WEST COAST COLLEGE TEAM SEASON EVENT #1

2008-09 NSSA West Coast College Teams Season kicked off with event #1 at beautiful Blacks Beach in San Diego on October 18th and 19th.

Written By Chris Gallagher

The College Season event #1 at Blacks Beach, La Jolla California got of to a great start this weekend. The swell was about 1-3 feet with fun peaks, and the weather was immaculate. This season started off with a new format figured out by the math “Guru” Amber Puha from the University of San Marcos. All the thanks to her! This format seeded the college’s A Teams and forced the final 10 teams to battle out the last five remaining spots in the main event. The new format was well received by the coaches because the teams were no longer worried about “knocking off” their own teammates. Event number one was a “nail biter” until the very last heat. Southwest Conference Open Season Alumni’s Andrew Gahan in his College Season debut helped SDSU A Team (137 points) edge by Point Loma (136 points) by one point by placing second in the Men’s Shortboard Final. Third place with a strong finish was Mira Costa Red (132.5 points) and UCSB A (96.5 points) finished fourth.

Even though the surf was a little inconsistant that didn't stop the college surfers from ripping!  In the women’s division Allie Brown from SDSU posted a 6.0 wave score in round one with a nice off-the-lip and cutback. Lipoa Kahaleuahi from UCSB A Team was the girl to beat setting the pace early in round one posting a combined two wave score of 12.5 (6.5, 6.0) with a combination of blasts off the lip and roundhouse cutbacks. In the Men’s Shortboard the biggest highlight was performed in round three by Andrew Gahan who posted a perfect 10 wave score. Andrew had an opening set-up turn, followed by a beautiful hard driven bottom turn and straight-up of the lip, followed by a floater, and ending in a 360 air-reverse re-entry to finish off. Also in round three Chris Abad from Mira Costa Red took a nothing wave and earned a 6.83 ride with a beautiful display of “on-rail” surfing. Nathan Zoeller from UC Santa Cruz had to be happy during his long ride home after he posted a 7.5 score in round two by launching a frontside standard air and a nice re-entry finishing move.

In the finals Troy Mothershead from Point Loma A Team dominated the Longboard Final earning a 7.5 wave score by hanging ten outside, followed by another on the inside, with multiple cutbacks and footwork in between. Lipoa Kahaleuahi wasn’t tested until the last part of the final by Darlene Connolly of Mira Costa Red Team. Lipoa excelled gaining an early lead with a backhand smash earning a 5.83 and a roundhouse followed by a re-entry posting a 4.83. In the second part of the heat Darlene would make it close by receiving a 5.5 for a slash off the top followed by a re-entry and later add a 4.0. Time however ran out on Darlene and Lipoa would win final number one. In the Mens Final Marty Weinstein of UCSD A Team (also an Open Season Alumni) would set the standard in the final as he did all weekend. Marty won every heat he surfed in. Marty had three backside blasts and was rewarded a 7.33 and another two blasts backside on his second wave posting a 6.33. Extreme low-tide conditions made it tough, but Andrew Gahan would earn second place with two 5.5s holding off the rest who weren’t far behind. Chris Smith gets the “iron man” award for making both the Shortboard and the Longboard Final. Great job goes out to everyone who participated and a big thanks to Tyler Callaway and UCSD for hosting event #1.

RESULTS

COLLEGE TEAM POINTS

1. SDSU A 137

2. Pt. Loma A 136

3. Mira Costa Red 132.5

4. UCSB A 103

5. CSUSM A 101

6. UCSD A 96.5

7. Saddleback A 75

8. Saddleback B 68

=9. Mira Costa Blue 53

UCSB B 53

11. CSUSM B 50.5

12. UCSC 50

13. CSULB A 45

=14. Mira Costa White 37

Point Loma B 37

=16. LMU 36

SDSU B 36

18. UCI 32.5

=19. Golden West 25

UCLA 25

21. Pepperdine 22

22. USD 21

23. CPSLO A 19

24. UCR 9

25. CSULB B

26. UCSD B

28. CPSLO B

29. CSULB C

 

 

College Mens Finalists

 

COLLEGE MENS

1. Marty Weinstein-UCSD A

2. Andrew Gahan-SDSU A

3. Hunter Lysaught-Pt. Loma A

4. Chris Smith-CSUSM A

5. Nick Olsen-Mira Costa Red

6. Chris Abad-Mira Costa Red

 

 

College Womens Finalist

 

COLLEGE WOMENS

1. Lipoa Kahaleuahi-UCSB A

2. Darlene Connolly-Mira Costa Red

3. Lilly Howard-UCSB A

4. Chelsea Rauhut-UCSD A

5. Sunshine Makarow-CSUSM B

6. Allie Brown-SDSU A

 

 

College Longboard Finalists

 

COLLEGE LONGBOARD

1. Troy Mothershead-Point Loma A

2. Chris Smith-CSUSM A

3. Chase Stavron-Saddleback B

4. Kevin Osborne-Saddleback A

5. Mick Rodgers-CSUSM B

6. Jon Hoover-SDSU A