nssa 4 Mar 2008No Comments 397 views Print Email

  Contest News, surf

More than 200 west coast student surfers hit the lineup at Oceanside South Jetty to compete in the eighth stop of the NSSA Southwest Open Season. Once again, the Southwest competitors enjoyed excellent surf as the waves were pumping compliments of a combo southwest and northwest swell. Clean and perfect 4-6 foot waves were rolling through the entire weekend. The ratings races are heating up and things are getting interesting in all categories with two events remaining on the ten event schedule. The ASP computer scoring system is utilized for all Southwest Conference Open Season events.

WEEKEND WRAPUP
Conner Coffin surfed another blockbuster contest pulling off double finals appearances for the second consecutive Open event. The 14-year-old power broker from Santa Barbara won the elite Open Men’s division and took second in the Juniors. In mid February, he was on fire at the Seaside Reef Open winning the Juniors and taking third in the Men’s. The Open Men’s triumph was his eighth win of the season in NSSA competition. Coffin chalked up 10 total heat victories at O’side taking first place in every one of his heats in the Men’s category and also winning every heat except the final in the Juniors. Coffin is sitting in a solid No. 4 position in the Open Men’s rankings and he’s still got one more year in the Juniors left! He also closed the gap in the Open Juniors rankings where he now trails leader Taylor Thorne by only a couple hundred points. Like Coffin, 15-year-old Riley Metcalf is still a Junior age surfer and was in sensational form in Oceanside. He took runner up to Coffin in the Men’s and also made the Juniors final. In the Juniors final, Ian Crane came out swinging in the opening minutes. Right off the bat he posted a big 7.17 score and then a couple minutes later threw in some air heroics on a set left where he launched a dazzling air reverse earning an 8.33. He took control of the heat within the first five minutes of the twenty-five minute final leaving finalists Coffin, Metcalf and Jared Thorne scratching for huge scores which they never found. In the Boys division, Colin Moran scored his second Open victory of the season with current leader Taylor Clark taking second. Moran will move into second in the ratings and that race is getting ultra tight. Clark is holding a slim lead over Moran and Parker Coffin. In the Mini Groms, Kanoa Igarashi posted the only perfect 10 of the event destroying a wave in the final. Women’s competition saw Courtney Conlogue continuing to blitz the competition nailing her fifth win of the season as she attempts to lock up her record-breaking fourth consecutive Southwest Conference Open title. Conlogue is looking untouchable with her rapidly soaring level as she prepares for the post season. She logged the top six wave scores and top three heat totals on the Women’s side. In Longboard action, Jerry Swearingen and Cole Robbins battled it out for the second consecutive contest going 1-2 in the final.

COMING UP IN CALI: The 2008 NSSA Championship Series is kicking off this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 7-9 with the Interscholastic State Championships at Church, San Clemente. Major team action is on tap including many Open #8 finalists. Men’s winner Conner Coffin will lead the charge for Carpenteria High School. Women’s runner up Sara Taylor will go to battle for Huntington, Kaleigh Gilchrist should make a strong run for Newport Harbor and Taylor Pitz will be a force for Laguna Beach. Open Juniors winner Ian Crane will be gunning for his second consecutive Middle School State Boys crown for Shorecliffs. Parker Coffin will be on the title quest for Carpenteria Middle School and Johnny Elles will contend for Sowers. Longboard finalist Scott Brandenburg will go to battle for San Clemente.

THE SCOREBOARD
SOUTHWEST OPEN SEASON EVENT #8
OCEANSIDE HARBOR SOUTH JETTY

OPEN MENS
1. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 13.33
2. Riley Metcalf-San Clemente 12.67
3. Christian Saenz-Huntington Beach 9.33
4. Gabe Garcia-Carlsbad 6.67

OPEN JUNIORS
1. Ian Crane-San Clemente 15.50
2. Conner Coffin-Santa Barbara 12.84
3. Jared Thorne-Newport Beach 10.34
4. Riley Metcalf-San Clemente 10.17

OPEN BOYS
1. Colin Moran-Costa Mesa 12.66
2. Taylor Clark-Encinitas 11.50
3. Nic H’dez-Santa Cruz 9.00
4. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 7.67
5. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 7.00 tiebreak
6. Johnny Elles-Huntington Beach 7.00 tiebreak

OPEN MINI GROMS
1. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 16.00
2. Jacob Davis-Capistrano Beach 12.00
3. Hunter Johnson-San Diego 10.16
4. Jake Marshall-Encinitas 5.33 tiebreak
5. Decker McAllister-Santa Barbara 5.33 tiebreak
6. Blake Dresner-Encinitas 2.33

OPEN WOMENS
1. Courtney Conlogue-Santa Ana 14.67
2. Sara Taylor-Huntington Beach 8.33
3. Kaleigh Gilchrist-Newport Beach 6.67
4. Taylor Pitz-Laguna Beach 6.00

OPEN LONGBOARD
1. Jerry Swearingen-Carlsbad 11.84
2. Cole Robbins-Carlsbad 11.17
3. Scott Brandenburg-San Clemente 10.83
4. Cody Ulrich-San Clemente 10.66
5. Michael Maddox-Newport Beach 9.50
6. Max Jessee-Carlsbad 5.50