Noah Collins ran through the sand, darting around his friends only minutes before he would enter the water south of the Hermosa Beach Pier in an attempt to win his second consecutive surfing title at the International Surf Festival.
If the Manhattan Beach Middle School 8th grader felt any type of pressure from the competition, the infectious grin on his face didn’t show it. It looked like just another day at the beach for the young surfer, who has already been in more than 30 competitive events and held a board emblazoned with logos from a handful of sponsors including Body Glove, Black Fly sunglasses, Eric Zucker and Spyder Surfboards.
Collins smiled as he looked at the small, mid-summer surf, taking it all in stride
“I don’t have a specialty, I just goes with what the wave gives me,” said Collins, who has been surfing for nearly three years.
Collins aspires to be a member of the Mira Costa High School surf team and enjoys honing his skills at spots like lower Trestles and Cerritos in Baja, Mexico, while emulating his favorite surfers Alex Gray and Matt Pagan.
He also has two local idols in Dane and Kelly Zaun.
“They’re really good surfers,” Collins said. “They help me out. They’re really cool guys. They help by critiquing me and telling me how to work the wave and how to bend my knees.”
Kelly Zaun, a senior at Mira Costa and a member of the Mustangs’ surf team, said he enjoys assisting younger surfers when he can.
“I always want to see the younger generation come through and succeed like my brother (Dane) has,” Zaun said. “The South Bay should be up there with all the big surfing communities like Santa Cruz and Huntington. It’s exciting to see all the young talent around here and it’s great to be able to help them out. I’ve had so many mentors in the South Bay, including my brother who is No. 1. I’m grateful to all of them for helping me and I like to return the favor.”
While Zaun is familiar with high school competition and surfing in locations such as Australia and Indonesia, he admitted it was the first time he had entered the Surf Festival event.
“I’m excited,” Zaun said before entering the surf to warm up. “There’s not much surf but we’ll work with what we have. There is some really good competition and I can’t wait to get to the finals.”
The one- to three-foot swells were enough for Zaun, who won the Jr. Men’s Short Board 15-20 competition and was named Outstanding Surfer of the event.
With Zaun floating on his board anxiously awaiting a chance for one last good ride, Collins was at the tent collecting his first-place medal in the Boys Short Board Under-15 division.
“My dad taught me how to surf and I give all my credit to him. Oh yeah, and my sponsors,” said Collins, obviously a quick learner.
Tim Ferguson was selected as the Most Valuable Surfer after winning the Men’s Short Board 21-over and the Masters Long Board 46-over divisions. Ben Fortun captured the Jr. Men’s Long Board 20-under competition and Tyler Cataldi won the Men’s Long Board 21-45 division.
While the competition on Saturday was rewarding for the winners, the morning proved to be a special one for Jordan Wible.
Originally intending to watch the surf contest with her mother Vickie, Wible suddenly decided to enter the women’s field. Calling home, the Mira Costa freshman had her board delivered for her first ever competition.
“I was so nervous,” said Wible, a self-taught surfer. “I like the beach so much that I kinda just got into surfing. No one in my family surfs so I taught myself. I’ve never had a lesson or gone to a surf camp or anything.”
Wible sat pensively on her board, closer to shore than the other competitors, watching and learning. As the competition progressed, so did Wible’s confidence.
Although she finished third among the four surfers in her heat, Wible advanced to the finals. Making the most of the small waves, the novice smiled, breathed a sigh of relief and gave her mom a “thumbs up” while exiting the surf.
“It was very motivating, exciting and encouraging for her,” Vickie said. “She loves surfing and this is just what she needed to take her surfing to the next level, whatever that might be. We didn’t figure that she would be ready for competition for another year or two because we are not in any clubs or organizations.”
As Event Director John Joseph grabbed the microphone and began to announce the finishers in the womens’ competition, Wible expected her name to be one of the first called. It came right before the winner’s name Rachel Tominga was announced. Wible had placed second in her very first contest.
“I’m really surprised. I thought I was going to get like fourth or maybe third,” Wible said with a look of shock on her face. She said she will use the experience to help her make the surf team at Mira Costa. ER
