Area Roundup : Tournament at Huntington Beach Draws Top Young Surfers

Some of the world’s top 21-and-under surfers will compete in the first Surf and Street Mechanics pro-am championships Saturday near the Huntington Beach Pier.

The $5,000 event, created by Professional Surfing Assn. of America competitors John Parmenter and Bud Llamas, both of Huntington Beach, has attracted about 64 competitors, 32 of them professional, from throughout the United States.

“This kind of competition where young amateurs compete against some of the top pros is very popular in Australia, but it is very rare in the United States,” Parmenter said. “After watching the Australians run this event successfully for so many years, I felt that it is time that we had such a competition here in the United States.”

Dino Andino, 21, of San Clemente, who finished second in the PSAA overall standings last year to two-time defending champion Mike Lambresi, will be one of the pros competing Saturday. Competition begins at 7:30 a.m.

Some of those expected to challenge Andino include Chris Brown of Santa Barbara, the PSAA’s top 17-year-old, Vinnie De La Pena of Dana Point, who won a PSAA event on June 4 in Oceanside; Juan Ashton, 20, of Puerto Rico and Noah Budroe, 21, of Huntington Beach.

Shane Beschen, 17, of San Clemente, who finished fifth in a PSAA pro-am event February in Puerto Rico, will be among the amateurs competing. Other amateur competitors include C.C. Betcheloff, 17, of Huntington Beach and 12-year-old Craig Etchegoyen of Corona del Mar.

“Amateurs like the challenge of surfing against the pros,” Beschen said. “Pros come to this kind of competition thinking that it’s going to be easier for them, but we want to prove that we can compete effectively against them.”

The first-place finisher will receive $2,000. The runner-up will get $1,000 and the third-place contestant will pick up $500. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Surfrider Foundation, a Huntington Beach organization that was formed in 1987 to fight ocean pollution, Parmenter said.

Competition will take place all day, with the finals scheduled for 4:30 p.m.