SBBSA: Costa Crushes South [VIDEO + PHOTOS]
Mira Costa’s Alex Fry bashes the inside lip.
photos by Marty Tuesling
The South Bay Scholastic Surfing Association presented by Subaru Pacific resumed this week with the undefeated Mira Costa High School surf team taking on undefeated Torrance South High. Mira Costa star surfer Cody Purcell was absent, giving South a much better chance to beat the Costa team — which has been on fire, trouncing its opponents by 30 in both its previous contests.
Conditions were also ripe for good surf.
“It’s looking pretty fun out there,” said head judge Chris Wells. “It’s a bit chilly but with two to three foot waves, we’re having no complaints.”
Costa struck first in heat one in the boy’s shortboard division. Zack Rosenberg of Costa won the exchange by stomping out with authority a huge hit on a set wave. His teammate Doug Golubovic followed him in second with a slap of the top. South’s Chris Stimpfl, who’s been a star in every year of his high school competition career, placed third.
First place finisher in heat 1 boy’s shortboard Zack Rosenberg
In heat two of the boy’s shortboard, a pint size surfer by the name of Nick Cerofeci was stoking out the judges.
“He is a supergrom,” said judge Chris Broman, while the judges roared with Cerofeci’s little turns.
Cerofeci from Mira Costa churned up the waves all the way to the inside to place third. South’s Spencer Paine took off an outside left with textbook turns to the beach for the win. The ever-so-smooth Matt Hodge from Costa placed second.
Costa ran with the lead in the girl’s shortboard division by taking the top three spots. It was close between the young ladies as it’s been the entire season. Lauren Freidrich landed in third with a good left. With a radical lip game, Kyra Williams placed second. Winning the heat, Charlotte Sabina milked every set wave.
Mira Costa’s Peter Neal hanging five for the win in the longboard division.
Brothers Peter Neal and Andrew Neal of Mira Costa have also been battling each other in the longboard heat — for the good of the team, exchanging the top two spots the entire season. It didn’t help that the conditions called for a longboard.
“Once again the longboard division was the heat to watch,” said Wells. “The right really came alive. It was a zinger.”
The regular foot Peter bested the goofyfoot Andrew by connecting with the right, hotdoggin’ and hangin’ ten all the way to the inside. South’s Ron Sannes also took to the right with a sweet cheater five for third.
In the Bodyboard division, South’s Justis Brown placed third with a solid cutback. Mira’s Costa’s Cooper Garner won the division.
“It was like the wave of the century,” said Broman. “With the perfect execution of bodyboard maneuvers.”
Garner took of on a set left and flung himself into a couple of 360s and perfectly landing critical el rollos on the inside. His teammate Luc Jacquemetton placed second also with a couple 360s.
Again the Mira Costa girls ran up the score by placing in the top three of the girl’s longboard division. Darby Dayton placed third with a solid right. Handling the right, Kyra Williams hanging five earned second place. This year’s surf season kick off contest champion, Amelie Vergnolle, won the division, hanging five on the rights.
Amelie Vergnolle drawing a clean line.
By the last two heats, the rising tide was started to flood the sandbar.
“It starting to get burgery out there,” said Wells. “The last two boy’s shortboard heats are going to be a groveler fest.”
Costa’s Chad Parks placed third with a couple of cutbacks and a hot rollercoaster while Andrew Neal fresh from his longboard victory placed second. Riding a near flat quad fin, South’s Ron Sannes skated around the fat sections all the way to inside for a giant lip bounce to win the heat.
Parker Browning’s roundhouse cutback.
Carrying over his traditional style from the longboard division, Peter Neal rode a classic twin fin fish to place third. In second place, his teammate Pat Komick caught a solid reforming right to blast on the inside. South’s Parker Browning has been the anchor of the surf team always competing in the final heat. He won the heat with a solid left coming unchained off the top.
Final score: Mira Costa 105, South 63