On October 29th, 2016 the UC San Diego surf team competed in their first NSSA Competition of year on their home soil – Blacks Beach. Being the weekly practice location, the UC San Diego surf team was able to use their knowledge of the break to seek out better waves and use more strategy in order to advance through their heats.
Saturday started off with a bang, as A – Team members Logan Laubach, Jake Fishman, and Michael Joshua all got first place in their first round heats. Other notable first round standouts were A-team members Michael Cassen and Kyle Sweezy for finishing second in their heats. B – Team standout, Owen Cockerill, advanced as well, giving the UCS San Diego a great overall result in the first round. Round 2 became a little more difficult for the team as only Jake Fishman, captain of the surf team, was able to advance.
Sunday was a day filled with suspense, excitement, and disappointment. Jake Fishman missed the quarter finals with a 0.2 point margin – a close heat to say the least. After the mens were all knocked out the competition, it was time for the women and longboard team to shine. New team members Rachel Wood, Skyla Bersch, and Sierra Casper fought hard and ended up with 4th place finishes in their rounds. A-team standout, Francesca Seely, was in form all day, as she advanced through every round and put her stamp in the finals. She ended up getting first place in the girls, ultimately helping the UC San Diego surf team overall ranking. Finally, Longboards Lance Lerum and Dane Peterson breezed through round 1, with their stylish nose rides and graceful turns. Lance was able to move past Dane Peterson and compete in the semi-finals, but finished with a close 4th. Overall, the UC San Diego surf team did fairly well on their first competition, and are excited and preparing for the next at Seaside on November 12, 2016.
