Top Surfers Expected to Vie in Championships at Malibu

Ninety-six of the area’s best men surfers along with 16 of the top women and the best 24 bodyboarders and longboarders will compete Aug. 21-23 in the U. S. Pro Tour of Surfing and Bodyboarding’s $25,000 Budweiser Surfing Championships at Surfrider Beach in Malibu.

Mike Stewart of Hawaii, the 1987 U. S. bodyboard champion, Mike Lambresi of Carlsbad, longboard division leader Jon Paskowitz of San Clemente and former world champion and women’s points leader Debbie Beacham of La Jolla are favored.

Lambresi, 24, will face several strong challengers for the surfing title, including Jim Hogan of Capistrano Beach and Scott Daley of El Segundo. Lambresi holds a 600-point lead over Hogan in regular-season ratings.

Beacham will battle Cheryl Scott of Santa Cruz, currently rated third, 582 points behind Beacham.

Stewart’s bodyboarding achievements include nine Professional Surfing Assn. of America victories with earnings of more than $7,000. He recently won the championship at the Boarder Line Classic and his 2,142-point advantage over Keith Sasaki, 1986 U.S. bodyboard champion, guarantees Stewart the championship. His 10,027-point regular-season total is a record.

Only 361 points separate sixth-rated Jay Riddle of Malibu and Paskowitz, the leader in the longboard division. Also challenging Paskowitz will be brother Israel Paskowitz, Herb Fletcher and Matt Carter of San Clemente and Reese Patterson of Redondo Beach. Riddle won the Pacific Sunwear Pro-Am at Malibu in July.

The event purse is $15,000, the champions’ purse $10,000. Competition begins at 7 a.m. each day with finals scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug 23.

Robert (Chip) Schaefer, 26, of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic has been named head athletic trainer at Loyola Marymount University, succeeding Barry Ryan, who resigned in April.

“Despite his young age, Schaefer brings a tremendous wealth of experience and qualifications in sports medicine to our athletic program,” said Athletic Director Brian Quinn. “He served two years as an athletic trainer for the clinic and with the Los Angeles Lakers.”