October 24th marked the first official day of the NSSA Southwest College season!
The UC San Diego Surf team hosted the first event at their very own court, Black’s Beach. The waves were up and the team was frothing on the swell. However, the morning proved to be challenging as the high tide made the conditions a bit unfamiliar. The UCSD B team got knocked out in Round 1 while UCSD A team got 5 of their members through. David Dittmar, who surfed later on Saturday, went vertical twice on his backhand and took 1st in his Round 1 heat with a 8.5 point ride. The further deteriorating conditions proved tough for the UCSD A Team as Logan Laubach, Michael Joshua, Jake Fishman, and Kyle Sweasey couldn’t find the waves they need to advance out of Round Two. Once again, David Dittmar’s solid backhand propelled him into the Semi-Finals on Sunday where he would bow out. The girls on the other hand surfed solidly and Laura Dentz made it to Round 2. The new and upcoming freshman, Francesca Seely, stole the show and took it to the women’s quarterfinals with solid backhand hacks. Longboarders, Dane and Henry, both were at lost as the waves proved a little too big for their 9 foot boards. However, Dane managed to steal a few of the better waves during his heats and made it to the Semi-Finals. Here he managed to air drop onto a bomb however was not awarded the score the judges were looking for. Overall, the UCSD Surf Team did alright for the season opener and looking to get out there and fight for the top spot at the next contest at Seaside Reef.
