Dylan Goodale and Ian Gentil each won two events at the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s competition over the weekend at Pine Trees. The Open Mens Division found San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino winning it all with Tanner Hendrickson close on his
Dylan Goodale and Ian Gentil each won two events at the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s competition over the weekend at Pine Trees.
The Open Mens Division found San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino winning it all with Tanner Hendrickson close on his heels followed by South African Davey Brand. Andino showing some excellent continuity, as he board-glided from section to section while getting vertical heights on and off the faces.
The four top young women, all below 15 years old, in Hawai‘i seem to take turns in post positions 1-4 in the Open Women division. Nage Melamed, scoring on two solid waves, brought home a first-place finish, Saturday. Her angles and speed earned her the honors over Leila Hurst who needed a solid backup wave to bring Melamed down.
Malia Manuel, the youngest female to win a U.S. Open, never found an open face resulting in her strong maneuvers lacking continuity for a fourth finish.
Keanu Asing, always charging, nosed out a spirited Kaoli Kahokuloa, while Kolohe Andino Kaimana Jacquias Koa Smith and Davey Brand rounded out the division finale in the Open Juniors.
On Sunday, the Explorer Division took up the day under changing conditions as a cold North wind added a definite chill to the air and water. The swell started showing signs of change as a new NorthWest swell started to override the Northeast peak making for changing lineup positions as some surfers found themselves getting caught inside, and the waves coming to shore with lots more punch.
Dylan Goodale was the standout, Sunday, taking down Kolohe Andino in the Junior division and enduring Makana Eleogram’s power and Davey Brand’s relentless turns. Tanner Hendrickson, Chatson Barrett and Kyle Galtes followed respectively in the Mens division that featured growing sets.
The Explorer Womens division found the same four girls from Saturday jousting back and forth throughout the heat in the rising surf.
Malia Manuel’s right hander back up wave proved the difference, scoring an average of 13 points.
Leila Hurst followed, her opening wave and huge turns on an open left slide giving her an apparent edge. Her back up wave mustered just 12 points. Nage Melamed followed, scoring a 7.0 on one single turn on an open-faced left hander with her backup waves leaving her short.
Alessa Cuizon’s steep-angled turns were a beauty to watch, but she was not in position for many of the set waves due to her unfamiliarity with the spot as her Kaua‘i World Team cohorts. Cuizon fell three points short of first place.
Ian Gentil’s first place finish in the Explorer Boys was followed by Kaua‘i’s Jesse Guglielmana, Koa Smith, Kain Daly, Isaiah Moniz and Luke Hitchcock.
Tatiana Weston Webb took down Cuizon, Kallee Krebs, Brianna Cope, Lianna Patey, and Baily Nagy in the Explorer Girls final.
Little Benji Brand who has been bothered by “back issues” had no problem finding first place in the Explorer Menehune class, despite Ian Gentil, and Seth Moniz stressing him. Kaua‘i’s Lucas Angulo’s daily training nailed a solid fourth with Josh Moniz and Dorian Blanchard getting fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Josh Lindstedt and Justin Ringsby put on a show in the Longboard competition for the Open and Explorer divisions, closing two solid days of action.
Déjà vu and the coordination and generosity of North Shore General Store’s “Kitchen on Wheels” fed the kids Saturday. Hard Rock Café hosted a beach cleanup Saturday where all-Hawai‘i’s NSSA Junior World Team members pitched in to clean the beach, leaving it “cleaner than we found it.”
