WSA Kicks Off New Surf Season

Local surfers earn 40 trophies, 9 wins at Western Surfing Association Event No. 1

By Andrea Swayne

The stoke in the air was palpable as more than 380 surfers of all ages shredded their first waves of the 2013-2014 contest season Saturday and Sunday at the Western Surfing Association Championship Series kick-off event. Local competitors from the tri-city area made 40 podium appearances.

Trail 6 at San Onofre State Park was buzzing with excitement as surfers—along with hundreds of spectators—returned from summer break to begin accumulating points in the nine-event regular season on the hunt for West Coast Championship titles and qualification into next year’s Surfing American U.S. Championships.

“It was great to reunite with our regular competitors and to see so many new names on the heat sheets,” said MaryLou Drummy, WSA executive director. “There was a really good vibe and some great surfing. All around it was an awesome start to the season.”

Adult shortboard divisions for surfers over the age of 18, as well as U18 Shortboard and all longboard divisions were completed on Saturday and the remaining shortboard divisions for kids under 16 on Sunday.

Clean and consistent surf in the 3- to 4-foot range on Saturday improved on Sunday bringing bigger waves in the head-high to overhead range.

Two local groms started their season on an exceptionally high note. San Clemente-based shortboarders Kirra Pinkerton and Kade Matson each took top honors in two divisions. Pinkerton won the Girls U12 and U14 divisions and Matson the Boys U12 and U14.

Four other under 18 athletes also won their divisions: From San Clemente Bryce Pinkerton in Micro Grom U9 Shortboard and Malia Osterkamp in Open Women Shortboard, Rachael Tilly of Capistrano Beach in Girls U18 Longboard and from Dana Point, Brighton Reinhardt in Boys U18 Shortboard.

In adult competition, San Clemente’s Michael Takayama took the win in the Senior Men 40+ Longboard.

“It was my first WSA event in about 9 years and I thought it was fantastic. And not just because I won,” Takayama said. “The judging seemed dead on and extremely fair. I have a competitive nature and it’s really nice to do well but that’s not what’s most important. It was neat being with the guys I’ve surfed with for over 20 years and I really enjoyed the camaraderie. Win or lose, my son Kai and I are really excited to be a part of it.”

The second WSA event of the season is scheduled for September 21 and 22 at Surfers Point in Ventura.

For more information, see www.surfwsa.org.

RESULTS:

WSA Championship Tour, Event No. 1, August 3-4, San Onofre State Beach, Trail 6

MICRO GROM BOYS/GIRLS SB U9

1. Bryce Pinkerton, San Clemente

2. Dane Matson, San Clemente

3. Ty Spencer, Carlsbad

4. Hayden Rodgers, Laguna Beach

5. Adler Swierkocki, Ventura

6. Cole McCaffray, Cardiff by the Sea

BOYS/GIRLS U10

1. Noah Steinmetz, Huntington Beach

2. Brayden Burch, San Clemente

3. Dax McPhillips, San Clemente

4. Callahan Corn, Del Mar

5. Curran Stagg, Carlsbad

6. Ty Spencer, Carlsbad

BOYS U12

1. Kade Matson, San Clemente

2. Jabe Swierkocki, Ventura

3. Taro Watanabe, Malibu

4. Sebastian Mendes, Agoura Hills

5. Jett Schilling, San Clemente

6. Keanu Igarashi, Huntington Beach

BOYS U14

1. Kade Matson, San Clemente

2. Dagan Stagg, Carlsbad

3. Griffin Foy, Fullerton

4. John West, Huntington Beach

5. Caleb Crozier, Encinitas

6. Wolf Wertheimer, San Clemente (Hong Kong)

BOYS U16

1. Sam Neiger, Corona Del Mar

2. Nathan Young, Fountain Valley

3. Nathan Carabba, San Clemente

4. Jacob Atwood, Capistrano Beach

5. Wil Reid, Palos Verdes Estates

6. Brock Crouch, Carlsbad

BOYS U18

1. Brighton Reinhardt, Dana Point

2. Jay Christenson, San Diego

3. Jason Knell, Santa Barbara

4. Josh Johnson, Imperial Beach

5. Noah Foskett, San Clemente

6. Trey Wood, Newport Beach

GIRLS U12

1. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente

2. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad

3. Samantha Sibley, San Clemente

4. Kaelene De Bie, Paramount

5. Hayden Rouse, Huntington Beach

6. Bryce Ava Wettstein, Encinitas

GIRLS U14

1. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente

2. Tiare Thompson, La Jolla

3. Sydney Tisdel, Carlsbad

4. Cameron Duby, San Juan Capistrano

5. Alyssa Spencer, Carlsbad

6. Samantha Sibley, San Clemente

GIRLS U16

1. Tiare Thompson, La Jolla

2. Tera Richardson, Capistrano Beach

3. Juli Hernandez, Costa Mesa

4. Sidney Johnson, Carlsbad

5. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente

6. Alexxa Elseewi, San Clemente

GIRLS U18

1. Juli Hernandez, Costa Mesa

2. Avalon Johnson, Carlsbad

3. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente

4. Frankie Seely, Topanga

5. Maddie LoMonaco, Santa Monica

6. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente

BOYS LONGBOARD U14

1. Koby Gilchrist, Encinitas

2. Ryan Ulrich, Manhattan Beach

3. Jimmy Wynne, San Clemente

4. Eli Crane, San Clemente

5. Matthew Regan, Aptos

JR. LONGBOARD U18

1. Austin Sonnier, San Diego

2. Kaimana Takayama, San Clemente

3. Nick Anderberg, Encinitas

4. Trevor Anderberg, Encinitas

5. Jake Marcy, Huntington Beach

6. Jack Benjamin, San Juan Capistrano

GIRLS LONGBOARD U14

1. Hana McEvilly, Carlsbad

2. Cameron Duby, San Juan Capistrano

3. Lexi Morgan, San Clemente

4. Liv Stokes, Aliso Viejo

5. Cate Stokes, Aliso Viejo

6. Emma Nooren, La Jolla

GIRLS LONGBOARD U18

1. Rachael Tilly, Capistrano Beach

2. Frankie Seely, Topanga

3. Maddie LoMonaco, Santa Monica

4. Teresa O’Connor, San Juan Capistrano

5. Kyla Kelley, Capistrano Beach

6. Julie Shuman, Encinitas

MEN 18-29

1. Stephen Sendejas, Sunset Beach

2. Hunter Martinez, Pasadena

3. Daniel Nofal, Carlsbad

4. Aron Schuhmann, Santa Monica

5. Evan Sandison, Laguna Niguel

6. Corey Adams, Oregon

MASTERS 30-39

1. Brian Warren, Los Gatos

2. Logan Andresen, Malibu

3. Paul Pugliesi, Oceanside

4. Gavin Haughey, Laguna Niguel

5. Steve Moore, Encinitas

6. Nick Varela, San Diego

SENIOR MEN 40-49

1. Jason Shook, Cardiff

2. Scott Whitmer, Gardena

3. Tom Matthews, San Diego

4. Jeff Jones, San Clemente

5. Scott Garner, Carlsbad

6. Brett William Jordan, Ventura

LEGENDS 50+

1. Rusty Phillipy, Cardiff

2. Dale Baker, San Clemente

3. John Baum, Santa Monica

4. Tim Senneff, San Diego

5. Dave Hansberry, Los Alamitos

6. Mike Gillard, Coronado

OPEN MEN SHORTBOARD – ALL AGES

1. Jeremy Jennings, Huntington Beach

2. Jonathan Warren, Huntington Beach

3. Jason Knell, Santa Barbara

4. Rusty Phillipy, Cardiff

5. Scott Whitmer, Gardena

6. Zach Kaplan, Huntington Beach

OPEN WOMEN SHORTBOARD – ALL AGES

1. Malia Osterkamp, San Clemente

2. Janelle Ferris, Westminster

3. Malia Rimavicus, Costa Mesa

4. Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente

5. Morgan Gore, New Jersey

6. Crystal Da Silva, Carlsbad

OPEN MEN LONGBOARD – ALL AGES

1. Nick Anderberg, Encinitas

2. Shea Roney, Leucadia

3. Noah Bender, Imperial Beach

4. Terry Gillard, Imperial Beach

5. Austin Sonnier, San Diego

6. Cody Canzoneri, San Clemente

OPEN WOMEN LONGBOARD – ALL AGES

1. Maddie LoMonaco, Santa Monica

2. Natalie Hubbard, Santa Monica

3. Kyla Kelley, Capistrano Beach

4. Emma Roll, Santa Monica

5. Kaila Patterson, Capistrano Beach

SR. MEN LONGBOARD 40+

1. Michael Takayama, San Clemente

2. Mike Gillard, Coronado

3. Brian McEvilly, Carlsbad

4. Lance Albright, Huntington Beach

5. Terry Gillard, Imperial Beach

6. Eric Rendon, San Clemente

ADAPTIVE SURFERS

1. Mark Thornton, Carlsbad

2. Chris Oberle, Los Angeles