SBBC Event #2 Surf Contest Presented by Dive N’ Surf

photos by Steve Gaffney

The theme of this year’s season has been giant surf and crappy weather. Four times since early January, contest director Mike Balzer has had to make the call to postpone contests. Each postponement costs the surf club an LA County rescheduling fee, so Balzer made the decision to run the last event in huge but rideable surf.

The contests this year had been memorable, testing all competitors, but the prevailing hope among surfers was for waves and conditions catering to a simple, fun event.

Last Saturday, the South Bay Boardriders Club Event #2 presented by Dive N Surf, delivered what everyone had been waiting for.

“We finally got epic conditions with the weather and waves,” Balzer said. “What a beautiful Saturday to be at the beach. And to have perfect wind and weather conditions all day in March — it’s hard to ever top.”

Two to four foot waves with the occasional five foot set rolled in at 42nd Street in El Porto, perfect for contestants. For those pint size surfers, it’s was heaven.

To first place Micro Grom winner Jake Chandler, a four feet set is almost head high and a contest like this just fires up his stoke.

“I surf all the way from Oceanside up to Rincon. Wherever it’s good that’s where I go,” he said with confidence, after winning his division.

In the Open Womens division, Natalie Anzivino is the big fish to fry. The Manhattan Beach Pier local and overall league winner the past three seasons was upset by newcomer Reika Nora. Nora relied on her lightning fast quickness to milk every wave to the beach.

“It was the second contest in a row she placed second,” Balzer said, with a laugh, of Anzivino.  “I think her mind was more concerned about leaving the next day to surf in the Women’s Pipeline contest with a first draw being Carissa Moore, a two time world champion.”

Dave Schaefer is the renaissance man (as well as LA County Lifeguard Captain Tom Seth, who is out on injury) of the league and placed in a couple division’s finals. In the Longboard division, his shortboard antics carry well on nine feet of foam. Steven Wilson, in his first season of competing in the league, beat Schaefer by keeping to the traditional side of the discipline. In the last year and a half, Wilson trimmed over 70 pounds by working hard and eating right and turning into a lean mean contest machine. His switch drop knee bottom turns and hang heel walk backs earned the scores for first place. Schaefer threw out a last ditch helicopter 360 to shuvit (a maneuver he called the “Sex Change”) but couldn’t stop a fired up Wilson.

Cody Purcell used his speed to find the juice in every wave utilizing the power for some type of radical maneuver that’s mostly scene in the older divisions. His effort placed him tops in the Junior Men’s 18 and Under division.

“The Juniors division has ramped up with talent big time,” Balzer said. “This is a growing division and is not easy at all and Cody Purcell stepped up his game.”

In the 40-49 Master Division, winner Warren Kushner caught a 100 yard left linking turns from one flag divider to the north contest site. The day before he was scoring epic surf in Samoa.

“Warren literally got off a plane at LAX that morning from Samoa and had a lay away in Honolulu,” Balzer said. “Jet lag was no issue.”

As the oldest competitor in the entire contest, Surfing legend Mike Purpus is 17 years older than the youngest competitor in the 50+ legends division. Powered by his Hap Jacobs longboard, Purpus’ switch stances and rollercoasters came close, but couldn’t beat the snaps and turns of division winner Rodney Williams.

Being almost a mythical day, it made sense that the finals provided the best conditions. As the last heat of the day, an Open Men’s final commonly consisted of finalists slugging it out in blown out, victory-at-sea, conditions.  It sometime seems that Rochambeau — rock, paper, and scissors — might be the only way to decide a winner.

“Mother nature supplied plenty of set waves for the 20 minute final and the sheet glass conditions gave the finalist a great canvas to show their skills,” said head judge Matt Walls.

Out of nowhere, on the first wave, Aryn Farris came streaking down the line pumping like recent Quilksilver Pro Gold Coast winner Felipe Toledo — aggressively and for maximum speed. Instead of playing it conservatively and going for a few hits, Farris sped past the sections and then flung into a lay back, slashing the underside of the lip. His progressiveness set the bar high the entire final.

“All the guys were ripping and it was a very close final,” said Walls. “Kent Nishiya gave the crowd something to cheer about with his high nine point ride. He took off on a set left in the dying minutes of the final and did two quick lip bashes then launched a huge air reverse and stomped it for the highest score of the meet.”

Nishiya wooed the crowd but couldn’t find a back up and placed third. Fourth place finisher Jamie Meistrell like a pouncing panther would aggressively pump and hunt his prey of an open lip before attacking with a bash. Codee Stamis, aka “Manmis” with his manly hacks, placed fifth,  and Kyle Brown, who surfed well all event with power gauging cutbacks, couldn’t find a set wave in the final for sixth. Sticking to a peak by himself, Souichiro Yuki surfed consistently on the lefts with solid whacks off the top and hard hits on the inside for second place. Farris found the back up score and won his first SBBC event.

Results: