Northwest Championships  Photo | Video

July 15, 2005 --- In pristine three- to four-foot surf, as a fresh south swell filled in throughout the day, reinforcing an already playful northwest wind swell, the Central Northwest Championships of the Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge, held at Ventura’s prestigious California Street took to the water. With 2004 Surf Shop Challenge Champions Revolution going into the qualifier as heavy favorites, teams from as far north as Santa Cruz and Monterey and as far south as Seal Beach and Surfside all took to the road for a shot to overthrow Revolution with a lip-bashing, tail-sliding, reverse-pulling revolt of their own.

Surfing like the champs they are, the brotherly duo of Nathaniel and Josh Curran fronted Revolution’s title defense. Surfing through sectiony, fogged-in morning conditions Round One completed with the hometown team clearly establishing themselves as the team to beat. But not wanting to waste a trip down south, Monterey’s One Way Boardshop proved themselves worthy opponents, as did Val Surf, hailing from Los Angeles, Katin Surf Shop out of Surfside, and hometown rival Ventura Surf Shop.

By mid-day the sun broke through, the tide filled in, the waves turned on and the competition heated up. “These are some of the best conditions we’ve ever had for the Shop Challenge,” commented Quiksilver’s Chris Polovina. “The level of surfing, the quality conditions—it’s really a sign of what the Shop Challenge can be.”

Nathaniel Curran absolutely tore into his double whammy wave, garnering an 8.5 from the judges. But Katin’s Ryan Simmons countered with a double whammy of his own, a 7.0. While not quite as high scoring as Curran’s, in the end it would come down to the depth of the teams’ rosters.

“No question this is the closest heat we’ve ever had at the Surf Shop Challenge,” contest director Darren Brilhart remarked, “but if you look at the judges scores Katin had a more well-rounded team.”

And so it would be, Revolution would not repeat.

“Curran blew up on his double-whammy wave,” continued Brilhart, “but it was the Three and Four man for Katin that sealed the deal.”

Final Results: