By Jake Howard
Winner of the NSSA Southwest contest at Church over the weekend, Dana Point’s Bethany Zelasko rallied in the small, autumn conditions to overtake a talented pack in the final and put herself atop the podium.
A standout with the Dana Hills High School surf program, Zelasko first started surfing when she was 12 years old, and now at 17 years old, she already owns multiple state titles. She’s had a big month. Most recently was her big NSSA win, and prior to that in early October she travelled to Tofino, Canada, and came away with a convincing victory at the Queen of the Peak contest.
“This weekend was so much fun. It was (the) perfect size,” beamed Zelasko after her first international victory. “I hope to come back here again and surf this contest. I just want to say thank you so much to the people that put on the event. They did an awesome job. They really took good care of us. The girls are just so fun to surf with and everyone is so nice. I can’t wait to come back and do it again.”
Zelasko appears to be on a bit of a roll these days. Don’t be surprised if you see her on top of a few more podiums before 2017 comes to a close.