Locals vie for national championships

More than 700 of America’s top amateur surfers, bodyboarders,

middle school, high school, and college teams will compete sunday through

July 2 at the 2000 National Scholastic Surfing Association National

Championships.

The event, held at Church Beach and Lower Trestles, is a culmination of

the year’s competition events held in seven regional conferences:

Southwest (Southern California); Gold Coast (Central California);

Southeast (South/Central Florida); Southeast/North (North/Central

Florida); Florida Gulf; Northeast (New England), and Hawaii.

The event features three separate championships: the National Open, the

National Explorer, and the National Interscholastic.

Participation in the nationals is by invitation only and is based on

conference ranking and regional championship results.

The event, which opens Sunday at 7 a.m. at Church Beach, will include

17-time national winner Huntington Beach, as well as Edison and Marina in

the high school division, and 1997-98 national champion Dwyer and 1995-96

national champion Sowers, both of Huntington Beach, in the middle schools

division.

Byrne will surf for the Oilers and Reyes will lead the way for the

Chargers.

Competing June 29 in the men’s division (ages 16 and older) of the NSSA

Open Championships at Lower Trestles will be No. 2 seed and 2000

Southwest Open men’s and explorer juniors champion Timmy Reyes of Edison

High, and five-time national champion Micah Byrne of Huntington Beach

High. The open boys (12 and under) division will include 2000 Western

Open boys champion Chris Waring of Seal Beach.

The explorer masters division will feature No. 1 seed and 2000 Southwest

Masters Champion Chad Wells of Seal Beach and 1996 and defending 1999

national masters champion Darren Brilhart of Huntington Beach. The

seniors division had No. 1 seed and 2000 Southwest seniors champion Chas

Wickwire of Seal Beach and 1998 national seniors champion Dean Quinn of

Huntington Beach.

Super seniors, a new NSSA division this season, will include former world

champion Peter Townend of Huntington Beach.

Many past NSSA national champions who have gone on to professional

stardom include former world champion Kelly Slater, Kalani Robb, Rob

Machado, C.J. Hobgood, Cory Lopez, Shea Lopez, Taylor Knox, Andy Irons,

Bruce Irons, Bobby Martinez, and Fred Patacchia.

The National Interscholastic Championships will run June Sunday and

Monday (7 a.m.) at Church Beach, the National Explorer Championships will

be held Tuesday-Thursday (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at Lower Trestles, the National

Open Championships will run June 29-30 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at Lower Trestles,

the National Championship finals will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. July 1 at

Lower Trestles and the NSSA National Awards Banquet will be held July 2

(7 p.m.) at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott in Dana Point.