Joe Surf: Senior Invitational brings back the days of pleasant surfing
Long for the old days when surfing wasn’t so popular? When you could paddle out and get a wave without having to wait your turn? When these young groms with their tiny little boards weren’t carving it up and spraying you in the face?
Saturday is for you.
Huntington Beach’s Surf Senior Invitational takes place at 8 a.m. Saturday on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier. The old guys and gals will get some waves to themselves.
The bad news is, if you haven’t signed up yet, it’s too late. Registration closed Tuesday. But event coordinator Kristin Martinez promises an enjoyable day whether you get in the water or not.
“It’s a fun event, everybody is just happy to be there,” Martinez said of the event, which began in 2011 and attracts 60 to 70 surfers each year. “One of the divisions is 75 and older, and we have two signed up who are in their 80s.”
Martinez said one of the surfers in the 75-and-up division is the Rev. Christian Mondor, who performs the annual Blessing of the Waves in Huntington Beach.
The divisions are men 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75 and up, and women 50 and up.
Medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division, and raffle prizes will be given away throughout the day. Martinez said they are hoping for good waves, not too big, “and no sharks.”
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Igarashi in Brazil
Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi is in Brazil for the next couple of weeks for two contests in the World Surf League’s Qualifying Series. Igarashi is No. 7 in the QS rankings with seven contests remaining.
Igarashi needs to finish in the top 10 of the QS rankings to qualify for the WSL’s World Championship Tour.
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Simpson in Portugal
Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson is in Portugal for the 10th of 11 contests on the World Championship Tour. Simpson finished in equal-13th place at the Quiksilver Pro France last week and moved up one slot to No. 34 in the WCT rankings.
Simpson needs to finish strong in the tour’s final two events to hold onto his spot on the WCT.
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Californians in the World Championship Tour
Santa Ana’s Courtney Conlogue is getting ready for the final contest of the season on the women’s WCT.
In that final contest — the Target Maui Pro in Hawaii from Nov. 21 to Dec. 4 — she will have to do better than Hawaii’s Carissa Moore, the current No. 1-ranked women’s surfer.
Conlogue is one of two California surfers in the top three of the women’s world rankings — she is No. 2 and Santa Barbara’s Lakey Peterson is No. 3. There is another California surfer in the top 20 — Ojai’s Sage Erickson, who is ranked No. 16.
On the men’s side, the California connection is not as strong. The top-ranked men’s surfer from California is Santa Cruz’s Nat Young at No. 10. The next highest Californian is San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino at No. 24.
JOE HAAKENSON is a Huntington Beach-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at joe@juvecreative.com.