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For Ocean City High School seniors Chris Kelly and Pat Westman, it was a good run.

For the last three years, Kelly and Westman have played important roles in putting New Jersey high school surfing on the map. Ocean City has reached the Red Bull Riders Cup, effectively the national high school championships, the last three years. After Saturday's 73.5-60 loss to Malibu (Calif.) High in San Clemente, Calif., their high school surfing careers have come to a close.

The Riders Cup is a series of eight regional qualifiers, primarily in California and Florida. The team event features the National Surf League's game format, borrowing elements of more traditional team sports, where surf teams face off in a three-period game. Ocean City was the best of five teams in New Jersey in the May tournament, earning a spot at the Nationals at Upper Trestles.

The waves were near-perfect, with a four- to five-foot groundswell breaking on a cobblestone reef. The wind was light offshore. Westman found a solid wave that allowed several backside turns for a 5.5. Malibu's Chance Lawson responded with an 8 to take the lead. Malibu scored 20.5 points in the first period, giving it a two-point lead.

The Red Raiders had trouble with wave selection after that.

"We just didn't understand which waves were the better ones," Westman said by telephone from his hotel room on Sunday. "It was all our mistakes."

Malibu outscored Ocean City 23.5-19 in the second period to build on its lead. Kelly, the MVP of both games last month, carried the team with 7.5s in each period. Junior Sean Santiago and sophomore Zach Kraiser posted consistent 4s and 5s, but Malibu continued to find the set waves.

Malibu broke away in the third period. Conrad Carr landed an air for an 8.5, and Chance Lawson posted another 8. The Red Raiders just couldn't keep up.

"They were good. I don't think they were 13 points better than us. They just know how to surf point breaks," Westman said.

Both graduate later this month. Westman plans to attend Atlantic Cape Community College in the fall, continue to surf, and attend the San Diego Art Institute the following year. Kelly will pursue a career as a pro surfer, following in his older brother Rob's footsteps. He will also take online college courses as a backup plan.

"I think we did what we had to do and it was all worth it. In the end, it's all just for fun," Westman said.

Kelly added: "I'm glad that we got to go out and show the world how Jersey kids can surf and hopefully that will continue."

1 comment:

• todfiat (0) posts 4:29 pm

  as someone who hangs out at Steamer Lane weekly, where Nat Young, Flea, Ratboy, Skindog and Andy Tashnick ride, I think the O.C. Team put in a very impressive performance.

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