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Amateurs looking like pros at finals

RICK FIGNETTI

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn.’s National Championships went

down big time at Lowers, Camp Pendleton, San Clemente last week with

insane 3- to 6-foot waves and 8-foot-plus swells at times.

The surf was pretty darn good all week as the top amateurs in the

nation showcased their talent. Not much wind either and water temps

were pushing almost 70 degrees. The competition was fierce with

radical surfing being displayed in all age divisions. In the hotly

contested Open men’s Governor’s Cup final, where the winner cashed in

on a brand new Toyota Matrix, there were some intense moments. San

Clemente surfer Dane Gudauskas, usually in the shadow of brother Pat

-- last year’s winner and four-time National Champ -- stole the show.

He busted a series of straight-up moves on a couple waves and avoided

a near interference call to take the huge win. Dane got through a

tough heat the day before and did it the hard way, edging his brother

to reach the finals. Runner-up was the Gold Coast’s Kellen Ellison,

who was destroying some sections, and Kaimi Hui Hui -- a dark horse

from Hawaii -- took third by coming out of a low seed and winning a

bunch of heats on the way.

The women’s competition saw lots of attention this year as 11-year

old sensation Carissa Moore, from Hawaii, set the record for youngest

to win the Open women’s Governor’s Cup title.

Moore was catching some long rights and tearing them up, getting

some big scores from the judges. She looks like she’s going to be

World Championship Tour material in a few years.

Second was defending champ Erica Hosseini from Newport Beach, who

was slashin’ away on the lefts but just came up short.

The story of the day was young Hawaiian Bethany Hamilton, who made

the women’s final after her arm was bitten off in a shark attack less

than a year ago. Hamilton caught some good ones to the cheers of the

whole beach, stoked for her. She came in fifth, but was a winner just

for being out there.

Throwing some mean airs was East Coaster Sterling Spencer, who

took the air show. One of the hottest up-and-comers was Hawaiian Clay

Marzo, winning the Open juniors and collecting some of the highest

scores throughout the event, a 10 and a few nine-plussers.

In the Explorer divisions, hot Floridian Jeremy Johnston won the

men’s division, but going off were Huntington’s Todd Hutton and

Brandon Guilmette, finishing third and fifth respectively. Puerto

Rico’s charger, Dylan Graves won the explorer juniors, while Marzo

took the boys to double up titles.

“Surfing” mag editor Evan Slater tore the rights to win masters as

Carlsbad’s Paul Barr took the seniors. In super seniors, veteran

South Bay surfer Scott Daley took the victory with Seal Beach’s Scott

Waring second, yours truly the Figster third, and big Pat Schlick

fourth. Longboarding saw San Diego’s Felipe Bacerra take first and

Surf City’s Kelly Kraushaar fourth.

In the High School, it was a tough battle, but San Clemente came

out on top, with Huntington High finishing a respectable second and

New Smyrna third. In the final, Pat Gudauskas won, Jeremy Johnston

second, and local Korey Lapoint sixth. Huntington’s Mike Jorgenson

was sixth in the longboard.

The big news is Dwyer Middle School won the national title

defeating last year’s champ Bernice Ayer and a tough Shorecliffs

team.

In the Middle School final, East Coaster Caleb Johnston won with

Dwyer’s Kyle Kennelly fourth, Paul Matthews fifth Michael Dunphy

sixth. In the gals’ Middle School, Carissa won again.

That’s it, see ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an nine-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last nine years and has been

the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 18 years, doing morning surf

reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.

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