South Bay Surf League director John Joseph was starting to sweat halfway through the surf league season. Week after week, contests needed to be postponed because of fog, strong winds, rain, storm drain runoff or dead flat conditions. Last week the surf finally started to come up so John took full advantage of the situation by running two sites at the same time.
Joseph had the B-Division going at Torrance Beach while John Grannis had Palos Verdes surfing against Mira Costa High School on the south side of the Hermosa Beach Pier in ice cold, three-foot, offshore zippers. Grannis did an excellent job in Joseph’s absence. He has plenty of contest experience. He helped his father, Leroy, for decades. Leroy is best known as a surf photographer, but he was also a surf contest director, beach co-coordinator and judge for all the big surf contests up and down the coast.
Mira Costa’s Noah Collins started the first short board heat off with several big smacks off the lip on a set left, then going backside on a right, doing everything possible all the way to the beach. Teammates Jared Boyd ripped off a hot 360 and Kyle Brown zipped through a tube.
Palos Verdes’ Will Borzi tried to counter with some fast coasters but couldn’t get the long rides. The waves got really inconsistent in the next short board heat leaving everyone scratching for anything big enough to stand up on. Costa’s Mike Cassen landed a nice floater before PV’s Derek Daigneault and Michael Willigrod put on rollercoaster displays down the line.
The girl’s short board started with a surprise performance by Costa’s Sara Kohrogi. She ripped the rights coming off the pier, smacking the lip and snapping cutbacks all the way to the beach. Teammate Jordan Wible spanked the lip twice on an outside wave and PV’s Jessie Rowan flew down the face of a big left into the pier.
PV’s Derek Daigneault started off the long board heat with a good nose ride and Brendan Hefferman hung five on a long left. Costa’s favorite Peter Venardos ran to the nose to make a spinner then back peddled into a smooth coaster while Josh Perch made a fin first take off and hung five, three times on along right.
In the body board, Costa’s Jackson Casady spun into two 360’s on his first wave while Nick Coons flew into a big roll outside and Mike Cassen pulled off a standing 360 on a hot right off the pier. PV’s Will Borzi slid upside down, rolling inside of a fast barrel while Joe Marian made a 360 into the pier.
The girl’s long board division was impressive, as well. John Grannis said, “Girl’s used to have no idea what long boarding was about. They just rode long boards because they were easy to catch waves on. Now the girl’s are looking a lot more stylish while making some impressive long board maneuvers.”
John’s right. The girl’s are walking the nose and doing some nice turns. PV’s Jessie Rowan had no trouble adapting to the long board after her shortboard heats, cruising all the way to the beach with a ‘60s look about her. Costa’s Sara Kohrogi went back to the rights off the pier and cruised down the line. Teammate Rachel Tominaga dropped down the face of an outside left into the pier. Jordan Wible picked up the outsiders, milking them all the way to the sand. It was one of the most interesting heats of the day.
Then the tide came in and the waves got scarce for the final two short board heats. PV’s Zach Kline made the most of it with a backside off the lip in the shore break. Joe Marian was all over the inconsistent waves with deep cutbacks and smacking the lip down the line. Costa’s Codee Stamis spanked the lip several times on a big outsider while Marcus Heim did a big, backside off the top on an overhead wave. In the last heat, Costa’s Payne English played hide and seek, squirting out of the barrel and going off the lip while Nate Quinn shot out of his own tube off the pier. Wyatt Boyd just took over the heat with radical cutbacks and big coasters. PV tried to counter with Justin Palmer pulling in and out of the green room on an outside left but it was too little too late. Mira Costa was too far ahead as the tide peaked and the waves stopped.The final score was Mira Costa 94, Palos Verdes High 73. ER
