Redondo Beats El Segundo while Península defeats San Pedro

All photos by Saul Zaragoza

The South Bay Surf League resumed last Friday at 38th Street in El Porto with competition between two of the oldest schools in the area, Redondo Union High School and El Segundo High, and a battle between big rivals, Peninsula High and San Pedro High.

“It’s going to be two close contests,” said league director Dickie O’Reilly beforehand. “Judges are going to have to keep it tight and make sure they’re talking between each other so not one wave is missed.”

The contests were originally planned for Wednesday, but O’Reilly postponed the event to Friday due to lake-like conditions. Thursday a major swell hit the shores, greenlighting the contest. Contestants were greeted to slightly onshore conditions with three to five foot high tide breakers.

“It’s all about the turn around on the mid-break,” said head judge Chris Wells.” If you catch the reform and connect to the inside, it’s a doozy.”

The El Porto parking lot attendants decided to take their sweet times opening the gate delaying the contest and causing a traffic jam that stretched all the way from Rosecrans to Grand Avenue.

When the first horn was blown, Redondo’s Kyle Beatty was frothing to get in the water after being stuck in the “Highland Avenue parking lot.” In the first shortboard heat, Beatty followed Wells advice and took his ride to inside to the tube section, got fully covered up, and came out inches from dry sand. He won on his second wave with a huge backside blast. El Segundo’s Micah Zask took second with a huge frontside carve.

El Segundo’s Shay Falkenstien figured out the lefts were working in the second shortboard heat. He placed second on his backside with a critical wave ending off the lip. Tate Curran was the event’s most stylish surfer. The El Segundo High surfer won the heat with his smooth backside bottom turns to controlled 12 o’clock blasts.

In the third shortboard heat, El Segundo’s Noah won by dominating the rights with slashing cutbacks. Redondo’s Pat Ramirez had the move of the contest with a huge dropped wallet that’s going to look amazing in a photo sequence. He just couldn’t get a wave to work for him and connect for that second maneuver. He placed second.

In the final men’s shortboard heat, El Segundo’s Zac Montrose, who surfs well on anything he rides, took it to Redondo’s Trevor La Shure. Montrose placed second by navigating the inside dumpy shorebreak with one last second coaster. La Shure won the heat with the most technical wave of the contest. He handled a mediocre right with three textbook hits to the beach.

With waves Wells described as “burgers” on the outside, the longboarders had to ability to catch them and glide to the inside. Redondo’s Tate Curran battled his teammate Kris Hall putting fire into the major conflict of longboarding, “traditional vs. progressive.” The goofyfoot Curran favored the progressive side with big swooping turns on the lefts that worked best in the conditions. He edged out the regular footed Hall who pulled out every old school trick in the book but couldn’t get the rights to work for him.

The bodyboard division was one of the more entertaining heats of the meet.

“The bodyboard heat had some meaty shorepound,” said Wells. “It wasn’t El Porto during the heat, it was “Cho-Porto [a reference to the wave teahupoo in Tahiti]”

Montrose managed the helm with 3rd place for El Segundo. La Shure caught an outside peak and pulled a 360 for the win. Between screwing around trying drop-knee 360s, Beatty placed 2nd by tackling the Wells’ shorepound.

Redondo’s womens team ran with the lead as the lady surfers placed top three in all divisions. In the women’s shortboard division, Emma Waldinger won the heat by styling on all the lefts splitting the peak with 2nd place finisher Hali Honea. Honea rode all the rights to the inside barely kicking out before the explosion of the shore break.

The drift really picked up for the women’s longboard heat adding difficulty to get to the outside. Kelly Harraka played it safe by catching the middle sized waves for 2nd. Third place finisher Phoebe Mather caught an outsider for the highest scoring wave, but just couldn’t get a second wave. Winning the heat, Paige Sullivan made all her critical drops.

Final Score: Redondo 97, El Segundo 66

Competing in the Northside area of the contest, Peninsula beat San Pedro 75 to 56

Results:

Men Shortboard Heat 1

1. Matt Amano PN
2. Jack DeGaeteno SP
3. Alex Shuping PN

Mens Shortboard Heat 2

1. Aiden Farlo SP
2. Will Allen PN
3. Tommy Millin PN

Men’s Shortboard Heat 2

1. Jordan Marquez SP
2. Ernie Gregg SP
3. Adam Lazarus PN

Men’s Shortboard Heat 3

1. JJ Accomando PN
2. Shane Milos SP

Men’s Longboard

1. Will Allen PN
2. Joey Merkin  SP
3. Aiden Farlo SP

Womens Shortboard

1. Isabel Frandsen PN
2. Skye Perranoski PN

Womens Longboard

1. Isabel Frandsen PN
2. Skye Perranoski PN

Bodyboard

1. J.J. Accomando PN
2. David Monje SP