NSSA NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

OPEN SEASON EVENT #6 PISMO PIER -- OPEN SEASON EVENT #2 (make-up) PISMO PIER

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2009

CONDITIONS: Building 3-4 foot choppy peaks with strong, onshore winds

NORTHWEST STANDOUT SHAUN BURNS.     

photo: Keet/Surfhappens.com         

 
The surf picked up from Saturday’s Gold Coast event but unfortunately the wind did too for Sunday’s Northwest Open Season doubleheader at Pismo Beach Pier.  With the Gold Coast kids in town, the competition was stiffer than ever forcing the Northwest surfers to step up their game.  The Northwest 5-star event #6 kicked off the day followed immediately by the event #2 make-up which was pushed to the March date due to an early season postponement originally scheduled for August at Pacifica.  On the flip side of the mild spring conditions prevailing through Saturday’s competition, Sunday’s comp experienced the return of chilly temperatures in the high 40’s, blustery, onshore winds and building 3-4 foot scattered choppy peaks.  


Brogie Panesi raised some eyebrows early on with his terrific double victory in Juniors and Boys at the Northwest season opener at Pacifica.  The promising 12-year-old from Pacifica continued to notch up solid results throughout the year which included five first places.  Panesi entered Pismo weekend ranked No. 1 in the Northwest Open Juniors and Open Boys.   He grinded through 15 heats during the two-day surf-fest making the Menehuene final at the Gold Coast event and the Juniors and Boys finals at both Northwest contests to clinch double conference titles.  Along with Brogie, Kanoa Igarashi put on an iron man performance surfing through 16 heats over the course of the weekend.  Despite the demanding cold and whipping winds, Igarashi lived up to his high expectations with victories in Explorer Boys and Menehuene at the Gold Coast and double Open Boys victories in the Northwest.  Now with his victory total soaring to 28, it’s highly possible that the 11-year-old wunderkind will hit the 30 mark as he heads back south to wrap up in the Southwest Conference Open and Explorer Seasons.  In the Men’s division, points leader John Wilson suffered a shocker first round loss in his opening round one heat.  With Shaun Burns winning the Men’s final and collecting a huge 2,000 ratings points, Wilson’s work was cut out for him in order to maintain his No. 1 position and nail the conference crown.   He had to finish one place high than Burns in the makeup event and he did just that focusing on the prize.  With the pressure on, Wilson came out firing in the final finding the money wave in the challenging wind-blown chop and nailed some good turns to post a solid 7.0 ride.  The 7.0 turned out to be the highest wave score of the final and with his backup score coming in at a 4.0, Wilson edge out Burns and seal the Men’s conference title.  In Juniors comp, Parker Coffin edged out Brogie Panesi by a 0.5 to take the win in event #6.  A hard fought duel went down between Kadin Panesi and Kanoa Igarashi in the event #2 Juniors final.  Panesi came out on top in the nail-biter beating Igarashi by a half point.  San Clemente Mini Grom Kei Kobayashi reached the winners circle twice in both event’s #2 and #6.  Santa Cruz up-and-comer John Mel was runner-up to Kobayashi in both contests, but his four first place finishes throughout the season easily clinch him his first NSSA conference title.   Both Brogie Panesi’s and John Mel’s evolving progress and results earned them “Most Improved Surfer” awards for the Northwest Conference.  Barrett Hegerle from Aptos burst onto the scene in Longboard taking impressive first place decisions in both events in his first time competing in the NSSA.  Liam Hession from Redwood City claimed his first NSSA conference title in the Longboard.  In the Women’s division, Keenan Reeser celebrated her 17th birthday with dominating the field in the Women’s ripping to double first places in both events.  Asia Carpenter of Davenport pulled off the Women’s conference title.
 

The NSSA West Coast Conferences are proud to have support from No Fear, Nike 6.0, Huntington Surf and Sport, Surfing Magazine, WaveWatch, Sex Wax, No Fear Energy Drink, Channel Islands Surfboards, S4 Optics and the Sugar Shack.  The NSSA is a member of Surfing America, the ISA-recognized National Governing Body for Surfing in the United States.
 

2008/09 NORTHWEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

MENS-JOHN WILSON (Santa Cruz)
JUNIORS-BROGIE PANESI (Pacifica)
BOYS-BROGIE PANESI (Pacifica)
MINI GROMS-JOHN MEL (Santa Cruz)
WOMENS-ASIA CARPENTER (Davenport)
LONGBOARD-LIAM HESSION (Redwood City)
 

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE MOST IMPROVED SURFER-Brogie Panesi (Pacifica); John Mel (Santa Cruz)

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD-Kadin Panesi (Pacific)
 

Presentation of the 2009 Southwest, Gold Coast and Northwest Conference Champions and Special Award Recipients will take place during the West Coast Championships Awards Ceremony on May 17.
 

THE SCOREBOARD

RESULTS
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE OPEN SEASON EVENT #6
PISMO PIER

OPEN MENS

1. Shaun Burns-Santa Cruz 12.5
2. Anthony Dunn-Santa Cruz 12.0
3. Christian Ramirez-San Luis Obispo 11.0
4. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 10.5
 

OPEN JUNIORS

1. Parker Coffin-Santa Barbara 13.5
2. Brogie Panesi-Pacifica 13.0
3. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 11.0
4. Noah Wegrich-Santa Cruz 10.0
 

OPEN BOYS

1. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 17.0
2. Brogie Panesi-Pacifica 16.5
3. Wyatt Barrabee-Santa Cruz 10.0
4. John Mel-Santa Cruz 9.5
 

OPEN MINI GROM

1. Kei Kobayashi-San Clemente 15.0
2. John Mel-Santa Cruz 8.5
3. Jordan Collins-Carlsbad 7.0
4. Henry Hepp-Santa Barbara 5.5
5. Malia Faramarzi-Encinitas 3.0
6. Akea Tolentino-Hillsborough 2.5
 

OPEN WOMENS

1. Keenan Reeser-San Luis Obispo 11.5
2. Alexis Ross-Arroyo Grande 7.0
3. Glennie Rodgers-Santa Barbara 6.5
4. Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica 6.0
5. Asia Carpenter-Davenport 5.0
 

OPEN LONGBOARD

1. Barrett Hegerle-Aptos 6.5
2. Liam Hession-Redwood City 6.0
3. Taylor Ross-Arroyo Grande 2.0
4. Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica 1.5
 

THE SCOREBOARD

RESULTS
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE OPEN SEASON EVENT #2 (make-up)
PISMO BEACH PIER
OPEN MENS

1. John Wilson-Santa Cruz 11.0
2. Shaun Burns-Santa Cruz 10.0
3. Kadin Panesi-Pacifica 9.0
4. Shaw Kobayashi-San Clemente 8.0
 

OPEN JUNIORS

1. Kadin Panesi-Pacifica 12.0
2. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 11.5
3. Noah Wegrich-Santa Cruz 8.5
4. Brogie Panesi-Pacifica 8.0
 

OPEN BOYS

1. Kanoa Igarashi-Huntington Beach 11.5
2. Brogie Panesi-Pacifica 9.0
3. Kei Kobayashi-San Clemente 7.5
4. Tenzin Mendenhall-Davenport 5.5
5. Wyatt Barrabee-Santa Cruz 5.0
6. Ricky McDevitt-Pacifica 3.0
 

OPEN MINI GROM

1. Kei Kobayashi-San Clemente 12.0
2. John Mel-Santa Cruz 10.0
3. Jordan Collins-Carlsbad 7.0
4. Akea Tolentino-Hillsborough 3.5
5. Malia Faramarzi-Encinitas 2.5

 
OPEN WOMENS

1. Keenan Reeser-San Luis Obispo 15.0
2. Glennie Rodgers-Santa Barbara 8.0
3. Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica 5.0
4. Asia Carpenter-Davenport 4.5
5. Alexis Ross-Arroyo Grande 3.5


OPEN LONGBOARD

1. Barrett Hegerle-Aptos 9.5
2. Liam Hession-Redwood City 4.5 tiebreak
3. Taylor Ross-Arroyo Grande 4.5 tiebreak
4. Kirra Kehoe-Santa Monica 2.0