Cardiff Bech was the site for the NSSA Southwest stop number 5 over the weekend. After a short break the tournament staff and surfers were ready to go and got back to action in a big way. Five surfers won their first title of the season while one of them won for the fourth time.
To Cardiff we go.
OPEN MENS
Finalists: Titus Santucchi, Eeli Timperi , Dane Matson, Hayden Rodgers
Titus Santucci got his second win of the season, in a field loaded with talented surfers.
The 17-year-old delivered all day long in climbing through 34 competitors for the win. In the finals, he put up scores of 8.33 and 7.77 for a 16.10 heat score. Runner up Eeli Timperi had a 7.83/13.10 in the finals.
Earlier in the weekend, Santucci put up an 8.60/16.93 in the quarterfinals. Timperi, made the final with a semifinal score of 15.30 on waves of 7.33 and 7.97.
Other highlights in the Division were by
Hayden Rodgers 8.17/15.84,
Dane Libby 8.50/14.40,
Kai Kushner 8.10/14.40
Lucas Senkbiel-Cassity 8.50/16.17.
OPEN WOMENS
Finalists: Sara Freyre, Mia Moore, Sierra Downing, Addison McPhillips
Sara Freyre won her third title of the season in a low scoring but close final championship.
Freyre survived with scores of 5.33 and 4.73 but her 10.06 heat total was just enough to hold off Mia Moore.
Moore had a 9.80 total with scores of 4.67 and 5.13 losing by just .26.
Freyre made her way to finals with earlier scores of 7.77/14.04 in the semifinals and an 8.00/15.00 in the quarters.
Other highlights in the division:
Sierra Downing 7.00/12.07
Addison McPhillips 4.63/9.03
Maddie Stanton 6.67/9.84
OPEN JUNIORS (u16)
Finalists: Eeli Timperi, Luke MacBeth, Hans Odriozola, Reef Persidok
After finishing second in the Men's Open, Timperi got right back in the water and won the 16 and under with a 15.40 heat total.
He opened with a huge 9.33 and held a comfortable advantage throughout. He put up big numbers all weekend, featuring a 7.33/14.16 in the semis and an 8.27/14.67 in the quarterfinals.
Luke MacBeth rode a heat high 7 waves in the final, his best being a 5.57 but could not catch Timperi.
In round two, he had an 8.33/14.83 total to advance through.
Hans Odriozola, wins the snowman award for the day with a wave score of at least 8.00 in every round before the finals. He put up an 8.00/14.10 in round one, 8.33/14.83 in round two, 8.83/14.83 in the quarterfinals and 8.17/14.27 in the semis before finishing third in the finals.
Other highlights in the division:
Dane Libby 8.00/15.00
Lucas Senkbeil Cassity 7.33/13.26
Jessie Rapp 6.50/12.43
Fynn Neth 6.23/10.83
OPEN GIRLS (u16)
Finalists: Maddie Stanton, Marlo Leigh Harris, Victoria Duprat, Reid VanWagoner
Maddie Stanton won her first title of the season (to go along with a prior Explorer title) with a huge 14.16 final heat score. She did it with wave scores of 7.33 and 6.83.
Marlo Harris put together a good heat with scores of 6.30 and 6.77 for second (13.07) and Victoria Duprat had a high of 6.17 in a third-place score of 11.94.
Other Highlights in the division
Reid VanWagoner 5.13/10.46
Victoria Duprat 7.67/13.67
OPEN BOYS (u14)
Finalists: Jett Maughan, Jamie Veselko, Tanner Sandvig, Brody Buck
Jett Maughan won his first title of the season with a 12.76 heat total. He opened the scoring with a 7.33 and took the lead for good. Jamie Veselko also opened big, tallying a 6.83 on his first wave and finished in second with a 10.16.
Both Maughan and Veselko won all their heats leading into the finals. Veselko had a huge 8.33/11.74 in the quarterfinals
Other highlights in the division:
Tanner Sandvig 8.00/14.50
Finn McCarty 4.90/973
Oliver Rowe 6.67/11.74
OPEN SUPER GIRLS (u14)
Finalists: Eden Walla, Zoey Kaina, Victoria Duprat, Brynley Beckman
Eden Walla and Zoey Kaina did battle all day and when the final horn sounded it was Walla that took the win.
The two matched up in the same heat three times and took turns getting the top spot.
In the quarters, Walla took the win with 8.67/16.50 to Kaina's 5.77/12.80. In the semifinals, Kaina had a huge 8.93/15.36 to Wall's 7.00/13.80. But in the end, it was Walla that got the finals win.
Other highlights in the division:
Victoria Duprat 7.03/12.70
Kaia Howard 6.17/9.97
Marlo Harris 5.83/9.46
OPEN MINI GROMS (u12)
Finalists: Luciano Locatelli, Moses Hennings. Gerrit Bakker, Dane Gregorius
Luciano Locatelli won his first title of the season in a close battle.
The final four saw Locatelli win with a 5.27 and 4.20 for a 9.47. He won by .27 over Moses Hennings 4.87 and 4.33 (9.20) and Gerrit Bakker was a close third with a 4.00 and 4.67 (8.67).
OPEN MINI GROMS GIRLS (u12)
Winner: Tyler Stanton
Tyler won her first title of the season, unopposed but scored a 2.50 on her one wave.
OPEN BOYS (u10)
Winner: Cruz Freyre
Freyre won for the 4th time in 5 weeks. He surfed waves of 6.33 and 5.83. Brett Gregorius was second with a 5.33/10.00
Stop Number 6 will be held January 28-29 at the Pier in Huntington Beach.