High School Surf League All Star Qualifiers named
Will Borzi led the charge for Palos Verdes. The team snapped up eight of the 24 slots in shortboard division of the April 9 Hennessey Cup All Start contest. Photo (CivicCouch.com)
The first two heats were loaded. Palos Verdes’ Will Borzi slides into a nasty round house and Costa’s Kyle Brown does the same. Pedro’s Adam Schaar gets a long right, bouncing off the lip while South’s Ryan McClure flies backside off the top. Redondo’s Mike Okuda launches off the top but can’t land safely but makes up for it on his next wave. Will Borzi was the big stand out, getting the most out of every wave and landing floaters on the end.
“It was really inconsistent but super fun if you got the right wave,” he said.
Redondo’s Ethan Pezzola and Costa’s Codee Stamis ripped the next two, heats wowing the crowd with big front side and backside coasters. North/West’s Tucker Oshai carved a nice cutback while team mate Levi Cojiou checked into the green room. Redondo’s Conner Beaty went for air and stuck the landing. “My knee is all sore so that was my only good ride. I was lost the rest of the heat,” he said.
Costa’s Wyatt Boyd didn’t hold back, almost hitting a seagull on the way up then sticking the landing. Wyatt told me that it was his do or die maneuver because he got skunked in the first half of the heat. “I had to go for something big,” he said.
The waves got sloppy with the tide change but it didn’t slow down Tucker Oshai, who sliced a long cutback, or stop Levi Cojiou from shooting the barrel. PV’s Angelo Lurhsen and El Segundo’s Steve Honsowitz took over the fast set lefts, racing down the line flying off the top. PV’s Mike Willingard jammed down the face of an outside left toward the Pier with team mate Justin Jones racing toward him, going right off the pier. They just missed each other. Redondo’s Parker Baker and Payne English both made big floaters.
Costa’s Kelly Zaun and Will Borzi took over the last two heats of the day. Kelly with a huge in and out barrel off the pier then floating backwards down the face coming out of a cutback, miraculously making it. Big brother Dane was cheering from the beach. Those two are going to make a big impression on the pro circuit.
Will Borzi stuck with the floaters after a perfect tube coming off the pier. Costa’s Michael Cassen managed to sneak in a huge backside coaster on an outside wall. Kelly summed up his last heat by saying “It was going off and sick out there. It’s the best waves yet for a Hermosa Pier contest. The tubes were spitting and I was surfing with four of my Costa team mates in the same heat. It’s as good as it gets.”
Following are qualifiers for the Hennessey Cup High School All Star Championships, to be held Saturday April 9 at the Hermosa Beach Pier:
Shortboard boys: Mira Costa – Josh Perch, Michael Cassen, Keegan McNee. Redondo – Johnny Hobbs, Conner Beaty. El Segundo – Kent Nyishi. Palos Verdes: Kereck Diagault, Justin palmer, Kennan Sheldon, Will Borzi, Angel Lurhsen, Mike Willingrad, Justin Jones. Peninsula – Kevin Piper, Foletcher Stryue.
Girls Shortboard: Mira Costa – Madie Hawks, Jordan Wible, Devin Henry. Redondo – Sara Connor, Katie Parkenson. El Segundo: Alex Womack, Kirsten bucher. Palos Verdes: Jessie Rowan, Kendell Koshtker, Jessica Dustin. South – Amanda Amalfitano.
Body board: Mira Costa – Michael Cassen. Redondo – Sean Dreiling.. El Segundo – Brian Thomas, Kyle Shaden. Palos Verdes – Michael Conrad. South – Will Cato, Blake Ito. San Pedro – Dylan Sohngen. Bishop Montgomery – Alex Numa. North – Michael Cassen, Levi Cajias.
Longboard boys: Mira Costa – Peter Vandros, Josh Perch. Redondo – Connor Beaty. Palos Verdes – Zach Stafford, Justin Jones, Derek Diagualt. El Segundo – Josh Gilberts. Peninsula – Fletcher Struye. San Pedro – Oliver Hegge, Dylan Sohgen.
Girls longboard: Mira Costa – Jordon Wible, Maddie Hawks. Redondo – Brittny Bardon, Sara Connor. El Segundo – Kirten Bucher, Stephanie Gee. El Segundo — Krisy Bergersen. Palos Verdes – Jessica Dustin, Jessie Rowan. North – Aliadh Sheldon. Suth – Jenny Denault. ER