nssa 20 Dec 2007No Comments 262 views Print Email

  Contest News, surf

The Southwest
Conference Explorer Season hit the shores of Church Beach in the beautiful San
Onofre State Park for the fifth stop of the ten event schedule. Over 300 west
coast surfers battled it out at the midseason showdown with valuable five star
points at stake. Great action went down especially from 13-year-old Kolohe
Andino who enjoyed a monster performance in both the Boys and Juniors divisions.
Good chest to shoulder high waves poured through on Saturday decreasing on
Sunday but remaining in the fun waist to chest high zone with clean, glassy
conditions prevailing.

WEEKEND WRAPUP
As mentioned, Kolohe Andino was
exceptional at this event in both the Boys and Juniors categories. Surfing like
there was no tomorrow, the five-time NSSA National Champion was at an impeccable
level in one of the finest, if not the best surfing displays witnessed at a
regular season event. “I won the Open Season here a few weeks ago so I was super
confident coming into this one,” Andino said. “I just really wanted to win
this.” Andino’s numbers spoke volumes with respect to his outstanding
performance-three perfect 10’s; 1st places in every Boy’s heat; a near perfect
heat performance in Juniors Round 1 netting a 19.5 two wave total out of a
possible 20; seven 9.0 scores; posting at least one excellent 8.0 score in 7 of
the 9 heats he competed in. Even in the wave starved Juniors quarterfinals,
Andino managed to hunt down and shred an 8.0 ride. He seemed to have the break
at Church down to a science, finding the best waves and capitalizing on them
with a complete technical onslaught of maneuvers. “In my first heat, I got a 10
and a 9.5 so that just boosted up my confidence. After that I was just in the
zone, I felt really good. I’ve been working on trying to link different
manuevers on every wave-roundhouses, airs, blow tails, carves, floaters, just
everything. The waves here at Church are really good for that.”

The only
one to put a halt to Andino’s charge was 17-year-old Brent Reilly who pulled off
his second straight big contest victory at Church. The first one came at the
November Open Season moving him into the number three position in the Men’s
rankings and within striking distance of leader Dane Zaun. Reilly’s quick, loose
style and carving gouges continued to click perfectly in the Church line-up and
he showed it winning heat after heat en route to another triumph. After sinking
to number four in the rankings after the November no-show at HB Pier, Reilly
will jump back into first overall in the Explorer ratings.

PUSHING THE
ENVELOPE
Kolohe Andino earned three perfect 10-point rides at the contest.
The first one came in his very first heat of the event in Juniors Round 1. He
also posted an event high 19.5 out of a possible 20 in that heat. “10″ number
two came in his Boys Round 1 heat and he picked up his third “10″ in the Boys
final. He also earned seven 9.0 scores. “It was a golden weekend for me!” Andino
said. “I was really focusing and watching the waves. I just got a lot of new
boards but when I pulled up Saturday morning I knew the waves were perfect for
my Mayhem so I rode that. In my first heat of the contest I got a 10 and that
board was working magic the entire contest. But I also have to give credit to my
dad because when I surf Church he always tells me to sit deep and far out so you
can man the line-up. That’s what I did and it worked because I kept getting the
bombs.”

OTHER NOTABLE MIDSEASON STATS
–After suffering a shocker at
last month’s HB Pier event, Bryce Dehaan came back to wrap up his third win of
the season which will move him back into first overall in the
ratings.
–Brent Reilly’s 1st place showing combined with former leader Dane
Zaun’s absence just made things interesting in the battle for the Juniors
conference title. Number two and three ranked Gabe Garcia and Kyle Kennelly are
also in the hunt.
–Luke Davis will remain in the number one position in the
Boys ratings with a second place showing at this contest but things will get
tighter as Andino gains ground with this five star rated victory.
–Colin
Moran’s win in the Menehuene will put him on top of the ratings with Taylor
Clark dropping to second. That race for the conference crown is sure to be a
nail biter coming down to the final event of the season.
–In the Women’s
division, Chandler Parr claimed her first victory of the year but Alexa Frantz’
runner-up showing will keep her in a solid lead.
–Charlotte Shanahan was on
cloud nine at Church winning her first ever NSSA event while Anise Guzman will
still hold onto the number Girls ranking but the heat is on in that closely
contested division.
–YuFu Penrose will remain in first in the Masters but
Rick Takahashi gained ground with his win at Church.
–Seniors leader Randy
Cutshall is still sitting comfortably partly due to No. 2 ranked Rusty Phillipy
who is injured and had to pull out of the final. Scott Whitmer took his first
win of the season which now puts him in the mix.
–No. 1 ranked Super Senior
Jeffrey O’Donnell nailed his second consecutive win and that will further
solidify his standing.
–In a heavily competitive Longboard division this
year, Scott Brandenburg is still hanging onto the number one ranking but that
race is tight and could even get more intense with Open Season leader Cole
Robbins joining the forces.

COMING UP IN CALI: We are closing out 2007
with the Gold Coast doubleheader events #5 & #6 at C-Street on December
22-23. HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT THE NSSA!

THE
SCOREBOARD
RESULTS
SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE EXPLORER #5
CHURCH, SAN ONOFRE
STATE PARK

EXPLORER MENS
1. Bryce Dehaan-Huntington Beach 10.0
2.
Nick Suhadolnik-Solana Beach 8.5
3. Tanner Long-Encinitas 5.5
4. Kyle
Kennelly-Huntington Beach 5.0
5. Britt Galland-Rancho Santa Fe 3.5
6.
Victor Done-Newport Beach, 3.0

EXPLORER JUNIORS
1. Brent
Reilly-Carlsbad 13.5
2. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 11.0
3. Chase
Wilson-Newport Beach 9.5
4. Kyle Kennelly-Newport Beach 7.5
5. JD
Lewis-Cardiff by the Sea 5.0 tiebreak
6. Evan Kane-Huntington Beach 5.0
tiebreak

EXPLORER BOYS
1. Kolohe Andino-San Clemente 17.0
2. Luke
Davis-Capistrano Beach 11.0
3. Jared Thorne-Newport Beach 10.5
4. Taylor
Thorne-Newport Beach 10.0
5. Ian Crane-San Clemente 8.5
6. Breydon
Taylor-San Juan Capistrano 7.5

EXPLORER MENEHUENE
1. Colin Moran-Costa
Mesa 12.5
2. Taylor Clark-Encinitas 12.0
3. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington
Beach 11.5
4. Jacob Davis-Capistrano Beach 9.5
5. Johnny Elles-Huntington
Beach 8.5
6. Jake Marshall-Encinitas 7.0

EXPLORER WOMENS
1.
Chandler Parr-Santa Monica 15.5
2. Alexa Frantz-San Diego 11.0
3. Marissa
Shaw-San Clemente 10.0
4. Jenna Balestar-Huntington Beach 6.0
5. Kali
Krebs-Haleiwa, Hi 5.5
6. Sophia Bartlow-Long Beach 5.0

EXPLORER
GIRLS
1. Charlotte Shanahan-San Clemente 12.0
2. Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica
9.0
3. Anise Guzman-Huntington Beach 8.0
4. Harley Taich-La Jolla
7.5
5. Emmy Merrill-San Clemente 6.5
6. Shelby Detmers-Long Beach
6.0

EXPLORER MASTERS
1. Rick Takahashi-San Diego 12.0
2. YuFu
Penrose-San Clemente 9.5
3. Randy Cutshall-Torrance 8.5
4. Scott
Whitmer-Gardena 8.0
5. Chad Logan-Long Beach 7.5
6. Taichi
Maruyama-Huntington Beach 6.0

EXPLORER SENIORS
1. Scott
Whitmer-Gardena 13.0
2. Neil Bern-Carlsbad 12.5
3. Chad Logan-Long Beach
9.0
4. Terry Gillard-Imperial Beach 8.5
5. Randy Cutshall-Torrance
6.5
6. Rusty Phillipy-Cardiff by the Sea 0.0

EXPLORER SUPER
SENIORS
1. Jeffrey O’Donnell-Canoga Park 9.5
2. Rick Fignetti-Huntington
Beach 9.0
3. Dale Baker-San Clemente 8.5
4. Anthony Halstead-Los Angeles
8.0
5. Bill MacLeod-Rollling Hills Estates 7.0
6. Tim Senneff-Del Mar
5.5

EXPLORER LONGBOARD
1. Cole Robbins-Santa Barbara 12.5
2. Steve
Simpson-Malibu 9.5
3. Michael Maddox-Newport Beach 8.5
4. Scott
Brandenburg-San Clemente 8.0
5. Michael Lallande-Long Beach 6.0
6. Terry
Gillard-Imperial Beach 5.0