Beschen Riding Crest of Consecutive Wins

Shane Beschen is on a roll and it doesn’t look as if he’s ready to slow down.

Beschen, of San Clemente, moved into the top position of the Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour two weeks ago by winning the Marui Pro surfing contest at Torami Beach in Chiba, Japan. And he continued his outstanding surfing at G-Land in Grajagan, East Java, defeating Australian Gary Elkerton Wednesday at the Quicksilver Pro.

Beschen, who beat second-ranked Sunny Garcia of Hawaii in the semifinals, trailed Elkerton for most of the 45-minute heat until he pulled off a perfect score of 10 in the four to six-foot waves. Beschen finished with 32.9 points to Elkerton’s 30.3.

Beschen’s perfect ride came after pitching into a barrel then making a clean exit before coming through the backdoor of another barrel for a deeper tube ride. He then finished the ride by carving what was left of the wave with a string of vertical snaps.

This is the first time Beschen has won back-to-back events as a professional surfer. He earned $20,000 for the victory, which gives him $44,000 prize money for his two weeks of surfing.

“It’s just a totally overwhelming experience,” Beschen said from East Java. “I didn’t expect that at this stage of the season I would be sitting on top of the ratings. That’s my plan for the rest of the season . . . just to take one heat and one event at a time and work on improving with every season.”

It was the first time in three years that Elkerton has been in the finals. Elkerton beat World Champion and defending Quicksilver Pro champion Kelly Slater in the semifinals.

In the last two months, Beschen has steadily advanced from his preseason ranking of ninth to the top spot.

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After 14 years as sponsor of the OP Pro Am in Huntington Beach, Ocean Pacific has been replaced by AirTouch Cellular, which will join with the Bud Surf Tour as sponsors of the second-largest surfing contest on the West Coast.

The contest, now called the AirTouch Pro Surfing Championships, runs July 29 through Aug. 4 at the Huntington Beach Pier and precedes the U.S. Open. The AirTouch Pro will serve as the qualifying event for the U.S. Open.

Ocean Pacific Marketing Director Bonnie Crail said the company will miss the contest in Huntington Beach, but she said it wants to get back to its roots and will be offering an OP Pro Am triple crown event that will run in Haleiwa, Hawaii.

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Having just returned from a 10-day surfing excursion to Tahiti for Surfing Magazine, Laguna Beach’s James Pribram was busy preparing for his second annual Expression Session surfing contest this Saturday.

Open to Laguna Beach residents only, the 18 and under contest will close at 30 entrees and is free to enter. Pro surfers will be by invite only. Pribram said judging will be on best air, tube rides, roundhouse and floaters.

Pribram said the contest will be open until June 29. Said Pribram: “We have this window period which if the surf is no good this Saturday, then we’ll postpone the contest until next weekend. Hopefully one of these weekends will get good surf.”

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Not far from the beach, volleyball has taken root on the grass courts of Southern California.

National Grass Volleyball, an outgrowth of the three-year-old National Volleyball Assn., is the first professional women’s four-person outdoor grass league. Its four teams contain several players from the more prestigious four-person beach tour, as well as former college indoor players.

NGV’s Orange County Diggers are coached by Albert Gasparian, the six-time state champion coach at Golden West College.

The Diggers (1-1) will play the San Diego Spikers (1-1) at 2 p.m. Sunday at San Diego State after several Spikers give a volleyball clinic and serve as referees at the Special Olympics.

“I’m trying to make it different and build this into something real and big,” said Gary Wyma, National Grass Volleyball owner and part-owner of NVA.

On the Beach, a look at people and events in Orange County involving surfing, volleyball and other beach sports, will run each week during the summer. If you have suggestions or information on upcoming events, Hamilton and Witherspoon can be reached at 966-5904.

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Upcoming Events

A weekly list of volleyball, surfing and other beach competitions in Orange County.

* California Beach Volleyball Assn. tournament

When: Today and Saturday

Where: Corona del Mar

Cost: $30 per team. CBVA membership is mandatory and can be purchased for $10 per person at registration.

Information: (714) 497-7209