2009 Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival
Finally the horn sounds to begin the heat and I start off hot, catching another big one up against the cliff, riding it all the way in, cutting three to four times, exiting the wave with a blunt against the whitewater. “I’m on it,” I think to myself, paddling back out for more.
During our 20-minute heat, one competitor gets flipped by a wave and while upside down, gets tangled up in the kelp. He can’t move, can’t roll, can’t do anything but come out of his boat. When he surfaces, he’s covered in kelp necklaces as if he was showing off his best assets at Mardi Gras.
Vince Shay absolutely kills it, catching several good-sized waves and making them look pretty.
I’m stoked when I get done and excited to see the scores. But when I get to the table, I read a 31 next to my name? Huh? I beat the dude who swam by 5 measly points. “When you cut back into the wave once you outrun it, you have to cut back hard off the white pile, just like you’re on a short board,” Shay says.
It’s official: I’m not as good as I think I am. But humble pie tastes good in a narcissistic sort of way. It makes you hungry to get better.
Another official note? The High Performance Men are good. Very good. Sunday, the surf comes up with respectable head-high waves rolling in and they absolutely shred them, cutting back with authority and throwing airs off the lip, as Sean Morley does in his semi-final heat. And the women rip it too, with Morlee Griswold catching one of the biggest waves of the day–male or female–on her way to second place.
The UK’s Chris Harvey, who I’d shared a heat with Saturday afternoon (which he barely made it out of), ends up winning in the finals. “The swell came in and there were some nice rides to be had off the point,” he says.
But the real “point” of the weekend is fun. And everyone has some. Surfing, whether on standup board, kayak or wave ski, is emphasized over individual achievement. Right down to the fact that announcers aren’t allowed to call out the names of competitors, only bib colors. “We don’t want to influence the judges,” Judson says. “It’s just about the surfing.” And that’s the way it should be. – Joe Carberry
Results HP Men 1. Chris Harvey (UK) 2. Galen Licht (US) 3. Sean Morley (UK) 4. Jim Grossman (US) Women’s HP 1. Kate Smith (US) 2. Morlee Griswold (US) 3. Jameson Riser (US) 4. Roberta Borsari (BRA) International Class Men 1. Dan Crandall (US) 2. Jim Grossman (US) 3. Eric Connor (US) 4. Rick Starr (US) Elite Standup 1. Chuck Patterson (US) 2. John Griffith (US) 3. Bryce Saeman (US) 4. Ward Coffey International Class Women 1. Devon Barker (US) 2. Morlee Griswold (US) 3. Jameson Riser (US) 4. Kristie Koski Wave Ski Open 1. Ken King (US) 2. Tyler Lauster (US) 3. Jim Grossman (US) 4. Fletcher Burton (US) Masters Open 1. Dave Johnston 2. Ken King 3. Rick Starr 4. Ed King
For official results, Click Here.
Sunday, offshore winds came in and improved conditions.
Joe Carberry
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