Sometimes it’s hard to decide where to surf. Today wasn’t a tough decision, because my fellow team rider for legendary shaper Jose Barahona, Ben Goldstein, was competing in the Western Surfing Association at Huntington Beach, and there was no way I was going to miss watching him shred.
Not wanting to get in the way of warming up competitors, I cruised a few miles down the road to Newport where I jumped in at Blackies – Ben’s heat was at 10:15, and morning traffic put me in the lot at 9:30, so I put 24 minutes on the meter and raced out into the small peelers. Catching as many waves as humanly possible in my allotted time, my session was over nearly as soon as it began, and off to the Huntington Pier I went.
Ben and his dad Adam look like poster-boys for traditional longboarding. Ben’s relaxed surfing reminds me of that of Joel Tudor’s, and even though he’s still in high school, he makes every turn and noseride look like he’s a surf veteran. We caught up on the crowded beach for a while, then Ben grabbed his red jersey and paddled out into heavy fog, the judges in the double decker WSA tent barely able to see the competitors. Goldstein carved, danced, and sailed to second place in his heat, advancing forward to eventually get 3rd overall for that event. He’s now ranked number 2 in the WSA and still is holding first place in the SSS (Scholastic Surf Series).
Apart from being an amazing surfer, he is such a down to earth and nice kid. Go Ben, we are all rooting for you!!
