Last week, a pumping winter swell greeted the SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach for the WSL’s Qualifying Series first event of the season.
The draw was stacked with local talent from San Clemente and Dana Point, and when the contest was over, San Clemente’s Sawyer Lindblad and Bella Kenworthy finished first and second in the women’s division, respectively, while Crosby Colapinto landed in third for the men.
Getting among the competitive fury was Dana Point’s Marlo Leigh Harris, who broke the seal and competed in her first-ever Qualifying Series event. And not only was it her first event, she advanced out of her first heat.
In the round of 32, she was eliminated by a mere 0.4 of a point, ultimately settling for a very respectable 17th-place finish.
Training hard and competing every chance she gets, Harris has been putting a lot of hard work into her surfing, and the results are showing. Getting her boards from shaper Chris Borst and her wetsuits and gear from Rip Curl, she’s also well-armed with the right tools for the job.
With a graceful, flowing style and hard-charging approach, Harris continues to be one of the shining lights of the up-and-coming Dana Point scene.If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com.