South beats RUHS in closest meet of SBSSA surf season [PHOTOS+VIDEO]
Redondo’s Tate Curran blasts off the top in last week’s SBSSA surf comp against South. photo by Dennis Lippon
The shores of the South Bay usually greet any hint of swell with the same outcome — close-outs. But on December 16, the South Bay Scholastic Surfing Association presented by Subaru Pacific featured a surf contest between Torrance South and Redondo Union high that had both big swell and great shapes. A freight-training left broke just 100 feet south of the pier, stoking out the evenly matched competing schools and leading to the tightest contest of the year.
“It was painful to watch,” said surf judge Mark Cole. “The judges were jonesing to catch a few waves and could hardly wait until after the contest to get a quick surf.”
South finds itself 2-1 on the season, its loss coming to first place Mira Costa, and in second place in the South Bay Premier Division. Redondo Union had yet to compete this season. Last year, the team beat a heavily depleted South High, whose top surfers were suspended for displinary reasons, by a large margin.
South’s Jessie Gaudet placed second by dropping into the heavies.
In the first heat of the boy’s shortboard division, two of the league’s top dogs, Redondo’s Kyle Beatty and Chris South’s Stimpfl, battled mightily.
“The talent in this heat was mind blowing,” said surf judge Mike Siordia. “Any given day, these two surfers are the ones to watch and today was no exception.”
Beatty used his backside to his advantage. He took off on an overhead and wafted the tail out the back before wrapping it like a present on the inside. Stimpfl went to his air game. The goofyfoot jumped on a mid-size wave with the perfect launch pad to land a frontside air. He beat Beatty by one point.
Another surfer that’s been one to watch is Redondo’s Tate Curran. Curran slashed off the top, slicing up the face of the wave and leaving major spray. Continuing down the line, he shot the pier and bashed the incoming right to win the heat. South’s Spencer Paine placed second with a roundhouse cutback.
video by Martycam
In the girl’s shortboard division, Redondo freshmen Devin Gracin surfed beyond her years. Competing for the first time, Gracin placed 3rd with a solid backside cutback. South’s Jessie Gaudet dropped into a few bombs for second. Redondo’s Emma Waldinger picked a part the left for the win.
With the tide filling in and the swell increasing, the longboarders opted to paddle from the north side of the pier’s channel between the sets.
Tate also won the boy’s longboard division with the most radical longboard maneuver seen all season. photo by Dennis Lippon
“Timing is key when paddling out in bigger surf on a longboard,” said Siordia, a top local longboarder. “You really have to watch the sets and paddle as fast as you can during the lulls and pray a set doesn’t come and wreck your day.”
South’s Bram Sprokkereef put on the best performance of his young hotdogger life. On one left, the flyweight hung five the entire wave to place second. Curren continued his winning ways by landing the most radical off-the-lip seen all season in the longboard division to win the heat.
Midway, Redondo was up 42 to South’s 41.
“It’s the closest contest I ever judged,” said Siordia. “At this point, it was anybody’s game.”
To help their teams fill the heat, many surfers who surf multiple divisions also surf the bodyboard division. Not South’s Justis Brown. He’s a rarity in the surf league and one of the few pure bodyboarders. It shows. He won the heat with an in-and-out barrel. Sprokkereef again placed second with a tight el rollo.
South’s Bram Sprokkereef hangs five on the epic left that appeared just off the Hermosa Beach Pier. photo by Dennis Lippon
If the boy longboarders had trouble navigating the waters, the girl longboarders were all about death or glory. This didn’t deter Waldinger as she wailed on a set left and won her second division. South’s Kelly Gibson dropped in on a set right and rode it all the way to the other lifeguard tower for second.
The boy’s shortboard division resumed in heat seven. South had taken the lead, 66 to 60. With the higher tide, the right off the pier began to show and open up. Redondo’s Jack Langdon took advantage and earned second with his flowy style. South Ron Sannes continues to utilize a longer shortboard for good results. He won the heat snapping off the top, dropping the wallet, and leaving no change.
photo gallery by Dennis Lippon
In the final heat of the day, Redondo still had a chance if the team placed in the top three places. It was an epic heat between two contrasting styles, Redondo’s Nathaniel Harris with his slashing, go-for-broke, radical temperament and South’s Parker Browning with his polished smooth Curran-esque wave treatment. Browning figured-eight all the way to the beach with roundhouse cutbacks for second place. Harris lost the fins on a right top tap turn to win the heat.
Final score: South 86, Redondo 81.