2008 NSSA WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | Written by Janice Aragon
NSSA WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTED BY NO FEAR
MAY 14-18, 2008
HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER, SOUTHSIDE
THE 2008 NSSA WEST COAST CHAMPIONS
(Huntington Beach, Ca., May 21, 2008) – The 2008 NSSA West Coast Championships came to its long-established arena at Huntington Beach Pier on May 14-18 and as tradition would have it, the waves were firing. The annual championship event showcased over 500 competitors in three separate categories-the NSSA Open Championships, the NSSA Explorer Championships and the NSSA Airshow Championships. The West Coast Championships serves as one of four Regional qualifiers for the 2008 National Championships to be held June 18-28 at Salt Creek and Lower Trestles.
HB PIER WAS FIRING!
photo: Chris Keet/Surfhappens.com
EPIC CONDITIONS FOR THE WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NSSA scored again in classic, legendary Westerns style! The tradition of "Surf City” excellence for the NSSA West Coast Championships continued as a pumping mix of building southwest and lingering northwest swell filled in throughout the week providing fantastic overhead waves for competitors to unleash their talents. The epic conditions made for an electric atmosphere and truly dazzling surfing displays. Beautiful summer-like weather prevailed throughout the five day championship event with daytime temperatures soaring in the low to mid 90’s. Sunday’s finals were graced with excellent, glassy 4-6 foot lefts and rights including bomb sets that drilled through the lineup. "This event showed a lot of premier surfing,” said former ASP World Tour competitor Dino Andino. "The level of surfing was super high across the board. A lot of the kids were really stepping their game up going vertical outside and showing tons of commitment. The women were ripping. The waves were as good as I’ve seen it in Huntington in a long time. The quality of surfing and the event itself was phenomenal. It was a fabulous championship all the way around.”
KOLOHE COLLECTED HIS 7TH AND 8TH REGIONAL TITLES.
photo: Chris Keet/Surfhappens.com
NSSA WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
With the pumping, flawless overhead conditions pouring through on finals day, the atmosphere was electrifying as surfers continued to push the envelope. With two runner-up showings in the earlier Explorer Juniors and Boys finals, 14-year-old Kolohe Andino responded big-time with two brilliant victories in the prestigious Open Men’s and Open Juniors categories. In the highly anticipated Open Men’s final, the technically polished Andino squared off with Conner Coffin, Nat Young and Dillon Perillo. Throughout the week, 14-year-old Coffin’s performance level was going through the roof, surfing years ahead of himself. Coffin’s powerful game earned him victories in the Explorer Juniors and Boys finals held just hours before. Young, from Santa Cruz was at home in the bigger surf, going full bore with huge, dynamic vertical turns. Unfortunately Perillo had to pull out of the competition because of heath issues so it turned into a three-man, heavy-duty battle in the 30 minute final. Young opened up with two big scores of 8.00 and 7.50 putting the pressure on his younger opponents. Andino answered back with a solid 7.33. But it was Andino’s next wave that would up the ante. On an overhead roping righthander, Andino blew up with a series of big frontside maneuvers and then launched a sensational aerial to finish it off earning thunderous applause on the beach and an excellent 9.17 score. Coffin was posting average scores but just couldn’t get into a rhythm. In the closing minutes, Young, requiring an 8.51 to regain the lead, took off on a bombing left bowl next to the pier. He exploded on two critical top to bottom frontside turns but fell on the crucial third maneuver and the needed score fell short at a 7.67. Andino claimed the victory becoming the youngest surfer in Regional Championship history to win the Open Men’s. "After I won the Juniors final, I was just going to try and have fun in the Men’s,” Andino said. "I opened up with a 4.5 next to the pier that was pretty bad and then Nat got two high scores back-to-back, an 8.0 and a 7.5. There was about 20 minutes left so I knew I needed to go for it. I got a 7.33 and then after that I needed an 8.1. A set came, a perfect right bowl and I got the 9.17. The waves were really perfect so it’s easy to come back in heats like that.” Andino’s surfing performance and championship results continue to put him ahead of the pace. His double victories bump his Regional title count to eight and now ties him with Andrew Doheny for the all-time West Coast record. Evan Geiselman holds the overall Regional Championship record with 12 titles.
The Open Juniors showdown featured Andino and Coffin with HB local Clay Crandal and promising up-and-comer Jared Thorne. Crandal who thrives in bigger surf, kicked it into gear and commanded his preliminary rounds with powerful arcs and cutbacks. Thorne was also in solid form, winning all of his preliminary heats en route to the final. In the final, Andino went right to work opening up with a 7.67 and a 7.00 in the first five minutes. Both Crandal and Thorne were unable to secure a big score to get their momentum going. Coffin was playing catch up the entire heat netting 6 point rides but couldn’t lock up the needed 7.84 score to move into first and Andino held on to win the final. "Conner beat me twice in both Explorer finals so after he got me the second time, I was really mad,” Andino said. "Then I went out in the Airshow final, I was just having fun and it kind of loosened me up. So that was really good for me. Right after the Airshow, I went into the Open Juniors final and opened up with two 7’s and those turned out to be the highest scores of the final.”
In the Open Boys, Taylor Clark claimed his first Regional title nailing a needed 5.83 score at the buzzer. "I’m super stoked to win this,” Clark said. "At the five minute mark, I knew I needed a 5.51 point score to beat Andrew (Jacobson) and Parker (Coffin). With about 30 seconds left, I got a mid range right and did a couple solid snaps on it. I was hoping it was enough!” In a close shoot-out in the Mini Grom final, Jacob Davis ripped an overhead wave earning an excellent 8.17 scored to edge out Kanoa Igarashi by one point to win his first Regional title. Cole Robbins’ growing reputation and steady rise as a gifted Longboard competitor continued at the West Coast Championships. He took control in both the Open and Explorer Longboard divisions with decisive victories. "It was the best waves I’ve ever surfed in Huntington,” Robbins said. "In the Open final, I got lucky and got a bigger set wave right at the pier and got an 8.83 score. All of the other competitors had the inside position on me but they took the first waves of the set. On my second 8.83, I felt I had the lead already so I just had fun on it, got a good nose ride and then milked it all the way to the shore.”
COURTNEY IS ON A CHAMPIONSHIP ROLL.
photo: Chris Keet/Surfhappens.com
Courtney Conlogue added another accolade to her growing list of surfing achievements claiming her first Regional Championship victory with a dominating performance in the Open Women’s final. From heat one, 15-year-old Conlogue put on a go-for-broke display and she continued to push her level in the final. The four-time Southwest Conference champion matched up with defending West Coast champion Demi Boelsterli, two-time West Coast Open Women’s champion Sage Erickson (2005, 2006) and young up-and-comer Catherine Clark. Conlogue wanted badly to win her first Regional title and she did not stray from her mission. After just scrapping through her semi-final heat against Sage Erickson and Sara Taylor the day before, the ultra-competitive regular-footer was fired up for the final. She started off with a couple mediocre scores in the 4 and 5 range and then broke through with a solid 7.50 ride. She sealed the deal with a scorching backside attack on an overhead left which posted an excellent 8.67 score. "I’ve been waiting for this since I was in the Mini Grom division five years ago,” said Conlogue. "I came in determined to win this. I knew what I needed to do and I knew there would be plenty of waves coming through. I just wanted to find the right waves and go as big as I could because it’s either win or lose.” Conlogue will strive to keep her momentum going as she aims for the Nationals. "I’m going to train really hard this month and keep my game on,” Conlogue said. "I want to carry on this streak and win the Nationals.” Conlogue’s chief west coast rival, Sage Erickson put on an impressive performance throughout the week in both Open and Explorer competition winning the Explorer Women’s division and collecting her seventh Regional title.
ANDINO SETTING THE STANDARD AND NEW NSSA MILESTONES
On day two of the championships, Kolohe Andino grabbed everyone’s attention when he annihilated a long right wall earning a 10 point score and backed it up with a near perfect 9.67 for a 19.67 combined heat total in his Boys quarterfinal heat. Even though that was the only perfect 10 and the 19.67 were the highest combined point totals of the entire West Coast Championship event, Andino’s superheat set the standard of the incredible performances that were to follow. Andino entered the NSSA history books becoming the youngest surfer (14 years old) to win the prestigious Open Men’s division in the NSSA Regional Championships. He is also the only surfer to record victories in the Open Men’s and Open Juniors divisions in the same year at the Regional Championships. He has now accumulated eight West Coast titles which ties him with Andrew Doheny for the all-time West Coast Championship record. Andino also has five National titles to his credit.
WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTOS
Check out photos from the 2008 West Coast Championships at:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pier-saturday-sunday-2045492-surfers-coast
http://www.santacruzsurfshots.com/index.html
http://www.gromfiles.com/nssawcc-photos.html
In addition to title sponsor No Fear, the West Coast Regional Championships is proud to have support from Nike 6.0, Huntington Surf and Sport, Surfing Magazine, WaveWatch, Sex Wax, Kerns Nectar and the Sugar Shack.
COMING UP: THE GREATEST YOUTH SURFING EVENT IN THE NATION IS ON THE HORIZON! THE 2008 NSSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL BE HELD JUNE 18-21 AT SALT CREEK AND JUNE 24-28 AT LOWER TRESTLES. PLEASE CHECK THE NSSA WEBSITE FOR NATIONALS UPDATES!
THE SCOREBOARD
2008 NSSA WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL RESULTS
SCORES BASED ON TOP TWO WAVES
2008 WEST COAST OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
OPEN MENS
1. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 16.50
2. Nat Young-Santa Cruz 15.67
3. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 12.50
4. Dillon Perillo-Malibu 0.0
OPEN JUNIORS
1. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 14.67
2. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 13.33
3. Clay Crandal-Huntington Beach 9.83
4. Jared Thorne-Newport Beach 8.16
OPEN BOYS
1. Taylor Clark-Encinitas 11.66
2. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 11.34
3. Andrew Jacobson-Malibu 11.33
4. Colin Moran-Costa Mesa 10.50
5. Kadin Panesi-Pacifica 7.34
6. Nic Hdez-Santa Cruz 7.00
OPEN MINI GROMS
1. Jacob Davis-Capistrano Beach 15.50
2. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 14.50
3. Jake Marshall-Encinitas 7.67
4. Hunter Johnson-San Diego 7.00
5. Tyler Gunter-Newport Beach 6.67
6. Kei Kobayashi-San Clemente 5.17
OPEN WOMENS
1. Courtney Conlogue-Santa Ana 16.17
2. Sage Erickson-Ojai 10.83
3. Demi Boelsterli-Santa Barbara 8.67
4. Catherine Clark-Ventura 6.33
OPEN LONGBOARD
1. Cole Robbins-Carlsbad 17.66
2. Cody Ulrich-San Clemente 12.50
3. Samson Anderson-Magazino-Santa Barbara 8.67
4. Steve Simpson-Malibu 7.84
5. Andy DeLorme-Newport Bay 7.83
6. Kevin McNicol-Moorpark 6.50
2008 WEST COAST EXPLORER CHAMPIONSHIPS
EXPLORER MENS
1. Kokoro Tomatsuri-Summerland 14.00
2. Conrad Carr-Malibu 10.33
3. Victor Done-Newport Beach 9.50
4. Adam Lambert-Santa Barbara 8.83
5. Nick Suhadolnik-Solana Beach 7.50
6. Dillon Perillo-Malibu 0.00
EXPLORER JUNIORS
1. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 14.33
2. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 11.83
3. Nat Young-Santa Cruz 10.83
4. Christian Saenz-Huntington Beach 7.33
5. Brent Reilly-Carlsbad 6.84
6. Dillon Perillo-Malibu 3.33
EXPLORER BOYS
1. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 17.33
2. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 14.00
3. Taylor Thorne-Newport Beach 12.00
4. Jared Thorne-Newport Beach 10.33
5. Luke Davis-Capistrano Beach 7.16
6. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 5.67
EXPLORER MENEHUENE
1. Colin Moran-Costa Mesa 14.00
2. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 12.17
3. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 11.67
4. Taylor Clark-Encinitas 9.83
5. Nic Hdez-Santa Cruz 9.50 tiebreak
6. Johnny Elles-Huntington Beach 9.50 tiebreak
EXPLORER WOMENS
1. Sage Erickson-Ojai 14.83
2. Demi Boelsterli-Santa Barbara 10.66
3. Marissa Shaw-San Clemente 9.17
4. Taylor Pitz-Laguna Beach 8.00
5. Natalie Anzivino-Torrance 7.00
6. Lakey Peterson-Santa Barbara 1.50
EXPLORER GIRLS
1. Lakey Peterson-Santa Barbara 12.83
2. Catherine Clark-Ventura 11.34
3. Charlotte Shanahan-San Clemente 6.67
4. Shelby Detmers-Long Beach 6.50
5. Emmy Merrill-San Clemente 5.33
6. Melina Smith-San Clemente 5.00
EXPLORER MASTERS
1. Randy Cutshall-Torrance 11.67
2. Scott Whitmer-Gardena 8.67
3. YuFu Penrose-San Clemente 7.50
4. Jon Warren-Costa Mesa 7.33
5. Tim Senneff-Del Mar 5.34
6. Taichi Maruyama-Huntington Beach 3.92
EXPLORER SENIORS
1. Chad Logan-Long Beach 11.33
2. Yari Vodraska-Camarillo 11.16
3. Rusty Phillipy-Cardiff by the Sea
4. Randy Cutshall-Torrance 8.83
5. Mike Lamm-Oxnard 7.83
6. Tim Senneff-Del Mar 7.17
EXPLORER SUPER SENIORS
1. Mike Lamm-Oxnard 13.67
2. Jeffrey O’Donnell-Canoga Park 10.83
3. Mike Gillard-Coronado 10.67
4. Robert Weiner-Ventura 9.00
5. Rick Larson-Huntington Beach 8.66
6. Masaki Kobayashi-San Clemente 7.84
EXPLORER LONGBOARD
1. Cole Robbins-Carlsbad 13.17
2. Eli Gillis-San Clemente 11.50
3. Mike Lallande-Long Beach 8.50
4. Kevin McNicol-Moorpark 8.17
5. Cody Ulrich-San Clemente 8.00
6. Michael Maddox-Newport Beach 7.50
2008 WEST COAST AIRSHOW CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Dane Zaun-Hollyglen
2. Robert Curtis-Buellton
3. Ian Crane-San Clemente
4. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente
5. David Suhadolnik-Solana Beach
=6.Luke Davis-Capistrano Beach
=6. Brock Bowden-Huntington Beach
=6. Sam McGee-Malibu