South Bay High School Surf League Kick-Off Classic
Each year at this time, the South Bay High School Surf League Kick-Off Classic is held to give coaches and their surfers a chance to size up the competition.
This year’s contest for the girls’ shortboard and boys’ longboard and body board division was held on Saturday at Torrance Beach in fun, three-foot, hollow peaks.
There were so many aspiring surf-team surfers entered that surf league director John Joseph had three areas going at the same time. The body board heats are always the toughest to judge because the rides are short and everyone takes off on the same waves. It’s even tougher with the in-coming tide because only one of the three areas was breaking, forcing all the contestants into one spot. At times, the judges were seeing threes of every colored jersey. A pod of local porpoises just shook their heads and swam down the beach where it was a little less chaotic. Nevertheless, John Joseph did a terrific job of running a smooth contest.
The waves were fun for the preliminaries and semis but the wind came up as the tide dropped for the finals, making for sloppy conditions. The girls’ finals were getting ready when I asked Palos Verdes sophomore Jessie Rowan how she felt about the conditions. She smiled and said “The waves look fun. I don’t care. I’m in the finals. We will have fun and make the most of it.”
Palos Verdes junior Jessica Dustin cut in while on her blue jersey. “It’s always the same group of girls in the finals and we’ve become good friends, which takes off some of the pressure.”
Jessica Dustin surfed well from the start, spanking the lip and carving some nasty cutbacks on shoulder-high sets. Jessie Rowan caught the biggest waves of the final, while kissing the lip and getting long rides. Sara Kohrogi didn’t hold back, either. She picked up some big waves on the outside while free-falling down the face and nearly missed the rest of the heat trying to scramble back out. Katie Parkenson got a long ride on an outside left but couldn’t find another good wave. Jordan Wible picked up a good left outside and smacked the lip on a few big rights. Sara Curren got some fun waves but was never in the right spot for the big outsides.
Judge Tony Gonella and I couldn’t get over how much improved the boys long board division is this year, with most of the surfers riding old-school, heavy ‘60’s-style boards. Redondo’s Connor Beatty led the way, almost getting air on his log outside, and then carving a clean cutback. On the next wave Connor trimmed soulfully on the nose through an outside bowl. Derek Daigneault really stepped up this year, catching the first big set wave, flying off the top and nailing the landing. It was the best wave of the final, but Derek couldn’t find another one like it. Derek told me, “It was good early but then the wind hit it and it wasn’t the same for the rest of the final.” Redondo’s David Fillman is the most improved surfer on his team. He got some smooth, ten-toes-over, tip rides on some waste high rights.
Peter Venordes is a good long boarder with a David Nuuhiwa style. He got several good set waves but ended up catching a rail or pearling in the best spots. I felt sorry for him because I knew he could have won if he wasn’t so nervous. Dillon Raygone got a nice, outside nose ride across a long wall and then sliced a big cutback on the next big left. Max Allen was very impressive on the nose, cruising across an outside face hanging five all the way. Connor Beatty left the water smiling telling me.
“It’s always fun in the finals because there is always a good crew out there with me,” he told me.
The South Bay Surf League Classic short board competition will be held Saturday, Oct. 22 at 8 a.m. at the Hermosa Beach pier.
Results: Long board: Connor Beaty RB, Max Allen PV, Peter Venedos MC, Derek Daigneault PV, David Fillman RB, Dillon Ragone ST. Girls Longboard: Jessica Dustin PV, Jordon Wible MC, Jessie Rowan PV, Sara Kohogi MC, Katie Parkinsen RB, Sara Curran RB. Boys’ bodyboard: Kyle Brown MC, John Senesec St, Dillon rogone St, Connor Beaty RB, Nick Coans MC, Vince Ragone ST. Girls bodyboard: Jordan Wible MC, Jessie Rowan PV, Elle Enscore RB Jessica Dustin, PV, Sara Curran RB.