NSSA - National Scholastic Surfing Association

The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and assist its members in their interest to learn and develop the fundamentals and skills of surfing competition while competing in structured and quality events. The NSSA promotes the qualities of discipline and competitive excellence while supporting the merits of academic achievement to young surfers. The NSSA strives to provide a fun surfing experience for all of its members.

The NSSA is one of the few national youth sports organizations that require its participants to maintain academic standards in order to compete. Since 1978, the NSSA program philosophy has been that athletics and scholastics go hand in hand. More than 80 NSSA events are run nationwide that culminate with the annual National Championships which is regarded as the highest profile youth surfing event in America.


SOUTHWEST EXPLORER OPENER IN HUNTINGTON! Perillo is on record pace!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | Written by Janice Aragon

NSSA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

EXPLORER SEASON #1

FIVE STAR RATED

NINTH STREET, HUNTINGTON BEACH

SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2007

CONDITIONS:  GLASSY TO CHOPPY WAIST TO CHEST HIGH WORKABLE LEFTS AND RIGHTS.

 

The Southwest Conference 2007-08 season got officially underway with the Explorer Season event #1 at Huntington Beach’s Ninth Street sandbar.  The waves were in the fun 2-4 foot zone compliments of a combo southwest ground and northwest wind swell.  Strong onshore winds made for heavy chop on Saturday but conditions cleaned up for Sunday’s action with glassy to semi bumpy faces. 

 

NUMBER EIGHT FOR DP.

photo: Dubock

 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR DILLON PERILLO!

Dillon Perillo paid a visit to down south to the NSSA Southwest Explorer Season opener with one goal in mind.  In the thick of a record setting season after only the first month of competition, Dillon picked up his eighth victory in the Explorer Juniors final.  After a couple of shaky heats and bombing in the Men’s repercharge, Dillon dialed up his aggressiveness in the Juniors final.  In the final minutes it came down to Dillon and Dane Zaun who noticeably upped his small wave game over the summer break.  The two were exchanging wave after wave and similar scores until Dillon delivered a combination of dynamic backside turns on a chunky chest high left.  The score came in at an 8.0 which was enough to seal his eighth season victory.  With the current record at 21 Dillon has to produce at least 14 more.  The Dillon watch is officially on! 

 

LUKE DAVIS ELEVATED HIS GAME IN THE BOYS FINAL!

 

EXPLORER HIGHLIGHTS

All eyes were on Dillon as he continues the hunt for the record but there were many other standouts throughout Explorer opening weekend.  Bryce Dehaan exploded on one of the steeper lefts in the final minutes of the Men’s final to edge out runner up Nick Suhadolnik for the win by a half point.  Suhadolnik put on impressive surfing display heat after heat throughout the weekend making both the Men’s and Juniors finals. In the Boys final, Luke Davis belted out a pair of 7’s for a convincing win in his season debut.  Taylor Clark who dominated the Gold Coast doubleheader at Port Hueneme last weekend, was on a roll again taking command of the Menehuene final.  “Taylor’s really improved a lot over the summer,” commented head judge Gayline Clifford.  “His turns are more vertical and he’s completing the critical maneuvers more consistently.”

 

DYNAMIC DUO! TAYLOR PITZ AND ALEXA FRANTZ

 

A new group of young women upstarts are making their ascent up the NSSA ladder and Alexa Frantz is one of them.  In her rookie year last season, she won the conference title in Explorer Girls and finished third in the Explorer Womens.  After a tough Nationals, she is back to work in the regular season taking the Women’s division victory.  Taking second was Taylor Pitz who is also focused on progressing up the ranks this year.  In the Girls category Melina Smith posted her first ever win on the NSSA scoreboard. 

 

It’s a new year and newcomer Rick Takahashi positively upped the ante in the Masters division.  In the prelims, he obliterated a wave which scored 9.5’s from the judges-the high wave of the contest.  He went on to nail the final win over ’06 conference champ YuFu Penrose.  In the Seniors division it was a replay of the 2006 season opener with Rusty Phillipy locking up the victory and Randy Cutshall placing second.  After his terrific Nationals’ triumph in the Super Seniors, Tim Senneff’s confidence was still riding high into the new season.  He’s competing in three categories and had a solid performance at Ninth Street nailing the victory in the Supers while also finaling in both the Seniors and Masters.  Terry Gillard set the pace in the Longboard final opening up with a good 6 point ride and then sealing the win with a solid 7.0 score

 

COMING UP IN CALI:  The Southwest Conference Open Season kicks into gear on September 15-16 at Huntington State Beach.  The Southwest Explorer continues with event #2 in Encinitas on September 22-23.  The NSSA Northwest Conference Open Season kicks off on September 29-30 in Pacifica. 

 

DILLON IS GUNNING FOR 22!

photo: Sage Erickson

 

THE SCOREBOARD

RESULTS SOUTHWEST EXPLORER #1

NINTH STREET, HUNTINGTON BEACH

 

EXPLORER MENS

1.  Bryce Dehaan-Huntington Beach 12.5

2.  Nick Suhadolnik-Solana Beach 12.0

3.  Quinn McCrystal-Huntington Beach 9.5

4.  Matt Pagan-Westchester 7.5

5.  AJ Collins-Seal Beach 5.5

6.  Tanner Long-Vista 0.0

 

EXPLORER JUNIORS

1.  Dillon Perillo-Malibu 13.5

2.  Dane Zaun-Hollyglen 12.0

3.  Brent Reilly-Carlsbad 8.0

4.  Gabe Garcia-Carlsbad 7.0

5.  Kyle Kennelly-Huntington Beach 6.5

6.  Nick Suhadolnik-Solana Beach 6.0

 

EXPLORER BOYS

1.  Luke Davis-Capistrano Beach 14.0

2.  Ian Crane-San Clemente 11.0

3.  Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 10.5

4.  Zane Norman-Cardiff by the Sea 10.0

5.  Jared Thorne-Newport Beach 9.0

6.  Taylor Thorne-Newport Beach 7.5

 

EXPLORER MENEHUENE

1.  Taylor Clark-Encinitas 13.0

2.  Johnny Elles-Huntington Beach 10.0

3.  Colin Moran-Costa Mesa 9.5

4.  Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 8.0

5.  Jake Saenz-Huntington Beach 7.5

6.  Brooks Bushman-Vista 5.5

 

EXPLORER WOMENS

1.  Alexa Frantz-San Diego 11.5

2.  Taylor Pitz-Laguna Beach 8.0

3.  Jenna Balestar-Huntington Beach 6.5

4.  Chelsea Byland-San Clemente 6.0

5.  Erika Cook-Lake Forest 5.0

6.  Hayley Conant-Oceanside 4.0

 

EXPLORER GIRLS

1.  Melina Smith-San Clemente 8.5

2.  Harley Taich-San Diego 8.0

3.  Anise Guzman-Huntington Beach 5.0

4.  Charlotte Shanahan- 4.5

5.  Emmy Merrill-San Clemente 2.5

6.  Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica 0.0 (interference)

 

EXPLORER MASTERS

1.  Rick Takahashi- 13.5

2.  YuFu Penrose-San Clemente 12.0

3.  Jon Warren- 6.5 tiebreak

4.  Randy Cutshall-Torrance 6.5 tiebreak

5.  Tim Senneff-Del Mar 5.5

6.  Dan Fennell-Huntington Beach 5.0

 

EXPLORER SENIORS

1.  Rusty Phillipy-Cardiff by the Sea 9.5

2.  Randy Cutshall-Torrance 8.5

3.  Neil Bern-Carlsbad 8.0

4.  Tim Senneff-Del Mar 7.0

5.  Jeff O'Donnell-Topanga 6.5

6.  Scott Whitmer-Redondo Beach 5.0

 

EXPLORER SUPER SENIORS

1.  Tim Senneff-Del Mar 12.0

2.  Jeffrey O'Donnell-Topanga 7.0

3.  Rick Larson-Huntington Beach 5.5

4.  Bill Macleod-Palos Verdes 4.5

5.  Rick Fignetti-Huntington Beach 4.0

6.  Kyle Twitchell-San Clemente 3.5

 

EXPLORER LONGBOARD

1.  Terry Gillard-Imperial Beach 13.0

2.  Cody Ulrich-San Clemente 10.5

3.  Scott Brandenburg-San Clemente 9.5

4.  Michael Lallande-Long Beach 8.0

5.  Keiichiro Tomi-Redondo Beach 6.5

6.  Michael Maddox-Newport Beach 4.5