Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge
Southwest Regional Qualifier
54th Street, Newport Beach, CA
By: Scott Kendall

SURFRIDE EARNS A TICKET TO THE QUIKSILVER SURF SHOP CHALLENGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

It was a stereotypical Southern California day, as the Southwest Regional Qualifier was met with warm sunny skies and fun chest high surf at 54th Street in Newport Beach. A well-stirred cocktail of lighthearted fun and serious competition was mixed early as teams mingled on the beach over a catered breakfast.

“This could be yours, boys!” urged Huntington Surf and Sport’s Mark Reeder, pointing at the event trophy.

HSS made a solid run in the early rounds, advancing to the final for the third time in as many years. Although the junior pro team of Christian Saenz, Jason Harris, Andrew Doheny and Kyle Kennelly surfed very well, they were only able to match their rank from last year, a disappointing third place.

2004 regional champs, Laguna Surf and Sport, had a strong showing in the first round with whammy rider Hans Hagen earning a 17.5 toward his team’s score of over 45 points. His support staff of Jason Watson, Eli Vizolay and Jon Rose did well enough to get them into the second round but fell short on their run, missing the final by only two points.

Last year’s regional runner up, Sun Diego, again missed the trophy mark, coming in second place with 46.5 points. Nick Kovack, Bryan Guter and Kyle Knox joined whammy rider Sean Marceron on this year’s team. In the first round Marceron laid down the highest whammy score of the day with a 19.5, helping his team to the highest heat score of the day (55.06), but in the final the boys from SD came up five points short.

First-time regional champions Surfride, consisting of Che Stang, Aaron Coyle, Brent Riley and Chris Abad, were in top form throughout the day. After posting the second highest total heat score in the first round, they advanced straight to the final, where they dominated their challengers. Winning by four points, team Surfride showed the importance of having an all-around solid group of surfers on your team. It comes down to a strong foundation laid by your shop employees, followed by a layer of dependability in your first team rider and a final topping provided by your whammy guy, whose big score can ensure that you are not reached by weaker teams.

Final Results
1st Place: – Surfride – 50.36
Che Stang, Aaron Coyle, Brent Riley, Chris Abad
2nd Place: –Sun Diego -46.5
Sean Marceron, Nick Kovack, Bryan Guter, Kyle Knox
3rd Place: –Huntington Surf and Sport – 46.13
Christian Saenz, Jason Harris, Andrew Doheny, Kyle Kennelly
4th Place: –Surfside Sports -30.36
Adam Popp, Vance Smith, Geoff Moysa, Nick Skawinski

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