2015 International Surf Festival: Surf Contest

The cement in the foundation of surf culture was first poured at the Manhattan Beach pier starting in the in the 1940s. In addition to being one of the first popular surf spots, Dale Velzy surfed and shaped underneath the pier before renting out a storefront a block up on Manhattan Beach Avenue. In the early 1980s — after a decade in which longboards were overtaken in popularity by shortboards — the Dewey Weber Classic at the pier reconnected many of the surf stars of the 1960s and relaunched the new “modern” longboard scene.

Currently, getting a permit to hold a contest at the Pier is a challenge, as only a few are issued each year. The International Surf Festival, running strong since 1962, has no permitting trouble, and this year continued on the tradition of solid surf contests southside of the pier.

“It was the largest spectator attendance in the past ten years,” said contest director John Joseph.

Joseph helmed the wheel and ran the contest diligently, bringing a lifetime of surf contest directing to bear on the event.

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“At one point, we had three contest sites going on, so we could be done before it turned onshore,” he said. “Nothing is worse than afternoon summer surf in the South Bay.”

With a mild tide and perfect summer weather, the contest brought in some of the area’s best.

“The shape was fun with good rights coming off the pier and a left coming toward to pier,” said surf legend and judge Mike Purpus.”One of the standouts that struck my eye was this cute blond in the women’s longboard heat who was ripping.”

The surfer Purpus was referring to was regular foot Morgan Slift from Hermosa Beach. She surfed her Dan Cobley shaped “Danc Surfboard” amazingly, picking off the rights off the pier with a gracefully feminine style.

“Surfing this contest was one of the best experiences in my life,” she said, smiling.

She’d win the Women’s longboard division. Jessica Gaudet of South Torrance placed second on a newly shaped Soul Performance longboard by Mark Brog. Running late to the final didn’t stop Taylor Stone from catching a few good waves. She styled on her “Flower Surfboard” shaped by her boyfriend and Junior Longboard winner Kris Hall for third.

Hall, under the influence of his “Flower Surfboard,” was untouchable the entire event. The 2015 South Bay Scholastic Surf Association League Champ and young hotdogger brought every trick in the book — hang ten, hang heels, and a very Dru Harrison-esque nosekick — to easily win the division.

“Next year, I can’t wait to surf in the older longboard division division,” Hall said.

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In the Men’s Longboard Division, Seal Beach’s Steve Wilson and Hermosa Beach’s Jordan Weintraub battled from the first round on. Weintraub would pick off the lefts and cheater five to the pier while Wilson rode the rights and connected the dots with quick noserides and his trademark switch stance bottom turns.

“I go to these things just to have fun,” Wilson said. “That’s my strategy.”

Wilson would win the division with Weintraub taking second.

Much like the South Bay Boardriders’ Club Contest, the Junior Men’s Shortboard was one of the more popular divisions. Raised surfing in the club and mentored by local surf star and coach Jamie Meistrell, Nathaniel Harris has really been taking it up a few notches this year. Harris took off on the set waves and slaughtered the lips to win the division.

In the women’s shortboard final, the young Megan Seth, daughter of mega-waterman and LA County Lifeguard Captain Tom Seth —  and another example of the quality of surfers the SBBC mentors — took third. The goofy foot veteran Sue Wilkinson placed fourth by catching the set lefts. Juliette Ulrich rollercoastered to second off the pier rights. Alex Roddeng won the division by connecting a set wave all the way to the beach and milking it with multiple turns.

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Upsets were abundant in the Men’s Shortboard Open. The first being the sixth place finish of last year’s  winner Tommy Lusk aka “Tom Deep,” aka “Oatmeal.”

“The whole contest I went in with the same tactics as last year and it just didn’t pan out,” Lusk said. “I had a good time overall though.”

Usually he’s behind the scene in a judge’s seat, but for this contest Torrance Beach charger Chris Wells sported a contest jersey. Wells destroyed the entire contest, even shooting the pier to bash an incoming right on the northside for a nine. In the final, he was bested by Scott Whitmer who just dominated the 2014-2015 Western Surfing Association contest season. Whitmer picked off a set right and backside blasted it to the beach. Whitmer also beat Wells in the Senior Men’s Shortboard Division to win two events. Vanguard teamrider and Mira Costa Surf Team star Matt Hodges placed third with his smooth silky style. DZ

Results:

Mens Shortboard: 1st Scott Whitmer, 2nd Chris Well, 3rd Matt Hodges, 4th Sebastian Khan, 5th Lechlan Robinson, 6th Tommy Lusk

Junior Men’s Shortboard: 1st Nathaniel Harris, 2nd Shane Fontino, 3rd Victor Erland, 4th Sean Dougherty, 5th Briggs Peus, 6th Buck Cherry

Grom: 1st Matt Hahn, 2nd Leo Schleyer, 3rd Theo Paley, 4th Parris Dunvaley

Micro Groms: 1st Karsten Wenke, 2nd Sadie Anderson, 3rd Magnus Grandersen, 4th Olivia Lusby, 5th Mark Edler, 6th Alison Peckmen

Masters Shortboard: 1st Scott Whitmer, 2nd Chris Wells

Bodyboard: 1st Jack McMillan, 2nd  Joe Halek, 3rd Todd Perine

Women’s Shortboard: 1st Alex Roddeng, 2nd Juliette Ulrich, 3rd Megan Seth, 4th Sue Wilkinson

Women’s Longboard: 1st Morgan Slift, 2nd Jessica Gaudet, 3rd Taylor Stone

Junior Men’s Longboard: 1st Kris Hall, 2nd Ryes Ulrich, 3rd Robbie Itzerger, 4th Josh Terry, 5th Lechen Robinson, 6th Buck Cherry

Men’s Longboard: 1st Steven Wilson, 2nd Jordan Weintraub, 3rd Jeff Strauss, 4th Marc Kahill

Master’s Longboard: 1st Jeff Strauss,  2nd Marc Kahill