The SSS Orange County Middle School Boys Shortboard finalists January 12 at the Oceanside Pier were (L to R) Nate Carabba, Noah Atwood, Ethan Mudge, Shane Hardy, Noah Hohenester and Gunner Day. Hohenester, the division winner is from Bernice Ayer Middle School. All the others are from Shorecliffs. Photo by Sheri Crummer
Local surf teams turn in epic performances in the cold at SSS contest in Oceanside
By Andrea Swayne
Surfing performances by middle school competitors at the Scholastic Surf Series Orange County Middle School event January 12 at the Oceanside Pier were epic despite frigid temperatures.
“We had some really good waves to kick off this first SSS competition of the new year,” said Contest Director Carolyn Krammer. “There was no stopping the kids who showed up ready to surf in their ¾ wetsuits, booties and hoods.”
The temperature on the beach hovered in the low-20s to low-30s as the contest got underway. Offshore winds helped the 4- to 6-foot peaks stand up, offering plenty of opportunities for the surfers to demonstrate their talents.
Shorecliffs Middle School was the winner in team competition, earning 262 points over runner-up Bernice Ayer Middle School’s 183.5-point total.
The Thurston team came in third, followed by Marco Forster, Don Juan Avila, Vista Del Mar and Niguel Hills in fourth through seventh-places respectively.
But in individual competition, surfers from Bernice Ayer made the biggest statement of the day, taking first place in four of the five divisions.
Bernice Ayer surfer Noah Hohenester turned in an event winning performance in Boys Shortboard despite the worsening conditions, as did fellow team members Kai Takayama (Boys Longboard), Luke Overin (Coed Bodyboard) and Maya Harrison (Girls Longboard).
Shorecliff’s Tera Richardson earned the school’s only first place finish, winning the Girls Shortboard division.
A handful of the day’s outstanding performances came from Shorecliffs surfer Nate Carabba.
“Nate was on fire all the way through to the finals,” said Judge Sheri Crummer. “But all of the surfing was exceptional as is usual among Orange County middle schoolers. It was really fun to watch, even though the conditions deteriorated by the finals making competition more difficult for everyone.”
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Scholastic Surf Series Orange County Middle School, Event No. 3, January 12, Oceanside, Pier
Team Results: 1. Shorecliffs, 262; 2. Bernice Ayer, 183.5; 3. Thurston, 129; 4. Marco Forster, 117; 5. Don Juan Avila, 65.6; 6. Vista Del Mar, 61; 7. Niguel Hills, 33.
Boys Shortboard: 1. Noah Hohenester, Bernice Ayer; 2. Noah Atwood, Shorecliffs; 3. Shane Hardy, Shorecliffs; 4. Gunner Day, Shorecliffs; 5. Ethan Mudge, Shorecliffs; 6. Nate Carabba, Shorecliffs.
Boys Longboard: 1. Kai Takayama, Bernice Ayer; 2. River Covey, Shorecliffs; 3. Gus Day, Shorecliffs; 4. Luke Overin, Bernice Ayer; 5. Jacob Atwood, Shorecliffs; 6. Jack Benjamin, Marco Forster.
Girls Shortboard: 1. Tera Richardson, Shorecliffs; 2. Alexxa Elseewi, Bernice Ayer; 3. Cate Hill, Marco Forster; 4. Cate Stokes, Don Juan Avila; 5. Lily Benjamin, Marco Forster; 6. Maya Harrison, Bernice Ayer.
Girls Longboard: 1. Maya Harrison, Bernice Ayer; 2. Kaelen McKrackin, Shorecliffs; 3. Meg Roh, Marco Forster; 4. Cameron Duby, Marco Forster; 5. Kaila Patterson, Shorecliffs; 6. Cate Stokes, Don Juan Avila.
Coed Bodyboard: 1. Luke Overin, Bernice Ayer; 2. Derek Reynolds, Bernice Ayer; 3. Cory Barker, Marco Forster; 4. Jack Dickerson, Thurston; 5. Curran Dand, Shorecliffs; 6. Shane Kimbrough, Bernice Ayer.
