SURFING AT HUNTINGTON BEACH : Beschen Keeps His Cool in the Final Heat, Wins First Major Pro Title

Shane Beschen of San Clemente, no longer the nervous amateur in the surfing world, won his first major professional title Sunday at the Easter Surfing Classic at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

“I’m really stoked,” said Beschen, who is in his second year on the U.S. tour and first as a professional. “I’ve made five finals in my last eight (competitions) since last summer, but I never won one until now.

“I finished second in Malibu last summer, and after that I had no trouble getting to the finals. But once I was there I either didn’t catch the waves or I fell. It all came together this time.”

Beschen, 18, a senior at San Clemente High School, was the unanimous winner in the four-man heat. Doug Silva of Isla Vista was second, followed by Bryan Pottger of Fountain Valley and Sean Mattison of Carlsbad.

“I took it a little more easy this time,” Beschen said. “I wasn’t amped up as much as I was in the other finals. I just treated it as another heat. In the other finals, I got so excited that I lost it. But today was my day.”

In the bodyboarding competition, Mike Stewart of Anaheim, the three-time U.S. champion, won his first title of the year, edging Ben Severson of Honolulu. Stewart won $2,000 and took a 90-point lead over Severson in the season point standings.

Beschen earned $7,000 for his victory and also took first place in the point standings.

He received 1,000 points for the victory, pushing his season total to 2,386. Jim Hogan of San Clemente and Charlie Kuhn of Indian Harbor, Fla., the top-seeded surfer who was eliminated Saturday, are tied for second with 1,904.

“I’m hoping to win the (season) title this year and then I’ll probably go on the world tour,” said Beschen, who finished fourth in the standings last season. “Last year I would make a final and it would be like, ‘Wow, I can do it.’ But this year it’s not just a fantasy. I don’t have to dream about making finals anymore. It’s reality.”

Beschen took control of the final early, riding a wave in the first few seconds of the 30-minute competition.

“I like to get a good wave right off the bat,” Beschen said. “I get in a good rhythm and I don’t have to worry about catching a lot of waves at the end. That causes a lot of stress.”

Dino Andino of San Clemente, seeded fifth, fell in the quarterfinals and Hogan, seeded fourth, was eliminated in the semifinals by Pottger and Mattison. The top two surfers in each semifinal advanced to the finals.

Andino and Hogan finished second and third, respectively, in last year’s point standings.

But Beschen, the youngest of the San Clemente trio, has become the leader this season. He has a crisp style that some people say is similar to that of world champion Tom Curren.

“That’s definitely a compliment,” Beschen said. “Curren’s one of the best surfers around, but Martin Potter is the one I look up to the most. I don’t get to see him surf much, except on videos. I try to do maneuvers that are radical.”

Stewart won the bodyboarding competition with some radical moves. He used a series of spins, reverse spins and 360-degree rolls that were effective on the one- and two-foot waves.

“(The small waves) are worrisome for me,” he said. “I’m one of the bigger guys on the tour and it’s hard for me to maneuver on the small waves.

“I got into a good rhythm. (The rolls) brought my confidence up early.”

The victory also gave him some breathing room in a close season-points battle with Severson. Stewart trailed Severson by 10 points going into the finals, but now leads by 90.

“We’ve been close ever since the competition in Hawaii earlier this year,” Stewart said. “I wanted to win bad. That boosted my desire factor.”

Severson said he was frustrated by the lack of waves for the final. He said he had to wait several minutes for one to come through.

“Every time I looked down the beach I saw Stewart catch a wave and I said to myself, ‘Where did that come from?’ ” Severson said.

Sunday’s results:

SURFING

Finals

1. Shane Beschen, San Clemente, $7,000. 2. Doug Silva, Isla Vista, $3,300. 3. Bryan Pottger, Fountain Valley, $2,300. 4. Sean Mattison, Carlsbad, $1,800.

Semifinals

Heat 1--Pottger; Mattison. Heat 2--Beschen; Silva.

Quarterfinals

Heat 1--Pottger; Mattison. Heat 2--Chris Brown, Hermosa Beach; Paul Barr, Carlsbad. Heat 3--Gary Clisby, Huntington Beach; Beschen. Heat 4--Silva, Jim Hogan, San Clemente.

MAIN EVENT

Second round

Heat 1--Jason Haughey, Laguna Niguel; Pottger. Heat 2--Mattison; Dino Andino, San Clemente. Heat 3--Chris Brown, Santa Barbara; Barr. Heat 4--Vince de la Pena, Mission Viejo; Scott Farnsworth, Huntington Beach. Heat 5--Beschen; Rick Lasch, Del Mar. Heat 6--Clisby; Pat O’Connell, Laguna Niguel. Heat 7--Richie Rudolph, Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Todd Miller, Costa Mesa. Heat 8--Silva; Hogan.

BODYBOARDING

Finals

1. Mike Stewart, Anaheim, $2,000. 2. Ben Severson, Honolulu, $1,250. 3. Jackie Fisher, Imperial Beach, $800. 4. Chris Burkhart, Kalaheo, Hawaii, $350.

Semifinals

Heat 1--Severson; Burkhart. Heat 2--Fisher; Stewart.

Quarterfinals

Heat 1--Jason Brown, Kalaheo; Kyle Maligro, Kalaheo. Heat 2--Burkhart; Severson. Heat 3--Stewart; Chris Granonce, Lomita. Heat 4--Fisher; Phil Corsi, Ventura.