NSSA Southwest Conference Explorer Event #2

NSSA
Ninth Street, Huntington Beach
4-5 September 2010

NSSA masters division making some noise

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 9 September, 2010 : - - The Southwest Conference kept the momentum going with another weekend of great action at HB’s Ninth Street for the second stop of the 2010-11 Explorer Season. The waves were on the small side for Saturday’s comp with contestable waist high peaks.

More swell was running for Sunday’s divisions with chest high sets breaking on the outside sandbar allowing the competitors opportunity to milk the reforms all the way to the beach. For the second consecutive weekend, 11-year-old Jake Marshall was on fire sealing his second straight Menehuene victory with an excellent 17.8 out of 20 total score in the final.

Another huge performance was delivered by 12-year-old Griffin Colapinto who stepped up to win the 14 & under Boys division proving that he is one of the most dynamic young surfers to watch for in the future. And speaking of surfers who stepped it up. The competitors in the Masters, Seniors and Super Seniors divisions came out firing on all cylinders in some of the most impressive surfing of the entire event.

Flashy moves, progressive aerials, 360’s and vertical lip bashes from these guys were more the norm leaving a clear impression that the bar has been raised! Despite the small conditions, Britt Galland displayed great form in the 25-minute Men’s final. Galland, who was thirsting for his first victory of the season, posted a couple of solid 6-point rides nailing the win by a 4-point plus margin.

In Junior’s comp, 2010 National Explorer Boys Champion Taylor Clark was looking primed to perform from start to finish. In a well-fought final with Breyden Taylor, Skip McCullough and Kyle Marre, Clark was unstoppable. With the peaks slightly improving for the Juniors final thanks to increasing on-shore wind swell, Clark pulled out all the stops blending a strong mix of vertical turns with some impressive innovative maneuvers confirming that he is a serious aerial specialist on the rise.

The Boys final turned into showdown between San Diego up-and-comers Skip McCullough and Jay Christenson, Costa Rica’s Noe McGonagle and 12-year-old Griffin Colapinto. Young Colapinto was laying it on the line from heat one on, winning every heat in the division and then unleashing some impressive surfing in the final to finish at the top.

Coming off the fantastic result in the Boys, Colapinto returned the following day surfing his way to the Menehuene 12 & under final facing off with Jake Marshall, Kei Kobayashi, Nick Marshall, Ryland Rubens and Zach McCormick in the 25-minute final. But Marshall continued his major momentum in the Menehuene division and took command of the final. He netted a 17.80 two-wave combined total to claim the win and for the second consecutive Explorer contest he posted the highest heat score of the event.
 
As stated above, the surfing in the Masters, Seniors and Super Seniors divisions was the most impressive in years. Coming off a victory in event #1, Rick Takahashi set the tone during the prelims executing some notable aerial moves. In a hard-fought final showdown, Takahashi had his work cut out matching up with 3-time National Champion Mike Reilly, Chris Munsterman and Craig Macia who earlier wowed the judges in his Super Seniors final pulling off a flashy 360 maneuver.

Takahashi once again was putting on a magnificent display of modern surfing but Reilly was feeling totally at home in Ninth Street’s sandbar peaks. With Takahashi holding down first on a solid 16.7 total score that included an 8.0 on an aerial, Reilly came roaring back in the final minutes. He paddled into an outside set left and smashing every section that came into his path scoring a 9.0 which moved him into first and Takahashi down to second. “I’m back!”

Reilly exclaimed after his first place decision was announced. “I got lucky with that bomb set at the end of the heat. It just kept reforming all the way in.” Takahashi went on to win the Seniors final with a solid 15.0 total score over runner-up Rusty Phillipy. National Champion Patrick Schlick was back in the winners circle taking the Duke victory in a super close battle over event #1 winner Pat Conway. In Women’s comp, Filippa Ferrara took the victory in a close heat over Kylie Loveland.

Loveland sealed her second consecutive victory in the Girls division. In the Longboard division, HB local and reigning National Open Longboard Champ Shaun Thompson battled neck and neck with Terry Gillard who reignited his NSSA campaign. Thompson edged Gillard out by a half point to remain in command of the Longboard division clinching his second consecutive win.
 
More kids came out to compete in the NSSA’s newly established Super Grom 10 & under division sending a loud and clear message that there is a lot of outstanding fresh talent building in the younger ranks. In the 6-grom final, Griffin Foy clinched his second straight NSSA victory with Nick Marshall taking second.  
 
The NSSA Southwest Conference is proud to have support from Nike 6.0, Huntington Surf and Sport, Java Point, Surfing Magazine, Sex Wax, Channel Islands and Sugar Shack. The NSSA is a member of Surfing America, the ISA-recognized National Governing Body for Surfing in the United States. 
 
COMING UP IN CALI: Premier competition in the Southwest Open Season begins September 11-12 at Huntington Beach Pier. The Gold Coast Conference resumes the competition schedule on September 18-19 with a doubleheader event #3 and #4 at Ventura Harbor. The Southwest Explorer will resume competition with event #3 scheduled for October 2-3 in Huntington Beach.  
 
THE SCOREBOARD
RESULTS

EXPLORER DIVISIONS
EXPLORER MENS
1. Britt Galland-Rancho Santa Fe 12.0
2. David Slay-Manhattan Beach 7.8
3. Antoine Allain-Santa Barbara 7.5
4. Chris Love-Huntington Beach 7.0
 
EXPLORER JUNIORS
1. Taylor Clark-Encinitas 12.0
2. Breyden Taylor-San Clemente 10.5
3. Skip McCullough-La Jolla 9.5
4. Kyle Marre-Carlsbad 7.8
 
EXPLORER BOYS
1. Griffin Colapinto-San Clemente 13.5
2. Skip McCullough-La Jolla 11.5
3. Jay Christenson-Pacific Beach 5.9
4. Noe McGonagle-Del Rey Oaks 5.5
 
EXPLORER MENEHUENE
1. Jake Marshall-Encinitas 17.8
2. Griffin Colapinto-San Clemente 15.0
3. Kei Kobayashi-San Clemente 10.5
4. Nick Marshall-Encinitas 9.0
5. Ryland Rubens-Pacific Beach 8.7
6. Zach McCormick-Solana Beach 8.5
 
EXPLORER SUPER GROMS
1. Griffin Foy-Fullerton 12.0
2. Nick Marshall-Encinitas 10.0
3. Zach McCormick-Solana Beach 8.3
4. Ben Seaberry-Huntington Beach 7.6
5. John West-Huntington Beach 5.5
6. Ashton Wright-San Clemente 3.0
 
EXPLORER WOMENS
1. Filippa Ferrara-Rancho Palos Verdes 10.0
2. Kylie Loveland-Carlsbad 9.7
3. Samantha Lamirand-Cardiff by the Sea 9.5
4. Tia Blanco-San Clemente 8.5
5. Leilani McGonagle-Del Rey Oaks 6.8
6. Malia Osterkamp-San Clemente 4.0
7. Jada Galland-Rancho Santa Fe 2.5
 
EXPLORER GIRLS
1. Kylie Loveland-Carlsbad 10.0
2. Tiare Thompson-La Jolla 8.0
3. Malia Osterkamp-San Clemente 7.5
4. Leilani McGonagle-Del Rey Oaks 4.5
5. Natalia Palmatier-Imperial Beach 4.3
6. Jada Galland-Rancho Santa Fe 3.0
 
EXPLORER MASTERS
1. Mike Reilly-Lakewood 17.5
2. Rick Takahashi-San Diego 16.7
3. Craig Macia-Encinitas 13.0
4. Chris Munsterman-San Diego 11.0
 
EXPLORER SENIORS
1. Rick Takahashi-San Diego 15.0
2. Rusty Phillipy-Cardiff by the Sea 10.0
3. Terry Gillard-Imperial Beach 9.5
4. Ed Custodio-San Diego 8.5
5. Chris Munsterman-San Diego 6.3
6. Lee Torsedahl-Huntington Beach 3.0
 
EXPLORER SUPER SENIORS
1. Craig Macia-Encinitas 10.0
2. Rusty Phillipy-Cardiff by the Sea 8.5
3. Terry Gillard-Imperial Beach 8.0
4. Mike Glevy-San Diego 6.5
 
EXPLORER DUKE
1. Patrick Schlick-La Mirada 10.0
2. Pat Conway-Woodland Hills 9.7
3. Terry Carmadella-Huntington Beach 4.5
4. Peter Townend-Huntington Beach 0.0
 
EXPLORER LONGBOARD
1. Shaun Thompson-Huntington Beach 11.5
2. Terry Gillard-Imperial Beach 11.0
3. Nathan Thompson-Huntington Beach 6.0
4. Mike Watson-Huntington Beach 4.5
5. Tia Blanco-San Clemente 4.0

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