Surfers rip it up at Classic

Winners in seven divisions, as well as one exhibition event, were

crowned Sunday at the sixth annual Newport Classic surf competition

at 56th Street in Newport Beach.

Locals captured six titles, including Newport Harbor High’s Joey

Head topping the field in the high school division.

Head was also fifth in the men’s open event, which was won by Nate

Tyler, who resides along the Central Coast.

Newport Harbor alumnus Josh Hoyer was second in the men’s open

event, and also won the expression session exhibition.

Ford Archbold of Corona del Mar was second in both the expression

session and the middle school division, which was won by Cameron

Clark of Ensign.

Newport Harbor alumnus Matt Armstrong, now an assistant coach for

the school’s surf team, won the longboard division, while Newport

Harbor’s Harry Tully was victorious in the bodyboard event.

Blake Davis, representing Carden Hall, won the elementary school

division.

Ensign’s Kaleigh Gilchrist was second to Carly Myers of Edison

High in the women’s division. Gilchrist was also fifth in the middle

school division.

The top six in each division received prizes donated by sponsors

and local businesses and the event drew a record-high 145 entrants.

Among the highlights was a perfect score of 10.0 awarded Geoff

Moysa in a semifinal heat of the men’s open division. Moysa went on

to finish third in the men’s open final.

The two-day competition featured surf from 2 to 4 feet Saturday

and 4 to 6 feet Sunday, with occasional 7-foot waves Sunday.

Sunday’s competition included 22 heats in all seven divisions,

after 22 preliminary heats in the middle school, high school and

men’s open divisions were held Saturday.

The event is a fundraiser for the Newport Harbor surf team.

Newport Classic

Men’s open -- 1. Nate Tyler (Central Coast); 2. Josh Hoyer (NH

alum); 3. Geoff Moysa (NH alum); 4. Joe Alani (NH alum); 5. Joey Head

(NH); 6. Sam McCowan (Newport Beach).

High school -- 1. Joey Head (NH), 2. Joe Mungo (Hunt. Beach); 3.

Christian Morabito (NH); 4. Joe Riggio (NH); 5. Colin McElroy (NH);

6. Chase Ayes (NH).

Women’s -- 1. Carly Myers (Edison); 2. Kaleigh Gilchrist (Ensign);

3. Lisa Turk (NH); 4. Mahea Hookana (NH); 5. Devon Falasco (NH); 6.

Camille Collett (NH).

Middle school -- 1. Cameron Clark (Ensign); 2. Ford Archbold

(CdM); 3. Reed Zachman (CdM); 4. Ian Sequeira (Kaiser); 5. Kaleigh

Gilchrist (Ensign); 6. Chase Wilson (Carden Hall).

Elementary school -- 1. Blake Davis (Carden Hall); 2. Avery Sieg

(Maryland); 3. Sophia Evans (Newport Heights); 4. Benjamin Palitz

(Newport Elementary); 5. Zack Morabito (Mariners Christian).

Longboard -- 1. Matt Armstrong (NH alum); 2. Jared Mell (NH); 3.

Chase Smith (NH); 4. Christopher LoMenzo (NH); 5. Tanner Prairie

(NH); 6. Andy DeLorme (NH).

Bodyboard -- 1. Harry Tully (NH); 2. Matt Kretshcmar (NH); 3.

Stevie Farmer (NH); 4. Christian Morabito (NH); 5. Bradley Branch

(NH); 6. Steven Jensen (Ensign).

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