Volcom Blowfish

VQS
Seaside Reef San Diego
28 February - 1 March 2009

Volcom Blowfish final event scores great Seaside Reef

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 March, 2009 : - - The final stop of the Blowfish Surf Series kicked off in some unbelievable conditions at Seaside Reef on Saturday February 28th. When we rolled up to the gate at 6:30 in the morning there was already a line of cars backing up traffic on the 101 and we knew we were in for a contest of gladiator like proportions.

As we waited for the friendly park ranger to unlock the gate we began seeing some head high lines detonate across the reef as a brand new swell focused in on infamous Seaside Reef. The entire day the weather was amazing, beach was packed, and the waves were firing. With having hundreds of people wanting to compete, we managed to fit nearly everyone in, running for so long that the Pro/Am final came in, in pretty much complete darkness.

With an incredible awards ceremony in the dark with hundreds of people watching and competitors anxiously awaiting there results to see if they qualifies for the 2009 VQS World Champs to be held in May with a $50,000 prize purse. Heres how the finals all went down.

With one of the most packed Girls divisions ever at a Volcom contest, it was a battle of epic proportions all the way into the final. Alissa Lentz managed to sneak into the contest in an alternate position and in the final showed that her spot wasnt to waste. She kicked the heat off strong with a huge mid range score on one of Seaside�s barreling lefts.

Austin Ware : photo Kenny Morris

But another alternate Erika Cook also showed she had something to prove and answered back with her own barrage of waves. But when the final wound down, no one was prepared for the attack brought on by Lauren Sweeney who after a winter in Mammoth running gondolas, showed up to mercilessly attack the waves and claim the win along with some serious bragging rights and enough prizes to help her get through the rest of the snowy Mammoth winter. Mackenzie Kessler, Suzy Skarvlis, and Liz Hauser rounded out the rest of the final.

The Groms were up next and despite their small stature, once in the water no one could believe the level of surfing they displayed on the long lefts. Colin Moran threw down one of the biggest backside blasts anyone on the beach had ever seen by a grom and some minor panic ensued as spectators thought there were guys from the Pro/Am final out surfing. Kent Nishiya looked fresh from a trip to Hawaii and grabbed him the slight edge over Colin.

But the real standout of the day was Ian Crane who completely slaughtered every wave in his path giving him the win, an insane Volcom BMX bike and more prizes then he could handle. Josh Giddings, Cody Clemens, and Cory Mills rounded out the back half of the final.

The Juniors hit the water next and it was a heated battle between Ian Garcia and Josh Morse for most of the heat. As the clock wore down it looked like the win was Ian�s for the taking. However, Luke Rife had been patiently waiting out the back nearly the entire heat and somehow found only the two best waves of the final which he absolutely destroyed.

Chris Abad : photo Kenny Morris

For Lukes WCT like patience he was rewarded with the win, a sick Riviera complete and a backpack on the verge of explosion from being so loaded down with prizes. Shaw Koboyashi, Sam Zaiser and Dayne Colby brought up the rest of the final.

As the sun began to set, the Pro/Am division quietly paddled out for their heat. In one of the biggest turnouts ever, the Pro/Am division was stacked with an alternate list nearly 20 surfers in length, it was a blood thirsty battle all the way to the end with only the strongest of warriors making the Final.

Dark horse Marty Weinstein put on a nuts performance earlier in the day, winning almost every heat he entered and the Electric Volt Thrower move of the day with an absolutely mental frontside gouge. In the final he definitely did not disappoint and patiently waited for two good ones to give him the early lead. But local Zach Keenan quickly answered back with an incredible number of consistently good waves giving him the slight edge over Marty.

But when the final buzzer rang, it was Sean Marceron who waited for the right waves and used his machine like precision to light up each wave like a leprechaun on St. Patrick�s Day, giving him the win, 500 dollars cash, a Riviera complete and backpack bursting with prizes. Brent Reilly, Ryan Burch and birthday boy Nick Suhadolnik rounded out the rest of the final.

Special Thanks Goes Out To Our Product Sponsors: Electric Visual, Monster energy drink, Fuel TV, Riviera Skateboards, Skull Candy, Chipotle, Santa Cruz-NHS, Ogio, DVS Shoes, Vestal, Creatures of Leisure, Freak Traction, Da-Kine Traction & Accessories, Future Fins, Famous Wax, H20 Audio, Speck Products, Sun Cure & Ding All, Headhunters, Surfing, Surfer, Transworld Surf, Water, Bliss Magazine.

RESULTS

PRO-AM
1. Sean Marceron $500
2. Zach Keenan
3. Marty Weinstein
4. Brent Reilly
5. Ryan Burch
6. Nick Suhadolnik

JUNIORS
1. Luke Rife
2. Ian Garcia
3. Josh Morse
4. Shaw Koboyashi
5. Sam Zaiser
6. Dayne Colby

GROMS
1. Ian Crane
2. Kent Nishiya
3. Colin Moran
4. Josh Giddings
5. Cody Clemens
6. Cory Mills

GIRLS
1. Lauren Sweeney
2. Erika Cook
3. Alissa Lentz
4. Mackenzie Kessler
5. Suzy Skarvlis
6. Liz Hauser

Electric Volt Thrower
Marty Weinstein $50

www.volcom.com

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