By Jake Howard
As we dive deeper into summer, things are starting to seriously heat up among the NSSA ranks.
Last weekend, the Southwest Division landed in Huntington Beach, where the winner of the Open Super Girls division was San Clemente’s Avery McDonald. Edging out her friend and fellow local rising star Mia McLeish, it was Avery’s first Southwest Open win of the season.
“I knew I had to catch the right waves with an actual clean face, because conditions were so windy,” McDonald told the NSSA after the victory. She added, “Wave selection was the key, so I could push my turns harder to get the bigger scores.”

An ideal warmup for the upcoming USA Surfing Championships at Lower Trestles, McDonald has been selected to compete in both the Under-14 and Under-16 divisions. The event runs from June 21-25 and is well stocked with local talent, as well as some of the best up-and-coming surfers from around the country.
And in case you were wondering if these groms are going to score some surf? Yes, they most certainly are. According to Surfline, there’s a consistent run of south swell on tap that should keep the waves in the 4- to 6-foot range for the duration of the event.
If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com.
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