beach.

The annual fundraiser for the Newport Harbor High surf team included eight divisions, in which 110 participants tested the wind-blown, knee-high surf.

In the men’s open division, Newport Harbor High representative Victor Done edged local pro Josh Hoyer for first place.

Bobby Okvist narrowly topped fellow Newport Harbor teammate Cannon Call in the high school division final,

Newport Elementary student Tyler Gunter won both the elementary and middle school divisions.

Carden Hall student Chase Davis was second and Cole Christian of Mariners third in the elementary division.

Newport Harbor swept the top six places in the bodyboard division. Yuji Kanbayashi was victorious, followed, in order of finish, by Okvist, Steven Jensen, Spencer Ruzicka, Joe Suzuki and Sillon Sulecki.

Shelby Detmers of Newport Harbor won the women’s division. Ali Hayes and Devyn Hartnett, both Newport Harbor students, were second and third, respectively.

Aaron Cervantes nosed out fellow Sailor Andy Delorme to win the longboard division, in which Sailors Michael Maddox and Taylor Patton finished third and fourth, respectively.

Eddie Flowers won the masters division, followed by, in order of finish, Mike Estrada, Drew Colome, Jason Burgess, Erik Dexter and Steve Kane.

Sunday, a group paddle out was held in honor of Lucas Campanaro, who died March 24 after battling cancer. The former Newport Harbor High bodyboarder was 18.

Some 50 surfers formed a ring in the water and a prayer was later held on the beach.

Several others earned awards for finishing in the top six of their division.

They included:

Men’s open: Cameron Clark, Alex Covin, Jared Cassidy and Daniel Shea (third through sixth, respectively).

High school division: Estancia’s Nick Fowler was third, and Newport Harbor surfers Blake Davis and Fritz Howser, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Elementary division: Kolby Pearson (Ensign) and Reed Pfeiffer (Newport Heights), fourth and fifth, respectively.

Middle school division: Riley Peterson (Ensign) and Jason Crane (Corona del Mar) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Longboard division: Ensign’s Taylor Patton was fifth.