Champions at Church, Cosmic at Creek

Surfers flock to two big weekend events in San Clemente and Dana Point

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By Andrea Swayne

Variety was the spice of (surf) life the weekend of May 30 and 31 bringing hundreds of surfers to two of the area’s premier surf beaches for two very different events.

The 16th annual Vissla Cosmic Creek Surf Festival brought its own special brand of competition, history, music and ’60s-’70s retro surf culture to Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point while the Western Surfing Association was wrapping up the season with its Salt Life Hoppy Swarts Memorial West Coast Championships at San Onofre State Park’s Church Beach.

Although the sun only broke through the gloom a few times, a south swell brought consistent surf in the 3- to 5-foot range, with a few larger sets, to both events, offering competitors ample opportunity to shine.

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Click here to see more WSA WCC photos.

At Church, more than 350 competitors, from the entire West Coast and beyond, who qualified to surf in the WSA WCC battled it out for event trophies as well as final points to add to their season totals in 25 divisions. Local season champions were Makai Bray (San Clemente) in Micro Grom Boys U9, Bella Kenworthy (Dana Point) in Micro Grom Girls U10, Dane Matson (SC) in Boys/Girls U10 and Nicholas Coli (SC) in Boys 12.

Cosmic Creek included surfers visiting from the East Coast, Hawaii, Australia and South Africa.

Cosmic Creek Surf Festival, May 30-31, Dana Point, Salt Creek Beach

AGES 16 AND UNDER WAX SNATCHERS:

1. Bryce Mattox
2. Danny Kenduck
3. Fisher Quigley
4. Noah Albrecity
5. Kai Diamond
6. Sam Neiger

AGES 17-24:

1. Kolton Sullivan
2. Corey Colapinto
3. Conner MacCleod
4. Michael Carpenter
5. David Klaus
6. Garret Brown

AGES 25-34:

1. Clayton Snyder
2. Corban Campbell
3. Eric Mehlberg
4. Dane Ward
5. Erik Fawcett
6. Brandon Draguesku

AGES 35-44:

1. Scott Finn
2. Rob McCarty
3. Mo Van de Wall
4. G.Ivan Connelly
5. Rob Ripley
6. Ted Detwiler

AGES 45+:

1. Daniel Benjoya
2. Paul Naude
3. Eric Diamond
4. Lawrence Quigley
5. Rick Toohey
6. Brant Slowinski

CREATORS & INNOVATORS: 1. Josh Sleigh, DP;

2. Jason Bennett, Oceanside
3. Tim Stamps, Seal Beach
4. Britt Merrick, Santa Barbara
5. Barry Van Durmulen, Huntington Beach

PROS:

1. Colin Moran
2. Kalani Robb
3. Dane Gudauskas
4. Sam Orozco
5. Noah Schweiter
6. Nate Yeomans

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WSA West Coast Championships, May 30-31, San Onofre State Park, Church Beach

MICRO GROM BOYS U9:

1. Makai Bray, San Clemente
2. Hudson Saunders, Laguna Beach
3. Maddox Bray, San Clemente
4. Jaxson Hutcheon, Laguna Beach

WEST COAST SEASON CHAMPION: Makai Bray, San Clemente

MICRO GROM GIRLS U10:

1. Bella Kenworthy, Dana Point
2. Sawyer Lindblad, San Clemente
3. Mara Morales, Huntington Beach
4. Hannah Dunfee, San Diego

CHAMPION: Bella Kenworthy, Dana Point

BOYS/GIRLS U10:

1. Dane Matson, San Clemente
2. Lucas Owston, Oceanside
3. Luke Butterfield, Encinitas
4. Hayden Rodgers, Laguna Beach

CHAMPION: Dane Matson, San Clemente

BOYS U12:

1. Levi Slawson, Encinitas
2. Taj Lindblad, San Clemente
3. William Mitchell, Oceanside
4. Nicholas Coli, San Clemente

CHAMPION: Nicholas Coli, San Clemente

BOYS U14:

1. Taro Watanabe, Malibu
2. Griffin Foy, Huntington Beach
3. Jabe Swierkocki, Ventura
4. Ethan Mudge, Capistrano Beach

CHAMPION: Griffin Foy, Huntington Beach

BOYS U16:

1. Brock Crouch, Carlsbad
2. Noah Hohenester, San Clemente
3. George Williams, Laguna Beach
4. Curran Dand, San Clemente

CHAMPION: Brock Crouch, Carlsbad

BOYS U18:

1. Kei Kobayashi, San Clemente
2. Nathan Young, Fountain Valley
3. Christopher Kervin, Newport Beach
4. Brennan Aubol, Carlsbad

CHAMPION: Ethan Grant, Carlsbad

GIRLS U12:

1. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad
2. Ella McCaffray, Cardiff-by-the-Sea
3. Bryce Ava Wettstein, Encinitas
4. Jenna Clark, La Mesa

CHAMPION: Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad

GIRLS U14:

1. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad
2. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente
3. Kayla Coscino, Laguna Beach
4. Bryce Ava Wettstein, Encinitas

CHAMPION: Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad

GIRLS U16:

1. Kayla Coscino, Laguna Beach
2. Sydney Tisdel, Carlsbad
3. Kelly Smith, Laguna Beach
4. Kiersten Noonan, Encinitas

CHAMPION: Kayla Coscino, Laguna Beach

GIRLS U18:

1. Maya Saulino, San Marcos
2. Frankie Seely, Topanga
3. Jordyn Barratt, Encinitas
4. Maile Davis, Carlsbad

CHAMPION: Maya Saulino, San Marcos

BOYS LONGBOARD U14:

1. Patrick O’Connor, San Juan Capistrano
2. Koby Gilchrist, Encinitas
3. Ben Kappes, Laguna Niguel
4. Jimmy Wynne, San Clemente

CHAMPION: Koby Gilchrist, Encinitas

LONGBOARD U18:

1. Kaimana Takayama, San Clemente
2. Trevor Anderberg, Encinitas
3. Ben Kappes, Laguna Niguel
4. Benjamin Goldstein, Carlsbad

CHAMPION: Trevor Anderberg, Encinitas

GIRLS LONGBOARD U14:

1. Izzy Hopkins, Dana Point
2. Liv Stokes, Aliso Viejo
3. Betsey Lee, Topanga
4. Malia Mauch, San Clemente

CHAMPION: Liv Stokes, Aliso Viejo

GIRLS LONGBOARD U18:

1. Frankie Seely, Topanga
2. Taylor Bruynzeel, Newbury Park
3. Soleil Errico, Malibu
4. Teresa O’Connor, San Juan Capistrano

CHAMPION: Hana McEvilly, Carlsbad

MEN 18-29:

1. Nate Smithson, Camarillo
2. Evan Sandison, Laguna Niguel
3. Jared Boyd, Hermosa Beach
4. Simon Torres, El Segundo

CHAMPION: Evan Sandison, Laguna Niguel

MASTERS 30-39:

1. Paul Pugliesi, Oceanside
2. Jonathan Warren, Long Beach
3. Philip Salick, Los Angeles

CHAMPION: Paul Pugliesi, Oceanside

SENIOR MEN 40-49:

1. Neil Bern, Carlsbad
2. Pedro Diaz Rangel, Oceanside
3. Erik Krammer, Oceanside
4. Tom Dillon, Ventura

CHAMPION: Pedro Diaz Rangel, Oceanside

WOMEN 18+:

1. Brooke Daigneault, Huntington Beach
2. Michelle Watson, Ventura
3. Morgan Gore, Mendham NJ
4. Emma Roll, Santa Monica

CHAMPION: Brooke Daigneault, Huntington Beach

LEGENDS 50+:

1. Tom Matthews, San Diego
2. Masaki Kobayashi, San Clemente
3. Jeff Jessee, San Clemente
4. Rusty Phillipy, Cardiff-by-the-Sea

CHAMPION: Rusty Phillipy, Cardiff-by-the-Sea

OPEN MEN:

1. Kei Kobayashi, San Clemente
2. Cody Canzoneri, San Clemente
3. Skyler Stokes, Del Mar
4. Paul Pugliesi, Oceanside

CHAMPION: Skyler Stokes, Del Mar

OPEN WOMEN:

1. Jordan Wible, Manhattan Beach
2. Brooke Daigneault, Huntington Beach
3. Maya Saulino, San Marcos
4. Samantha Lamirand, Cardiff-by-the-Sea

CHAMPION: Maya Saulino, San Marcos

OPEN MEN LONGBOARD:

1. Kaimana Takayama, San Clemente
2. Nick Anderberg, Encinitas
3. Kevin Skvarna, San Juan Capistrano
4. Trevor Anderberg, Encinitas

CHAMPION: Nick Anderberg, Encinitas

OPEN WOMEN LONGBOARD:

1. Liv Stokes, Aliso Viejo
2. Katelyn Springer, Newport Beach
3. Keili McEvilly, Carlsbad
4. Isabella Gilchrist, Cardiff-by-the-Sea

CHAMPION: Katelyn Springer, Newport Beach

MEN LONGBOARD 40+:

1. Dave Schaefer, Hermosa Beach
2. Lance Albright, Huntington Beach
3. Gregory Mcewan, El Segundo
4. Benjamin Murphey, San Diego

CHAMPION: Lance Albright, Huntington Beach

ADAPTIVE SURFERS:

1. Charles Webb, Oceanside
2. Chris Oberle, Los Angeles
3. Mark Thornton, Carlsbad

CHAMPION: Charles Webb, Oceanside