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After a season in which cooperative surf and warmer than normal temperatures resulted in only a few rescheduled contests, the South Bay Scholastic Surfing Association concluded with it’s annual All Star Meet last Saturday at Hermosa Beach Pier.
“It has been the smoothest contest season ever, with Spyder Surf’s Dickie O’Reilly running the show,” said head judge Chris Broman. “Without him stepping in a few years ago, the league would have went under.”
The Allstar Meet is a unique event. It invites the top three surfers in every division, Men’s Shortboard, Women’s Shortboard, Men’s Longboard, Women’s Longboard, and Bodyboard to compete for individual glory.With a team of judges, O’Reilly helmed the contest, diligently running two areas side by side.
“The contest is the biggest draw of the year,” said surf judge Kaylee Grannis. “Besides having the most competitors, it brings out a lot support on the beach.”
The surf was in the two to three foot range with an occasional shoulder high set. Shape was sub-par, but the surfers knew how to make the waves look better than they actually were.
“Conditions were challenging,” said Grannis. “A cold onshore wind increased through the morning and a lowering tide added to the difficulty.”
In the bodyboard division, gone are the days of a bodyboarder being just a bodyboarder. Most of the division’s finalists placed in other divisions as they function as the “swiss army knife” of their teams. The top three finishers, Trevor La Shure, Jack Rowan, and Kyle Beatty, can almost ride anything. La Shure won the contest with his stellar el rollos; Rowan placed second with his 360s. Often opting to stand-up and goof around, Beatty took off on some mini (like real mini) teahupoo-like shorepound barrels on the inside for 3rd.
Familiar faces placed in the women’s longboard division. Mira Costa teammates Amelie Aergnolle and Sara Kohrogi have traded top two spots all year. Kohrogi has been more of the hotdogger of the two by transiting her shortboard antics to a bigger board. At the same time, she keeps with the traditional side of things with quick noserides. Aergnolle, on the other hand, has a more graceful flowing style connecting lines all the way to the shore. She won the division by catching the set lefts, Kohrogi took second, and Alicia Stephan completed a couple cutbacks for third.
All year, Kohrogi has been an unstoppable force in the women’s shortboard division. Her influence has rubbed off her teammates, as the Mira Costa team took the top spots in the division. Aergnolle traded her places by placing second with Lauren Freidrich earning third.
Hermosa Beach stakes claim as the “true surf city” based on historical fact, so it’s very cool and particularly apt that a majority of the longboarders in the league have embraced the traditional side of the discipline. Hotdogging reigned supreme all year, indicating a bright future with these young hotdoggers and surf gremlins. Rollercoasting into third place, Peter Healy stood out on his lip maneuvers. Riding a wide noserider, Neal perched the deepest hand tens all morning for second place. Kris Hall looked like a young Nat Young at the 1966 World Surfing Championship by combining everything. Riding a self shaped surfboard, Hall had equal nose antics and wave involvement to win the division. Winners were given beautiful D-Fin trophies built by Brad Heath of Sunrise Boardworks.
By the last heat of the day and the season, the men’s shortboard final, conditions deteriorated to the worst of the season. Onshore wind churned up whitecaps. To combat the chill, the judges hid behind their tables with their heads peeking over in a shootout position. The finalists took to the water ready to weather the storm. The very red headed Beatty seems to always be in a red jersey that mimics his fireball style; he was going hard the entire contest holding it at his homebreak and placed third. Cody Purcell has a bright future in front of him; the sophomore took it to the rights with his soon to be trademarked fins releasing end maneuvers. Somehow he manages to stick his tricks even after landing in awkward places. Purcell placed second. The darkhorse of the event, Noah Hale — who only placed 6th in the longboard division at the “Kick-Off Classic” in late October last year — upset the division by destroying the rights off the pier all day for the win.
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O’Reilly also presented overall awards for the best waterman, waterwomen, and rookies of the year.
South’s Elisa Takashima won by becoming the dominant woman surfer for the team while Nate Bauer became the stand-out for West High.
“Rookie of the year was given to the surfer who made an immediate impact for their team in their first year,” O’Reilly said.
PV’s Peter Healy won the “Waterman Of The Year” by being the most consistent surfer in all the divisions.
“For waterman, it was close between his teammate Jack Rowan who won last year,” O’Reilly said. “This surfer surfed three divisions very well.”
Kohrogi, Miss Valedictorian, won the “Waterman of the Year” as a victory lap to her final year in the league success.
“This was hands down a no-brainer,” he said. “She was unbeatable in shortboard all year.”
With 2014-2015 under wraps, the Spyder Surfboards crew provided killer swag from Spy Optics, Kinecta Federal Credit Union Sun Bum, Rip Curl, Globe and went all out with the trophies.
Check out southbayscholasticsurfingassociation.com for photos and highlights of the year
Results:
Bodyboard: 1. Trevor La Shure Redondo 2. Jack Rowan PV 3. Kyle Beatty Redondo 4. Nick Coons Mira Costa 5. Cooper Garner Mira Costa 6. Luc Jacquewetter
Women’s Longboard: 1. Amelie Aergnolle Mira Costa . Sara Kohrogi Mira Costa 3. Alicia Stephan PV 4. Elise Takashima South High 5. Lauren Freidrich Mira Costa 6. Sierra Brown Redondo
Women’s Shortboard: 1. Sara Kohrogi 2. Amelie Aergnolle Mira Costa 3. Lauren Freidrich Mira Costa 4. Darby Dayton Mira Costa 5. Emma Waldinger Redondo 6. Sierra Brown Redondo
Men’s Longboard: 1. Kris Hall Redondo 2. Peter Neal Mira Costa 3. Peter Healy PV 4. Jack Rowan PV 5. Jack Langdon Redondo 6. Shay Falkenstein El Segundo
Men’s Shortboard: 1. Noah Hale El Segundo 2. Cody Purcell Mira Costa 3. Kyle Beatty Redondo 4.Peter Healy PV 5. Doug Golubovic Mira Costa 6. Chris Stimpfl South
Final League Results:
- Mira Costa Mustangs – win 7 – loss 0
- Redondo Seahawks – win 5 – loss 1
- Palos Verdes Sea Kings – win 4 – loss 2
- South Spartans – win 5 – loss 3
- El Segundo Eagles – win 5 – loss 2
- North / West / Bishop Combo – win 2 – loss 4
- San Pedro / Chadwick Combo -win 1 – loss 5
- Penninsula Panthers – win 1 – loss 5
- Torrance Tartars – win 0 – loss 5
