Ryan Ulrich
Assistant Managing Editor
Although surfing is generally thought of as an individual sport, the South Bay Boardriders Club is bringing the community together by hosting many different surfing events.
The South Bay Boardriders Club is a club which holds surfing events such as big wave surf contests, as well as the South Bay Surf Series competitions. The club held the fifth annual Dive and Surf El Porto challenge in Manhattan Beach on Dec. 10.
“The event just makes for a great day of surfing with friends and hanging at the beach,”senior surf team captain Cody Purcell said. “The boardriders are always awesome because all the best kids in the South Bay come down to compete.”
The competition included longboard and shortboard divisions for both men and women of ages five years old and up. This year both Mira Costa students and Costa alumni competed in the event.
“I compete in the juniors division which is for male surfers who are 18 or under but there are around 11 different divisions,” Purcell said.
The waves the morning of the competition were glassy and clean, but in the afternoon the wind began to pick up, causing the waves to deteriorate. The wave height was around two to three feet and not perfect for competing, Purcell said.
“The waves were fun all day,” junior surf team member Chad Parks said. “It wasn’t great or anything but it was rideable and all the competitors were surfing well.”
This year three Costa surf team members advanced to the final in the juniors 18 and under division after placing in the top three in rounds one, to the semifinal round. Hodges placed 5th, Junior Zach Rosenberg placed 4th, and Purcell placed first, winning the event.
“I was stoked to win because everyone was surfing really well in the final,” Purcell said. “I was also happy because it was the first event of the year which is always a good one to win.”
All the finalists all received plaques as well as prize bags with goods from the event sponsors. Prizes included Electric sunglasses, Creature surfboard leashes and Stance socks. All competitors received lunch from El Gringo, and there was a free surfboard demo where competitors could try surfing on a Sharp Eye Surfboard.
“The Board demo was cool because they had a lot of sick boards to try,” Purcell said. “I didn’t get a chance to ride any of them because I was surfing heats most of the day, but they looked like really nice boards.”
The next event in the South Bay Boardriders Surf Series will be held by ET Surfboards and Chili Surfboards on Jan. 14, at 26th street in Manhattan Beach. Purcell is currently ranked first in the series, and hopes to defend his ranking at the next contest, Purcell said.
“ I was unable to surf in the event, but I plan on signing up for the next one,” Costa alumni Douglas Golubovic said. “I watched the event today and i want to sign up for the men’s division next month.”
Leave a Reply