2010 NSSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NIKE 6.0

JUNE 16-19 SALT CREEK, DANA POINT, CA.

JUNE 29-JULY 3-HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER, CA.

CONDITIONS AT SALT CREEK: GREAT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE EVENT WITH 3-4 FOOT CONSISTENT PEAKS WITH BEAUTIFUL WARM WEATHER AND GLASSY SEA SURFACES.

CONDITIONS AT HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER: A COMBO OF SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST WIND SWELL RUNNING. FUN, RIPPABLE CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE DAYS WITH 3-4 FOOT SCATTERED BEACH BREAK LEFT AND RIGHT PEAKS. GOOD RIGHTS AT THE "PIER BOWL” ALL WEEK.

2010 NSSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

(Huntington Beach, Ca – July 10, 2010) - After the gravity of the Nationals has sunk in, the surfing nation is marveling about the performance of Kauai’s Kaimana Jaquias stepping up on finals day on the grand stage in Huntington Beach, Surf City USA and securing the most coveted title in amateur surfing. Jaquias was excited to make the prestigious Open Men’s final but totally ecstatic when he emerged victorious joining his father Kaipo (who won the Open Juniors back in 1987) on the elite list of Open Champions.

OPEN MEN'S FINAL FOUR!

l-r: Parker Coffin, Kaimana Jaquias, Evan Geiselman, Conner Coffin

The Open Men’s final lineup set up to be one of the most captivating in that all four finalists had a unique form of special appeal. Jaquias was seeking to join his father on the NSSA Open Champions board, Evan Geiselman was aiming to bring to the East Coast its first Open Men’s crown, and the sharp and powerful Coffin brother duo Conner and Parker who became the first siblings to make the Open Men’s final in the same year.  When the 30-minute final began, Jaquias and Conner Coffin paddled straight to the Pier Bowl peak. Parker, who earlier sealed his first National title in the Explorer Juniors surfing the Pier Bowl rights and lefts maintained that triumphant strategy while Geiselman gambled on the more inconsistent peaks of the south sandbars. With Conner Coffin holding first place position for most of the heat, the pressure was on Jaquias to put a score on the board. He already was holding an excellent 8.5 score, the highest of the final, but needed a mid range 4-point wave to move into first. Remaining composed, Jaquias paddled into a mid-break right with four minutes remaining on the clock and shredded it to pieces. The score came in at a 5.85 dropping Coffin to the second place position and the National title was in the bank for the 17-year-old Kauai native they call "Mana Boi”. Jaquias was immediately hoisted on the shoulders of Billabong team manager Blake Pettit and Open Juniors Champ Keala Naihe and carried straight from the water’s edge to the Champion's podium. There he stood proud on the Nationals stage as a huge group of Hawaiians led by Jaquias’ great-grandmother chanted, prayed and cheered for their new hero. "I’m on top of the world right now,” a beaming Jaquias said. "I’ve been coming to the Nationals for 6 or 7 years and have never won a title and it feels that much better that the one title I win is the biggest title you can get. In the final, I had 30-minutes to catch two good waves and luckily I got that 8.25 in the beginning of the heat. There were so many peaks it came down to who got the best wave and who could perform on that wave. I got that rippable mid-break wave and just tried to do as many good turns as I could to get the score.” It turns out that the move to Huntington Beach was right up Jaquias’ alley. "I’ve been training on a beachbreak on Kauai all my life so the waves here in HB are the element I want to be competing in,” Jaquias said. "My dad lifeguards at Kealia beach and I go with him to the beach every day and train 9 to 5 which was great training for the Nationals.” Jaquias, who will be a senior at the Elite Element Academy next year, will become the second father-son duo (Dino and Kolohe Andino were the first to accomplish this in 2009) to have their names etched into the elite list of Open Champions. "It would have been cool to win Open Juniors but winning Open Men’s just stomps on his title!” a joking Kaimana said. "Really all kidding aside, I was talking to my dad and he had a feeling I was going to win and I had that feeling too. He told me not to worry about anyone else and just focus on my surfing. For some reason, it felt like I had a relationship with the wave at Huntington. I think maybe it comes from my dad because he has so much experience here in Huntington. He won his title here and I just knew if I could concentrate and focus I could win a National title here too.” As Kaimana gazed up at the champions board, smiling ear-to-ear, he visualized his name permanently etched into the Open Men’s column; "I just want my name ‘Mana Boi’ Jaquias up on that board, it’s a dream come true.”

OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR!

l-r: Catherine Clark, Nage Melamed, Alexa Frantz, Lakey Peterson

The Women’s final matched up defending champion Lakey Peterson with Nage Melamed, Catherine Clark and Alexa Frantz who was having an impressive breakthrough performance at this Nationals. In a slow final for waves, it appeared Melamed had the National title in the bag holding down the lead with Peterson needing a mid range 5-point score in the final minute. But with 30 seconds on the clock, Melamed was called for interference penalty on Clark, cutting her second score in half which put Peterson back on top. Peterson emerged victorious from the water securing her second consecutive National crown and the Mayor’s Cup. "It’s really hard to defend a National title with all the pressure and nerves that you feel,” Peterson said. "This morning I was really psyched up, I just really wanted to win again. I was scrambling out there searching for waves because the heat was lully, but I just tried to stay relaxed. It was a rough win for me but a win’s a win.” Big props go out to a heart-broken Melamed who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship on the championship podium graciously accepting the runner-up outcome with Frantz placing third and Clark in fourth. "I really feel for Nage, but that’s just sports and that’s what happens,” Peterson said. "I just super stoked to win the title again. I worked really hard this year to come back and defend.”

OPEN JUNIORS FINAL FOUR!

l-r: Andrew Jacobson, Jesse Guglielmana, Kalani David, Keala Naihe

The Open Juniors final featured three Hawaiians and a west coaster. 2007 National Open Boys Champion Keala Naihe, who had recently lost his beloved coach and mentor Delta Thompson, was motivated to bring home a title in his honor. Kalani David was having a spectacular Nationals, making three finals. He won the Explorer Menehuene final at Salt Creek and then in HB continued to put on a show of amazing surfing making both the Open Boys and hotly contested Open Juniors finals. David took home a lot of hardware which included the three finals trophies, two "Performer of the Day” awards and the Kalani Robb National Award for "Most Inspirational Performance”. Kauai’s Jesse Guglielmana and Malibu’s Andrew Jacobson delivered high performance surfing all week in HB’s beach break peaks to advance through stacked heats in the immensely competitive Open Juniors category. But inspired by his late coach Delta, Kailua-Kona’s Naihe put on a terrific surfing display in the final to clinch his second career National title.

THE MEGA TALENTED OPEN BOYS FINALISTS!

l-r: Seth Moniz, Kaulana Apo, Jake Davis, Colt Ward, Kanoa Igarashi, Kalani David

Kanoa Igarashi, who a week earlier at Salt Creek sealed his first National victory with a win in the Middle School Boys division, was determined to bring home an Open title on his home court in Huntington Beach. In a highly competitive and hotly contested field of 12 & under surfers Igarashi, who dominated the division in two years ago compiling a record-setting 30 victories, was challenged by a tremendous up rise of competitive talent in the 2009-10 regular season. And on the national stage, the level was amazing. Joining Igarashi in the final was 2010 West Coast Champion Jake Davis, 2010 State Champion Colt Ward, 2010 Hawaii Regional Champion Seth Moniz and Regional runner-up Kaulana Apo. In one of the highest energy and most crowd-thrilling finals of the entire championship, it was an intense seesaw battle between Igarashi, Davis and David along with Moniz who opened up the heat with an 8.25. Moniz couldn’t find a solid back-up score and Igarashi held on to the lead with two wave scores of 6.5 and 5.85 to nail his first National Open title and his second title of the 2010 Nationals.

NATIONAL MINI GROM FINALISTS STYLIN'

l-r: Stevie Pittman, Tyler Gunter, Kairi Noro, Luke Gordon, Barron Mamiya, John Mel

The National Mini Grom final was a national affair with some international flair. The six finalists comprised the three NSSA regions (east, west and Hawaii). John Mel (Santa Cruz, Ca), Tyler Gunter (Newport Beach, Ca), Stevie Pittman (Newport, NC), Barron Mamiya (Waialua, Hi), Luke Gordon (Pawleys Island, SC) and Kairi Noro who travels from Japan to compete in NSSA west coast events, advanced to the finals which each one on a campaign for their first National title. John Mel took control in the 25-minute final with a 7.25 score. Tyler Gunter needing an 8-point score got a great left in the final minutes posting a 7.15 which wasn’t enough and John Mel claimed his first National title. The Mini Grom finalists not only walked away with huge National trophies and glory but also were outfitted with custom fashion blazers designed by former National Mini Grom Champion Koa Smith. Keeping with tradition each Mini Grom finalist on the podium was decked in Koa’s line called "Little Fellas”.

THE NATIONAL OPEN LONGBOARD FINALISTS!

l-r: Steve McLean, Kui Adric, Jason Schechter, Stephanie Schechter, Lucas Foster, Shaun Thompson

Shaun Thompson, Steve McLean, Kui Adric, Lucas Foster and the spirited brother-sister duo Jason and Stephanie Schechter advanced to the National Open Longboard finals. Thompson and Jason Schechter took charge of the final with Thompson taking the National title by a fraction of a point over Schechter.  

San Clemente High School stormed into Surf City sweeping both the Varsity and Junior Varsity National titles. It was a sweet victory for the Tritons and coach John Dowell as it’s been four years since the once-dominant team claimed National glory. The National title was the ninth for the San Clemente Varsity team while their Junior Varsity squad claimed its first in the category which was established in 2009.