To 19-year local surf star and Mira Costa graduate Jordan Wible, the Western Surfing Association’s West Coast championships were not just another contest but a weekend at her favorite place on Earth.
The championships were held Sunday at Churches, the surf break between Trestles and San Onofre.
“I just love the waves and the vibe,” Wible said. “I camp at Camp Pendleton for the weekend with family and friends who come to support me.”  
Wible defended her title in the waist to shoulder high waves in oily glassy conditions at the point break, winning the Open Women’s division for the second year in a row.
“In the final, I caught a very good first wave finishing on my wave [after a big maneuver],“ she said. “It built my confidence and every wave I had at least three turns on every wave.”
Wible’s win caps off a spectacular season in which she placed second in the Huntington Beach contest and was no stranger in the finals of nearly every contest she surfed.
Emma Roll of El Segundo took on the task of competing in three divisions at the WSA championships, with her best result of fourth in the 18 and over Women’s Division.
“I surfed the first five contests [the requirement to do the championship is to enter in five], before I left to New Zealand for a couple of months for work,” she said. “I’m stoked to have done so well with only surfing ten times since my last contest.”
Roll said she “felt the love of the WSA organization” and really appreciates the family orientated environment.
“I am so happy for South Bay being represented so well with Jordan winning,” she said. “ As well as with Dave Schaefer killing it.”
Hermosa Beach’s Schaefer, who  is as indestructible as they come, was invited to surf in four divisions, Open Shortboard, Senior Shortboard, Open Longboard, and Senior Longboard.
“I thought the waves were going to be small and I didn’t want to surf against 140 pounders in waist waves blowing their tales in the Open Men’s,” Schaefer said. “When I saw there were waves, I tried signing up on the beach but the division was seated already.”
Schaefer was undefeated in every contest he surfed in the WSA. He and fellow South Bay surfer Greg Mcewan held their own in the final with Mcewan placing third and Schaefer winning the Senior Longboard Division. Shaefer said that the contests had conflicted with local South Bay Boardrider Club contests — of which he was the overall winner — he believes he would have taken the whole WSA series.
“If I would of done just one or two more contests,” Schaefer said. “I would of won the points ratings.”  ER
