You never know what to expect from Mother Nature this time of year. Yeah it was the day before the vernal equinox, but the weatherman was predicting rain and 50 knot winds all weekend. The Surfing America Prime Series has some good mojo going, because Saturday there were nice 3–4 foot peaks pushing through and it actually glassed off in the afternoon, something it hadn’t done in the previous week. Being the last event of the season for the West Coast, the kids were competing hard for Surfing America Prime West Season Champion Titles and coveted invites to the USA Championships at Lower Trestles, June 21 – 25, 2011.
We kicked off Saturday with the Boys U14, Girls U16 and Girls U18 and finished the day with the first round of Boys U16. Sunday, a front was bearing down the coast leaving record rains in its path. It stopped short of Camp Pendleton, but it did kick up some crazy S/SE side offshore winds and a 6 foot plus south wind swell that mixed with the NW ground swell resulting in some serious wedges. Even though sand was blowing and the U14s could barely walk against the wind with their boards doing the run up the beach, the waves stayed good to the end. When the last horn went off and the trophies all handed out, the rain finally made an appearance, but not until after another successful Prime event was put to bed.—Greg Cruse
Next up on the Surfing America Prime presented by Got Milk? schedule is Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna, FL on April 5 and 6, 2011. For more info on the Surfing America Primes head here.
BOYS U18:
1. Derek Peters, Huntington Beach
2. Jacob Halstead, La Jolla
3. Taylor Clark, Encinitas
4. Colin Moran, Costa Mesa
BOYS U16:
1. Colin Moran, Costa Mesa
2. Griffin Colapinto, San Clemente
3. Patrick Curren, Santa Barbara
4. Kanoa Igarashi, Huntington Beach
BOYS U14:
1. Griffin Colapinto, San Clemente
2. Colt Ward, San Clemente
3. Jacob Davis, Capistrano Beach
4. Jake Marshall, Encinitas
GIRLS U18:
1. Lani Doherty, San Clemente
2. Danielle Wyman, Laguna Niguel
3. Tia Blanco, San Clemente
4. Shelby Detmers, Newport Beach
GIRLS U16:
1. Nikki Viesens, Florida
2. Harley Taich, La Jolla
3. Kulia Doherty, San Clemente
4. Tia Blanco, San Clemente
WEST COAST SEASON CHAMPIONS
BOYS U18: Derek Peters, 10,875 points
BOYS U16: Parker Coffin, 10,088 points
BOYS U14: Jacob Davis, 11,250 points
GIRLS U18: Kulia Doherty, 11,250 points
GIRLS U16: Kulia Doherty, 12,000 points
Taylor Clark getting some ups. Photo: Jack McDaniel
