The South Bay Surf League started the 2014-2015 season Saturday with the Kick-Off Classic Contest, featuring nine local high schools’ top surfers, three to five foot breakers, and the beach at 26th Street in Manhattan Beach clustered with canopies and banners festooned with school colors and insignias.
“The Kick Off Classic is the perfect contest for each high school team coach to evaluate the team’s talent, “said head judge Chris Broman. “It factors in their decision on who’s surfing in the contests for the season.”
The surf league is run by Spyder Surfboards and is directed by Spyder Surf’s Dickie O’Reilly. who oversaw a flawless event that included over 300 students, coaches and parents, and 26 hours of competition siphoned to a contest spanning from morning to afternoon.
Good conditions prevailed for most of the morning, but by lunchtime an onshore wind began to stir up. The ocean surface was slightly ice-capped by the afternoon, causing tricky conditions that really tested the finalists.
In the BodyBoard final, El Segundo High’s Zack Montrose placed 6th. It’s noted that Montrose surfed in three divisions bringing an “Aloha” spirit to the contest on his Tyler Surfboards. Dilllon Regone of South High, a surf team that traditionally has some of the areas best boogie boarders placed 5th. Palos Verdes High’s Peter Healy took fourth place with a good right. Trevor Leshore of Redono Union High 360’d into 3rd place. It was a close final between South’s Ron Sannes and Mira Costa High’s Nick Coons.Coons’ edged out Sannes for first with a good ARS.
The Women’s Longboard Final brought grace and style to the event with the area’s best lady sliders. Jessica Gaudet of South got 6th. She took a lot of gas getting caught inside but surfed well. For 5th place, Redondo’s Hali Honea took waves on the inside with Lauren Freidrich of Mira Costa placing fourth with a good fade on an inside right. Freidrich’s teammate Emily Seth (a multiple division contestant) rode all her waves to the inside for 3rd. South’s Elise Takashima got a bombing outsider for 2nd place. Winning the final, Amelie Vergnolle of Mira Costa who stood out the entire contest.
The current longboard scene’s favoritism to single fin heavy longboards that weigh more on the traditional side is quite evident in the longboard division. A majority of the competitors disregard for leashes and the modern three fin light longboard follows this beat. For 6th place, Noah Hale of El Segundo cross stepped all the way to the inside. Mira Costa’s Andy Large took home 5th with a good right. Tate Cullen of Redondo placed 4th. The styling Ron Sannes of South landed a huge rollercoaster for 3rd place. The first two spots were a battle between a regular foot, Kris Hall of Redondo, and a goofyfoot, Andrew Neal of Mira Costa. Hall and Neal battled the entire final with noserides, drop knees, and floaters. With the left’s lining up a little better, Neal got a set wave screaming down the line with a cheater five. He sealed the contest with a smooth hang heels and walk back on an inside left. Hall who scored one of the highest heats in the first round, couldn’t get any of the rights to open up but still placed second.
In the Women’s shortboard final, the lowering tide made wave selection a bit tough. Palos Verdes’ Paula Knichrehm took 6th with a few big drops. Hali Honea from Redondo took 5th while her teammate Emma Waldinger placed 2nd by dominating the lefts with a few hits up the top. South’s Jessica Gaudet made the Spartan’s proud with a fourth place finish. Third place finisher Darby Dayton of Mira Costa got a few ripping cutbacks. Winning the Division Emily Seth, went for broke on all the set waves.
By the last heat of the day — the men’s shortboard finals — conditions made for crunchy waves with blowing onshore “air winds.” The finalists were a “who’s who” of the league’s top stars. Palos Verdes’ Nick Ferrara placed 6th with a huge rollercoaster. Cody Purcell of Mira Costa finished in fifth by surfing consistently all contest. With the guidance of superstar pro surfer Alex Gray, Peninsula’s Will Allen took fourth. Palos Verdes’ Jack Rowan placed third with a huge lip bounce. First and second was a toss-up between South’s Chris Stimpl and Redondo’s Kyle Beatty. Stimpl milked every wave, gouging turns and lashing cutbacks, while Beatty finished with the day’s strongest move — on a set wave, he went for a huge fins, freeing air. Pulling it off, he won the division.
RESULTS:
1st. Nick Coons, Mira Costa 2nd. Ron Sannes, South 3rd. Trevor La Shure, Redondo 4th. Peter Henley, Palos Verdes 5th. Dillon Ragore, South 6th. Zack Montrose, El Segundo
1st. Amelie Vergnolle, Mira Costa 2nd. Elise Takashima, South 3rd. Emily Seth, Mira Costa 4th. Lauren Freidrich, Mira Costa 5th. Hali Honea Redondo 6th. Jessica Gaudet, South
1st. Andrew Neal, Mira Costa 2nd. Kris Hall, Redondo 3rd. Ryan Sannes, South 4th. Tate Cullen, Redondo 5th. Andy Large, Mira Costa 6th. Noah Hale
1st. Emily Seth, Mira Costa 2nd. Emma Waldinger, Redondo 3rd. Darby Dayton, Mira Costa 4th. Jessica Gaudet 5th. Hali Honea, Redondo 6th. Paula Knickrehm, Palos Verdes
1st. Kyle Beatty, Redondo 2nd. Chris Stimpl, South 3rd. Jack Rowan, Palos Verdes 4th. Will Allen, Peninsula 5th. Cody Purcell, Mira Costa 6th. Nick Ferrrara, Palos Verdes
For more info on this year’s contest season, check out: southbayscholasticsurfingassociation.com
