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.


SEASIDE REEF IS PUMPING FOR SOUTHWEST OPEN EVENT #3!

Thursday, October 16, 2014 | Written by Janice Aragon

NSSA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

OPEN SEASON EVENT #3

SEASIDE REEF, CARDIFF BY THE SEA

OCTOBER 11-12, 2014

CONDITIONS: PUMPING 4-8 FOOT LEFTS AND RIGHTS OFF THE REEF  

OPEN MENS FINALISTS JAKE MARSHALL AND NOAH COLLINS  pc: Janice Aragon

(Huntington Beach, Ca – October 16, 2014) – the Southwest Conference Open Season headed to San Diego’s iconic Seaside Reef for the third stop of the 2014-15 season on October 11-12. Day one saw chest high fun peaky lefts and rights on the inside sandbar but overnight a big dose of northwest swell delivered pumping 4-8 foot perfection on the Seaside’s renowned outside reef for Sunday’s action-packed rounds. It was definitely a “go big or go home” finals day and one of those events to remember! The man-on-man competition format successfully continues to be implemented in the Mens semifinals and final heats as to give our competitors the best and most professional format. Seaside local Jake Marshall and San Clemente standout Conner Dand advanced to semi one and a rematch of the HB Open event #2 final paired up HB winner Kei Kobayashi with South Bay standout Noah Collins. Marshall and Collins advanced to the final with Marshall rising to the occasion and taking command at his home break. The Southwest Conference Open Season is regarded as the leading competition for west coast surfers. Divisions are offered in Men’s, Juniors, Boys, Mini Groms, Womens and Girls. This event was the first of 10 events in the Southwest Conference Open Season series. The NSSA Open Season is open to student surfers only.    

Highlights from Southwest Conference Open Season event #3 at Seaside Reef:

JAKE MARSHALL                                                                    pc: Kurt Steinmetz

**5-time National Champion Jake Marshall was unstoppable in local waters taking his first win of the season in the Men’s final over Noah Collins who has posted outstanding runner up finishes in two consecutive events. Marshall dominated the entire weekend, lighting it up in a variety of conditions ranging from chest high inside sandbar peaks to bombing overhead conditions on the reef. Marshall also nabbed the wave of the event in the final dropping an excellent 9.6 score on a left bomb. One judge even threw the wave a perfect 10!

RYLAND RUBENS                                                                  pc: Kurt Steinmetz

**San Diego’s Ryland Rubens continues his finals hot streak taking his second straight victory and a perfect 3-0 record in finals appearances through three events. The powerful goofy-footer took advantage of the pumping conditions unleashing serious carves and big turns throughout the weekend. Newport Beach’s Parker Cohn clearly has sharpened his skills posting up his best Open result with an impressive runner up finish. Likewise with Sean Woods, who has stepped up his game ripping to his second straight Open finals placing. The talk of the beach was young San Clemente shredder Jett Schilling who is pushing the level at 11-years-old making it all the way to the Juniors final in what is a hefty talent-loaded division.  

KADE MATSON                                                                     pc: Kurt Steinmetz

**When the waves are pumping, San Clemente’s Kade Matson is in his element. You would never think he was only 12-years-old by the big "man" turns he was cranking out from the outside reef to the inside sandbar. Matson posted big scores of 8.77 and 8.33 to dominate the final and even threw away a couple of 7-point rides! Jett Schilling took second followed by Hagan Johnson and Jabe Swierkocki. All the boys were killing it! Both Matson and Schilling have a perfect finals record making three of the three finals so far this season.

BRAYDEN BURCH                                                                      pc: Kurt Steinmetz

** The Mini Groms were charging big Seaside! San Clemente’s Brayden Burch claimed his first win of the season with a big score of 8.83 and a solid 6.83 backup. Bane Corbett took second followed by Cole McCaffray and Ethan Prestage.

STEFFI KERSON                                                                     pc: Kurt Steinmetz

**The bigger the better for Southwest and Gold Coast Women’s standout Steffi Kerson who shines when the waves have size. In a stacked final with defending conference champion Tia Blanco, San Clemente’s Malia Ward and NSSA record-holder Frankie Harrer, Kerson was in rhythm with the pumping conditions. Pushing her turns hard and going vert, she posted the two top scores of the final- a 7.17 and 6.43 to handily take her first win of the season.  

TIARE THOMPSON                                                              pc: Kurt Steinmetz

**In the Girls final, La Jolla’s Tiare Thompson put on an awesome performance charging the outside sets. Thompson, who has honed her skills on the La Jolla reefs and thrives on the bigger more powerful wave conditions, looked right at home in the sizable surf clinching her first Open win of the season. Coming in second was Bethany Zelasko followed by Sydney Tisdel and Samantha Sibley taking third and fourth respectively.

JETT SCHILLING                                pc: Janice Aragon

**Jett Schilling was named NSSA “Surfer of the Week” for the week of October 12th for his outstanding performance at Seaside Reef in both the Juniors and Boys divisions. Raising the bar Jett!

The NSSA Southwest Conference is proud to have support from Huntington Surf and Sport, Java Point, Surfing Magazine, Sex Wax, Scosche and Channel Islands. Many thanks to the California State Parks, Seaside Reef and the NSSA staff for assisting us in staging a professional quality event for the elite Southwest Open Season series. And a big shout out to commentators Malik Schilling and Christian Saenz for calling the action at the season opener.

COMING UP IN CALI: The Southwest Conference Explorer Season will continue with event 5 at the Ponto surf break in Carlsbad on October 18th and event 6 at Salt Creek on October 19th.

THE SCOREBOARD

RESULTS

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE OPEN SEASON EVENT #3

SEASIDE REEF, CARDIFF BY THE SEA

OCTOBER 11-12, 2014

OPEN MENS – MAN ON MAN FORMAT

1. Jake Marshall-Encinitas 16.70

2. Noah Collins-Manhattan Beach 14.70

OPEN JUNIORS

1. Ryland Rubens-Pacific Beach 16.43

2. Parker Cohn-Newport Beach 12.46

3. Sean Woods-Thousand Oaks 11.44

4. Jett Schilling-San Clemente 10.33

OPEN BOYS

1. Kade Matson-San Clemente 17.10

2. Jett Schilling-San Clemente 16.26

3. Hagan Johnson-San Clemente 10.67

4. Jabe Swierkocki-Ventura 9.27

OPEN MINI GROMS

1. Brayden Burch-San Clemente 15.66

2. Bane Corbett-San Clemente 8.10

3. Cole McCaffray-Cardiff 5.87

4. Ethan Prestage-Carlsbad

OPEN WOMEN

1. Steffi Kerson-Thousand Oaks 15.66

2. Tia Blanco-Oceanside 9.60

3. Malia Ward-San Clemente 8.40

4. Frankie Harrer-Malibu 4.70

OPEN GIRLS

1. Tiare Thompson-La Jolla 14.77

2. Bethany Zelasko-Dana Point 10.67

3. Sydney Tisdel-Carlsbad 7.26

4. Samantha Sibley-San Clemente 4.10

PERFORMERS OF THE EVENT

Jake Marshall

Ryland Rubens

Jett Schilling