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San Clemente surfers didn’t let a little rain and fog dampen their journey to the Toyota USA Surfing Prime series event — and their haul of trophies — over the weekend in Huntington Beach.
The two-day event, which wrapped up Feb. 9, drew about 80 of the best under 18 amateur competitors and resulted in several local surfers taking wins after the storm cleared and finals got underway.
“It was small but it was fun and contestable the whole time,” said USA Surfing CEO Greg Cruse. “We had the rain and south winds, but the rain was never really a downpour … usually you have the worst conditions in the afternoon for the finals, but the wind clocked around to offshore, and the waves for the final were some of the best of the event.”
San Clemente surfer Sawyer Lindblad dominated in the girls under 18 and under 16 divisions, with wins in both categories. Lindblad had the highest wave score of the event, a 9.33. The 14-year-old has had an exceptional start to the year, taking her first World Surf League Qualifying Series win at Pismo Beach a few weeks ago, sharing the podium with fellow San Clemente surfer Kevin Schulz.
“Sawyer has reached a new level since the fall, she’s just putting it all together,” Cruse said. “We had our best girls at this event. We have a ton of great girls and she finished in both divisions again. … There’s no glass ceiling in surfing for the girls, they are really stepping it up.”
In the under 16 division, fellow Orange County surfers made the podium, including Bella Kenworthy, of Dana Point, and Sierra Downer, of San Clemente.
Caitlin Simmers, of Oceanside, came in second in both U16 and U18.
Another local surfer who made the podium in the girls under 18 was San Clemente’s Samantha Sibley, who finished in third place.
The boys under 16 division saw the return of Hayden Rodgers, of San Clemente, who put on the jersey for the first time since his near-death hold down at Pipeline off Hawaii’s North Shore in late December.
“It was really great,” Cruse said. “For Hayden to take that beating at Pipe and to get saved in time and to just a few weeks later be back competing, it was cool to see. He did great, he didn’t skip a beat, he’s right back in it. He made it to the final, which is huge.”
Rodgers took fourth place, bested by Huntington Beach’s Luke Guinaldo for the third spot. First and second place went to San Diego surfers Lucas Owston, from Oceanside, and Cole McCaffray, of Encinitas, respectively.
In the boys under 14 division, it was a nearly all San Clemente final, with Makai Bray earning first place, followed by Cannon Carr in second and Luke Wyler in fourth. Third place went to Kai Kushner, of Manhattan Beach.
Dimitri Poulos, from Ventura, took the boys U18 title over three San Clemente surfers: Kade Matson in second, Hagan Johnson in third, and Jett Schilling in fourth.
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The Huntington Beach event was the fourth stop of the West Coast series. The next USA Surfing events will be in Florida, before returning to Southern California March 21 and 22 at San Onofre State Beach.
Cumulative results from Prime series events can qualify surfers for the Toyota USA Surfing Championships at Lower Trestles in June.
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