San Clemente schools, Westcliff University clinch NSSA national championships

South Orange County surfers dominated during the NSSA Interscholastic National Championships held at Salt Creek Beach over the weekend.

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San Clemente High School earned its 17th championship and Shorecliffs Middle School took home the prestigious title for the 21st time.

Westcliff University in Irvine clinched its first-ever national championship, a massive feat for a newcomer in the surf scene.

The action was off the charts because of a big swell that showed up all three days of the event, with team surfing bringing an added element of enthusiasm to the contest, said National Scholastic Surfing Association Executive Director Janice Aragon.

“There’s nothing better than surfing for your team. It brings another level of energy to competition,” Aragon said. “I guess the best word I can use is ‘passion.’ These teams came with so much passion to nationals this year.”

Waves were in the 4- to 6-foot range all three days of the event, which wrapped up Sunday, June 14, giving plenty of opportunities for big scores.

“Every level — college, high school and middle school — they were ripping,” Aragon said.

San Clemente High School coach John Dowell said it was good to once again be on top. For the past two years, San Dieguito High School has taken the title, a back-and-forth rivalry that saw San Clemente’s surfers battle to end up back on top.

Seniors Laird Lavik, Kai Finn and Hila Cohen had standout performances, knowing it was their last chance before graduating, Dowell said.

“It was their leadership and energy that really brought it home,” Dowell said. “It was contagious, and it was rad to see.”

The junior varsity team also brought high-level skills to clinch the national championships, the surfers’ hard work through the year paying off, Dowell said.

“They wanted to take that title back to San Clemente,” Aragon said. “They really brought the team spirit this time and it showed in their results. And they had a lot of graduating seniors this year on that varsity squad, which made for more passion and intensity they brought to the event.”

San Clemente’s varsity team outscored reigning champions San Dieguito 157 to 108. It was also a big win for Dowell, marking his 10th national championship as the high school team’s coach.

San Clemente’s junior varsity team also had a dominant performance with a 125-98 victory over San Dieguito for its sixth consecutive JV national title.

There’s an abundance of talent in the beach town and Shorecliff Middle School continues to be a feeder program into the high school — the team clinching its  21st nationals under the leadership of coach Dave Hennings.

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The youngsters have their own rivalry happening with Marco Forester, in nearby San Juan Capistrano, taking second spot.

For Westcliff University, winning its first national championship was a big moment the school has been striving for, led by head coach Lucas Taub.

“His leadership, vision and commitment to building a championship culture have helped elevate the program to the top of the sport,” said Aragon.

Westcliff University is among the first colleges to offer scholarships for surfing, drawing top talent to the school. The team edged out nine-time champs Point Loma Nazarene University to etch its name in the history books.

“Westcliff has done an incredible job supporting their surf program, and it showed this past weekend,” Aragon said of the school, which has only been competing at the event for a few years. “It didn’t take them long to reach the pinnacle. And a big part of that is because of the scholarships they offer.”

Surfers obtaining scholarships for college is something Aragon has long dreamed of, now a reality with schools like Westcliff and UC San Diego offering the athletes tuition support.

“With collegiate surfing, the schools are really looking at it like a true sport. It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “Now you see it really happening. The schools are actually backing their surf teams; that’s just something very exciting and very worthy because it is such a great sport.”

Surfers getting their education has also long been the dream of Huntington Beach High School surf coach Andy Verdone, who is retiring after nearly 40 years. His team finished in third place this weekend.

Aragon, who took over NSSA in the late ’80s around the same time Verdone started his gig in Huntington Beach, has witnessed his legacy grow through the decades.

“He’s obviously a mentor to these kids, he loves the sport and he loves to encourage kids,” Aragon said of Verdone. “He puts academics first. He wants to win, obviously, but he points kids in the right direction. He’s an icon.

“I was emotional when I learned he was retiring. We grew up together,” she said. “I think the school and the team are going to miss him and his impact with the surf team.”

The surf championships for the next wave of young surfers is just kicking off. The USA Surfing National Championships at Lower Trestles start Tuesday, June 16.

NSSA continues with individual national championships from June 26 through July 2, on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

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