Surfer the Week - Archives (2016)
Surfer of the Week - 12/6/2016
SANTIAGO HART
| Age: |
14 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Santa Cruz, California |
| School: |
Ocean Grove Charter School; 8th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Volcom, Pacific Wave Surf Shop, Electric, Freak Traction, Rainbow Fins, TC Surfboards, SunBum |
| Equipment: |
TC Surfboards, "The Bullet", 5'8" |
| Equipment: |
TC Surfboards, "The Bullet", 5'8" |
| Claim to Fame: |
Just falling short of a win with 4 runner-ups at the 16/17 NW opener at Pleasure Point a few weeks ago, Santi was more than ready for the season’s second stop at Steamer Lane. Competing in 4 divisions, he powered through heat after heat in iron man fashion adapting to a medley of tricky and heavy conditions including the Lane’s standard double overhead bombs on day 2 of the comp. He finished with wins in Open Juniors & Explorer Boys, a 2nd in Open Mens and 3rd in Explorer Juniors. Fave thing about the Lane: It’s a powerful wave that can hold lots of size. Fave Surfers: Tazzy, Nat Young, Ozzy Wrong, Craig Anderson, Dane Reynolds. Surf crew: TakoBok crew. Local spot: The Point & the Lane. Fun fact: I know Spanish. Fantasy superpower: Teleport around the world for waves. Surfing influences: My dad and progressive surfers like Dane. Dream Wave: Kelly’s. Barrels or Airs: Barrels. Thank yous: My parents, sponsors and my buddies who get me psyched to surf and shoot. Goals: Win the conference! |
Surfer of the Week - 11/7/2016
CROSBY COLAPINTO
| Age: |
15 |
 |
| Hometown: |
San Clemente, California |
| School: |
CompuHigh; 10th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Rip Curl, Sex Wax, Dragon, Jacks, Stance, Scosche, Lost Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Lost Surfboards, 5' 10.5" |
| Equipment: |
Lost Surfboards, 5' 10.5" |
| Claim to Fame: |
The SW Open at Church was flawless overhead perfection and this SC local boy stole the spotlight. Crosby utilized his native wisdom in the firing righthanders blowing up the scoreboard with high performance surfing in both the Mens and Juniors divisions. His huge 19.54 combined total in Juniors round one and perfect 10 in the Mens quarters were the highest scores of the event. He finished with a 2nd in Mens and 3rd in Juniors, but more so solidified his rep as one of the top young talents rising up the ranks. Fave thing about Church: It’s a long righthand pointbreak. Fave surfers: My brother Griffin, Kolohe Andino, Mick Fanning, Sebastian Zietz. Surf crew: Griffin, Kade Matson, Jett Schilling, Cole Houshmand. Local spot: Lowers. Fantasy superpower: Spiderman. Fun fact: I love to golf! Dream wave: A perfect right that barrels and then ends with a good air section. Who has pushed your level? Griffin, Kade and Cole. Goals: Win a championship, get into the magazines and improve my surfing! |
Surfer of the Week - 10/25/2016
SAM COFFEY
| Age: |
16 |
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| Hometown: |
Santa Cruz, California |
| School: |
Santa Cruz High School; 11th grade |
| Sponsors: |
O'Neill, O'Neill Surf Shop, Ward Coffey Shapes |
| Equipment: |
5' 7 1/2" epoxy, squash tail shaped by Ward Coffey. "It is great having my dad shape my boards because it is easy to know what is going on with them. I also help out shaping so I can get and give a lot of feedback to get my boards dialed!" |
| Equipment: |
5' 7 1/2" epoxy, squash tail shaped by Ward Coffey. "It is great having my dad shape my boards because it is easy to know what is going on with them. I also help out shaping so I can get and give a lot of feedback to get my boards dialed!" |
| Claim to Fame: |
After suffering a leg injury that sidelined him at the end of last season and the 2016 Nationals, Sam opened up his 16/17 competition campaign recharged and surfing better than ever. At the Northwest Open and Explorer Season openers at Pleasure Point, the 16-year-old who calls Steamer Lane his home, came out swinging on the east side of town putting up huge scores sweeping both the Open Mens and Explorer Juniors victories. Focusing on NSSA events this year, Sam looks more relaxed in heats which translates into catching better waves and surfing at a higher level. And it showed as the talented regular footer used his smooth, progressive technique tearing apart the long right walls of the Hook and the Point. Fave thing about Pleasure Point: The long rights. Fave Surfers: John John & Nat Young. Surf crew: My brother Ben & my friends. Local spot: The Lane. Fun fact: I use to play violin. Fantasy superpower: To breathe underwater. Dream wave: Salina Cruz at 6-8 ft. Barrels or Airs: Barrels!! |
Surfer of the Week - 9/26/2016
ELLA MCCAFFRAY
| Age: |
13 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Cardiff, California |
| School: |
San Diego Neighborhood Home School: 8th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Rusty Surfboards, On a Mission, Surf Ride, Futures |
| Equipment: |
Rusty Surfboards; Model: 5'2" Enough Said |
| Equipment: |
Rusty Surfboards; Model: 5'2" Enough Said |
| Claim to Fame: |
Opening days at the 16/17 SW Explorer Season at Oceanside Pier were a glimpse of emerging talent and the improvement of skills over the summer break. And 13-year-old Ella was clearly one of the standouts. Her performance was one for the books as she walked away with four, yes four wins for a weekend’s work! Fave thing about Oceanside Pier: I really liked the swell this weekend. It made for some really good rights and lefts with lots of different peaks. Fave Pro surfer: Tatiana Weston-Webb. Fave NSSA surfers: Samantha Sibley & my brother Cole. Surf crew: All the Seaside squad-The Slawsons, Marshalls, Croziers, Spencers, Cole, Matt Lewis, Adam Knox, Skylar Stokes & Hunter Lysaught. Local spot: Seaside. Fantasy superpower: Be able to fly. Fun fact: I enjoy art. Dream wave: Lowers with no one out. Goals: Learn a lot, travel to new places and surf well at Regionals & Nationals. Thank yous: My coach Adam Knox, my brother Cole for always pushing me, my friends for supporting me & my sponsors! |
Surfer of the Week - 9/13/2016
KIRRA PINKERTON
| Age: |
13 |
 |
| Hometown: |
San Clemente, California |
| School: |
Shorecliffs Middle School Homeschool Program |
| Sponsors: |
Hurley, Sun Bum, DSC, Syck Trix, Lost Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Lost Surfboards shaped by Matt Biolos 5'2" Pocket Rocket Epoxy |
| Equipment: |
Lost Surfboards shaped by Matt Biolos 5'2" Pocket Rocket Epoxy |
| Claim to Fame: |
When Kirra launched her 16/17 season campaign, she entered with serious aspirations of winning a season title and her first National title. And why not? She absolutely destroyed it at the 2016 Regionals with dominating double wins in the Open Womens and Girls divisions. She went on to Nationals with a runner-up in Girls and 3rd in Womens. At the season opener at HB Pier this past weekend, Kirra was once again a standout in surfing’s biggest arena. SC is home, but this girl reads HB like a book. And while there were tons of standout performances on opening weekend, this gal adapted brilliantly to Southside’s infamously challenging conditions taking home two big wins in the Womens and Girls! Fave thing about HB Pier: The changing conditions because it makes things more interesting. Fave surfers: Carissa Moore & my Dad. Surf crew: Kade, Dane, Rachel, Audrey & Crosby. Fun fact: When I first started surfing I was goofy foot. Fave wave: Punta Roca. Goals: To win the season title & Nationals! |
Surfer of the Week - 8/30/2016
JABE SWIERKOCKI
| Age: |
13 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Ventura, California |
| School: |
Inspire Charter School |
| Sponsors: |
Vissla, Sex Wax, Channel Islands Surfboards, Prolite, Sunbum, DBlanc |
| Equipment: |
Channel Islands Fred Rubble 5'1" |
| Equipment: |
Channel Islands Fred Rubble 5'1" |
| Claim to Fame: |
Jabe opened up the 2016/17 season strong with a double win performance at the Gold Coast Conference event #1 at Ventura's C Street. There was no stopping him in the fun 1-3 foot right hand peelers of one of his local breaks where he claimed victories in every heat including the Juniors and Boys finals. On day two of the doubleheader event, Jabe kicked off the comp in dominating fashion winning every Junors and Boys preliminary round and finishing with solid runner up placings in both finals. On the total for the weekend, he hammered out 12 total heat wins! Fave thing about the C Street: The long rippable lines. Local spot: Rincon. Fave surfer: Julian Wilson. Fave NSSA Surfer: Griffin Colapinto. Surf crew: Trevor Berry, Dimitri Poulos and Josiah Amico. Fantasy super power: Teleportation. Something people don't know about you: I love trampolines. Dream wave: J Bay. Barrels or Airs? Airs. Goals for the season: Have fun and go big! |
Surfer of the Week - 6/16/2016
SAMANTHA CENDRO
| Age: |
18 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Huntington Beach, California |
| School: |
Huntington Beach High School; Class of 2016 |
| Sponsors: |
|
| Equipment: |
Barry Vandermeulen Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Barry Vandermeulen Surfboards |
| Claim to Fame: |
There is no dream too big. Just ask Sam Cendro who is our 2016 Surfer/Scholar of the Year. Sam recently graduated from Huntington Beach High School with a massive 4.51 GPA and will continue her education at USC with a major in astronomical engineering and physics. She has been competing in the SW Open & Explorer divisions throughout her high school years but it is what she has done in the classroom and beyond that is really special. Her dream job is to become an elite engineer at Space X. And while her studies are sure to dominate most of her time, we don’t expect Sam to hang up the jersey yet as the USC Surf Team is sure to welcome her with open arms as a strong addition to their squad! Local spot: HB Pier. Fave thing about the Pier: The consistency of the wave, there is always swell there. Fave surfers: Jordy Smith & Bianca Buitendag. Fave NSSA surfer: Sam Sibley. Surf crew: My little sister & Bill Sharp. Fantasy super power: To breathe underwater. Dream wave: Any left point in Indo! |
Surfer of the Week - 5/30/2016
EITHAN OSBORNE & KIRRA PINKERTON
| Age: |
Eithan: 16; Kirra: 13 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Eithan: Ventura, California; Kirra: San Clemente, California |
| School: |
Eithan: El Camino High School; Kirra: Capistrano Virtual School |
| Sponsors: |
Eithan: Billabong, Monster, Roberts Surfboards, Sex Wax; Kirra: Hurley, Lost Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Eithan: Roberts Surfboards; Kirra: Lost Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Eithan: Roberts Surfboards; Kirra: Lost Surfboards |
| Claim to Fame: |
CONGRATULATIONS EITHAN AND KIRRA! THE 2016 WEST COAST OPEN MENS AND OPEN WOMENS CHAMPIONS! |
Surfer of the Week - 5/10/2016
TOMMY MCKEOWN
| Age: |
14 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Oxnard, California |
| School: |
Blanche Reynolds School; 8th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Hurley, Neff, Pro Lite, Pacific Water Men, Roberts Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Roberts Surfboards 5' 1 1/2" squash shaped by Robert Weiner |
| Equipment: |
Roberts Surfboards 5' 1 1/2" squash shaped by Robert Weiner |
| Claim to Fame: |
Tommy came away with back-to-back Explorer Boys victories at the Gold Coast doubleheader events #8 and #9 utilizing a strong variety of progressive and rail driven turns. In fun, shoulder high peaks at the Ventura Harbor “Surfers Knoll”, he put up major scores in the 8 and 9 range in both finals to seal the wins. The double wins put him on top of the 15/16 GC Explorer Boys rankings with two events remaining this coming weekend. Stay tuned! Fave thing about Ventura Harbor: There are no crowds and fun peaks. Local spot: Silver Strand. Fave surfer: Julian Wilson. Fave Gold Coast surfer: Curt Harper. Surf crew: Nick and Nathan Shore, Ryder Alves, Fisher DeVoe. Fantasy super power: To fly. Something people don't know about you: I like playing golf. Dream wave: Rifles. Barrels or Airs: Barrels. Goals: Try to improve my contest strategy. |
Surfer of the Week - 4/8/2016
CHAUNCEY ROBINSON & CAROLINE MARKS
| Age: |
Chauncey-17 Caroline-14 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Chauncey-Melbourne Beach, Florida; Caroline-Melbourne Beach, Florida |
| School: |
|
| Sponsors: |
Chauncey-Vissla; Caroline-Roxy, Red Bull |
| Equipment: |
|
| Claim to Fame: |
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHAUNCEY AND CAROLINE - THE 2016 EAST COAST REGIONAL OPEN MENS AND OPEN WOMENS CHAMPIONS! |
Surfer of the Week - 3/17/2016
SAM COFFEY
| Age: |
15 |
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| Hometown: |
Santa Cruz, California |
| School: |
Santa Cruz High School; 10th grade |
| Sponsors: |
O'Neill, O'Neill Surf Shop, Ward Coffey Shapes, Creatures of Leisure |
| Equipment: |
5'6" squash tail shaped by Ward Coffey |
| Equipment: |
5'6" squash tail shaped by Ward Coffey |
| Claim to Fame: |
Conditions may have been frigid, wet and blustery in Santa Cruz as old man winter blew in with one final late season blast, but that didn’t stop Sam from turning up the heat in unruly overhead surf at the Hook. Competing in both the Open Mens and Juniors divisions at the NW event 3, he powered through 7 heavy current riddled heats stringing together precision moves and high scoring rides. He sealed his second win of the season in the Juniors and an impressive runner up finish in the Mens. A true and worthy Iron Man performance! Fave thing about the Hook: It’s a good right point break. Local spot: Steamer Lane. Fave surfer: John John Florence. Fave NSSA Surfer: Nat Young. Surf crew: My brother Ben and all my friends. Fantasy super power: To breathe underwater. Something people don't know about you: I’m on the US Lifesaving U19 High Performance Squad. I also play violin. Dream wave: A barreling right point with no one out. Goals: Win the rest of the NW contests and the conference title! |
Surfer of the Week - 3/8/2016
BETHANY ZELASKO
| Age: |
16 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Dana Point, California |
| School: |
Dana Hills High School; 10th grade |
| Sponsors: |
51 Fifty Energy, Infinity surf, BruSurf, Buccaneer Board Riders, Surf More XM, Tidepools Swimwear, Wax Traks, Killer Dana Surf Shop. |
| Equipment: |
Infinity Surfboards shaped by Dan Boehne 5'5" 17 1/2" |
| Equipment: |
Infinity Surfboards shaped by Dan Boehne 5'5" 17 1/2" |
| Claim to Fame: |
Bethany was a shoe-in for Surfer of the Week honors this week. After posting a perfect 10 en route to her Open Womens triumph in bombing conditions at the Ventura Open, she returned to comp last weekend at the State Championships in stellar form. Surfing for Dana Hills High School, she went on a tear in solid overhead surf at Church taking her second consecutive Varsity Womens State Title. It’s no surprise that she is racking up win after win as she is one of the most dedicated and hardworking surfers in the water. With coach Mike Lamm in her corner, look for Bethany to continue to soar up the competitive ladder with her eyes focused on a National title. Fave thing about Church: Going backside on the perfect rights. Local spot: Salt Creek. Fave surfer: Mick Fanning. Surf crew: My little brother Israel. Fantasy super power: To be able to fly. Something people don't know about you: I want to surf an event on the Big Wave Tour. Dream wave: Tahiti. Goals: Win NSSA Regionals & Nationals!
|
Surfer of the Week - 2/17/2016
LUCAS OWSTON
| Age: |
10 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Oceanside, California |
| School: |
Coastal Academy; 4th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Indiblue, Borst Surfboards, Zinka, Yoga Oceanside, Stay Covered, Gravity Skateboards, Sun Diego, RinseKit |
| Equipment: |
4'9" squash tail shaped by Chris Borst |
| Equipment: |
4'9" squash tail shaped by Chris Borst |
| Claim to Fame: |
Lucas is one of our newest up and coming groms who is making a statement this year in the contests. At the Southwest Salt Creek Open he was on fire in the head high lefts and rights surfing at an incredible and impressive level. He destroyed the Mini Grom final putting on one of the best 10 & under performances of the year winning it with monster scores of 9.67 and 8.67. The Salt Creek victory was his second of the season and he is currently ranked 4th overall. This young shredder is working hard and stepping up his game. He will definitely be one to look out for come NSSA championship time! Fave thing about Salt Creek: How fast and powerful the wave is. Local spot: Oceanside Harbor. Fave surfer: Mick Fanning. Fave NSSA Surfers: Kei Kobayashi, Jett Schilling, Levi Slawson. Surf crew: Cole McCaffray, Hayden Rodgers, Dane Matson, Ty Spencer. Fantasy super power: To be able to fly. Something people don't know about you: I like to play the drums. Dream wave: Bali. Goal: Win the Nationals! |
Surfer of the Week - 2/11/2016
ALYSSA SPENCER
| Age: |
12 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Carlsbad, California |
| School: |
Dehesa Charter School; 7th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Rip Curl, Vertra, Sex Wax, Fish 101, Stamps Surfboards, Nikoa Fitness, Hansens Surf Shop, DaKine |
| Equipment: |
5'3" squash tail shaped by Tim Stamps |
| Equipment: |
5'3" squash tail shaped by Tim Stamps |
| Claim to Fame: |
Alyssa has surely been making a statement this season. Surfing well beyond her 12 years, she is already developing a mature style and technique. She went on a tear at the Salt Creek Open putting on a masterful performance dismantling everything in her path. Heat after heat she posted excellent scores in the 8 and 9 point range including the event’s only perfect 10. It was no surprise to see her rip her way to a first place in the premier Open Womens division and a third place in the Girls. One of her goals is to win a National title and her dominant performance this past weekend clearly shows that she can be successful in her quest! Fave thing about Salt Creek: There are always good waves here. Local spot: Seaside. Fave surfer: Carissa Moore. Fave NSSA Surfer: Brisa Hennessy. Surf crew: Sam Sibley, Kirra Pinkerton, Olivia Pessanha. Fantasy super power: To breathe underwater. Something people don't know about you: I like to rock climb. Dream wave: Macaronis. Goal: Win a National title! |
Surfer of the Week - 1/27/2016
GABE MORVIL
| Age: |
16 |
.jpg) |
| Hometown: |
Wilmington, North Carolina |
| School: |
Switched on Schoolhouse; 10th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Quiksilver, Surf City Surf Shop, Freak Traction, Orion Surfboards |
| Equipment: |
Orion Surfboards shaped by Greg Geiselman. 5’11” squash tails, I use both regular foam and epoxy |
| Equipment: |
Orion Surfboards shaped by Greg Geiselman. 5’11” squash tails, I use both regular foam and epoxy |
| Claim to Fame: |
Gabe kicked off 2016 with a fantastic start when he went on a tear at the Mid Atlantic event #4 held at Carolina Beach on January 16-17. He took command with a 3-divison first place sweep in the Open Mens, Explorer Mens and Explorer Juniors. He also posted the top heat score of the event earning a 15.5 out of 20 in the Explorer Juniors. The 16-year-old is best known for his smooth, powerful style. With his sudden growth spurt over the past few months, he has quickly learned to capitalize on his new size, taking advantage of the extra torque while improving his rail game and pulling off more explosive airs. Clearly he will be one of the top contenders from the Mid Atlantic region heading into the NSSA championship series where he will seek his first Regional and National titles. Gabe is putting in the work with successful results during the regular season so he undoubtedly will be motivated to bring on a winning performance in the championships! |
Surfer of the Week - 1/12/2016
LEVI SLAWSON
| Age: |
12 |
 |
| Hometown: |
Encinitas, California |
| School: |
San Diego Neighborhood Homeschool; 7th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Volcom, Nixon, Raen, Sanuk, Rumaner Surfboards, Surf Ride, Surface Sunscreen, Dakine |
| Equipment: |
Rumaner Surfboards 4'8" thumbtail shaped by Eric Rumaner |
| Equipment: |
Rumaner Surfboards 4'8" thumbtail shaped by Eric Rumaner |
| Claim to Fame: |
Levi was absolutely on fire in his homebreak at the Seaside Reef Open. He surfed a masterpiece of a heat in his Boys semi nailing his first ever perfect 10 and also dropped a near perfect 9.2 second score posting a stellar 19.20 total out of a possible 20. For icing on the cake his throwaway scores in that heat were a 9.17, 8.33 and 7.33! Needless to say, the newest rising star from San Diego won the Open Boys final and stepped up big with a fourth place finals showing in the hotly contested Open Juniors division. What a performance! Fave thing about Seaside Reef: The waves are always super fun. Local spot: Seaside. Fave surfer: John John Florence. Fave NSSA Surfer: Jake Marshall. Surf crew: The Marshall brothers, Caleb Crozier & my brother Noah. Fantasy super power: Teleporting. Something people don't know about you: I’m an animal lover. Favorite wave: Perfect slabbing right with offshore winds. Airs or barrels: Airs. Goals: Try to win as many contests as I can & win a National title! |
Surfer of the Week - 1/4/2016
COLE HOUSHMAND
| Age: |
15 |
 |
| Hometown: |
San Clemente, California |
| School: |
Connections Academy; 9th grade |
| Sponsors: |
Vissla, D-Blanc, Etnies, Famous, Hayden Shapes, Jacks Surf Shop, HDX |
| Equipment: |
Hayden Shapes 5' 6 1/2" rounded pin |
| Equipment: |
Hayden Shapes 5' 6 1/2" rounded pin |
| Claim to Fame: |
Cole closed off the year 2015 with a bang putting on a dynamic performance at the Seaside Reef Open. In a total of eight heats surfed he won six of them. He took a commanding victory crushing the Juniors final (his second win of the season in Juniors) along with an impressive runner-up finish against top competition in the premier Mens division. He also posted the highest wave score of the day-an excellent 9.53. With this being his final year in the Open Juniors age bracket, Cole’s mission is to continue to build momentum with his eyes focused on that first National title! Fave thing about Seaside Reef: The variety of maneuvers you can do on a wave. Local spot: Lowers. Fave surfer: John John Florence. Fave NSSA Surfer: Griffin Colapinto. Surf crew: Griffin and Crosby Colapinto, Colt Ward. Fantasy super power: Teleportation. Something people don't know about you: I’m pretty good at tennis. Dream wave: Kelly Slater’s wave pool. Goal: To win a National title before I move up from Juniors! |
