The South Bay Surf League All Star Individual Championships took place Saturday under grey skies and glassy, low-tide, 3-foot walls on the south side of the Hermosa Beach Pier. The ocean was so smooth and the sky so grey that it was hard to see where the sky ended and the ocean began. League director John Joseph had two areas running, with the rights coming off the pier and the lefts coming off the lifeguard tower a half block to the south.
In the early heats Mira Costa freshman Noah Collins was all over the speedy-walled lefts, racing up and down like the amped hummingbird he is. He took first in the shortboard division. Redondo’s senior Connor Beaty took second, riding the rights from the other side, demanding not to be ignored.
The girls long board division saw Mira Costa freshman Rachel Tominago cruising down a few high-point, medium-size waves, then switching her board around backwards to attempt fin-first take-offs on the remaining sets. She didn’t make them but she still won her division. Jordan Wible is another Mira Costa freshman who gave an amazing performance in the early heats. She placed second in the women’s longboard division.
Wible caught the wave of the day, taking off with her back against the pier pilings. The fiery blonde jumped on the nose, racing the outside curl that was peeling over her head. She hung 10 with a ‘60s soul-arch before back peddling as the section broke over her. Wible came out of the bowl wearing a big smile just in time to hit the lip on the end. The judges gave her a nine out of a possible 10.
The tide began to come in and the 3-foot walls began to shape up for the finals, with the best peaks right in front of the judges between the lifeguard tower and the pier. The first final was the body board division and everyone looked a bit lost, except Bishop Montgomery’s Alex Numa. He pulled off airborne rolls on all the sets to win the body board division. Redondo’s Trevor Le Sure flew into one 360 after another going the opposite way. John Sensac from South, Costa’s Nick Coonz, South’s Blake Ito and Redondo’s Connor Beaty all did 360s and some inside rolls, but couldn’t find the long set waves.
In the girls long board finals everyone seemed nervous, with all of them falling on their first waves. Jordan Wible got a nice left toward the pier with a coaster but had trouble settling down while the Costa cheering section screamed support for her. In the last two minutes she found an outside right with a big coaster finish.
Rachel Tominago picked up some lined-up lefts getting some long rides speeding toward the pier. The rest of the finalist kept out racing the curl as they paddled into them. Redondo’s Elle Inscore managed a good coaster and Sara Curren got a long right out of a mushy peak on the inside with Natalie De Angelo. South’s Kelsey Mc Clure also nailed a few long rides.
El Segundo’s Josh Gilbert was a breath of fresh air with his old school long board technique. He showed the crowd that it’s not the tricks on a long board, but the smooth ‘60s style that makes the long board special as he cruised down the line on the tip. Teammate Corey O’Neil got a few coasters on the inside. Redondo’s Connor Beaty won the longboard division with a big fin first take-off that had everyone confused. His board went the wrong way until he stuck his hand in the water, way spinning the board around and jumping back to regular foot. Connor was all about showmanship. Teammates Daniel Fillman got a nice 10 toes over the nose but couldn’t find a set wave, while Trevor Le Sure had the ‘50s and 60s long board style down with his big Mickey Dora arch and Johnny Fain cutbacks. The little man on wheels definitely has surfing spunk. South’s Daniel Clark put on a solid performance with some nice tip rides and smooth cutbacks.
The wind came up and the surf got sloppy for the women’s short board final. Redondo’s Sara Curren leaned right into the curl cruising down the line while Katie Parkinson dropped into an outside right of her own and Ailidah Sheldon raced down a fast inside left. Bishop Montgomery’s Natalie De Angelo tore up a sloppy inside left.
But the Costa girls took over the finals with Rachael Tominaga spanking the lip with her backside coasters and stealing all the inside lefts into the pier. Jordan Wible took over the outside rights, which peeled into a hole, allowing her to ride them to the shore break, with some nasty cutbacks and lip smacks along the way. Tominaga placed first and Wible second in the shortboard division.
The tide peaked and the wind picked up, leaving mediocre surf for the men’s short board final. Everyone seemed lost trying to find a wave big enough for one or two turns. El Segundo’s Steve Honsowits ripped a nice coaster then carved a deep cutback. Redondo’s Connor Beaty started off slow, but then picked off a big set right and a long left, smacking the lip four times through the shore break.
Costa’s Collins and Kyle Brown split the first outside peak, tearing off the lip, racing down the line in opposite directions. Kyle got the wave of the day, crushing the lip from the outside through the inside. Codee Stamis carved some mean cutbacks and Wyatt Boyd was forced to make the best of hitting the lip on the inside.
Collins and Beaty turned the final into a two-man show for the rest of the heat. They caught all the big set rights and just went one on one. They were both explosive with two distinctive different styles. Collins caught 10 waves and was forced to get out of the water with five minutes to go. He won with his upside down backside coasters while Beaty was going for 360s. Despite the poor surf conditions, they were both having fun.
Beaty was presented with the Waterman’s All Around ward for his first place longboard, second place shortboard and sixth place body board finishes. ER
