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Pros Play Waiting Game in Low Surf

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Mother Nature was being fickle on the last day of the Bud Surf Tour Body Glove event Sunday providing small surf for the finals.

With surf a measly one to two feet, it was apparent from the start of competition that luck would play a part in the outcome.

“In surf like this, you have to just wait and pray,” said Shawn Sutton of Hawaii, who won the men’s competition with a score of 29.83. “It’s a four-man heat and you have 30 minutes to work with it. Any of those guys that I was surfing against could have just as easily won. I just got lucky and caught some waves that gave me the winning scores.”

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It was the first professional victory for Sutton, who often surfs near Dana Point and turned pro two years ago.

“I’m so stoked to win,” said Sutton, who recorded a nine for the highest wave score of the day. “I’m getting ready for the AirTouch and this is a big boost.”

Keith Mallory of Ventura finished second with 25.60 points. San Clemente’s Corey Lopez finished third (25.43) and Ben Bourgeois of North Carolina was fourth with 22.00.

Since the waves were breaking small next to the Oceanside Pier, serious maneuvers were out. So for the most part, it was a case of making as many cuts as possible.

“I just tried to make as much spray as I could,” said Tara Larkins of Palos Verdes, who beat Carlsbad’s Tricia Gill to win the women’s final, 23.84 to 21.17. Kim Hamrock of Huntington was third with 19.20.

Larkins, who is 5 feet 2, said she prefers much larger waves and considers herself fortunate to win.

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“A lot of girls don’t like the big surf, but I love it when the waves are about six to 10 feet,” Larkins said. “As for today, at first I thought I’d be patient and wait for some good waves, but then the time was slipping away and I realized I had to go after anything that came by my way. Fortunately for me, I was able to get some decent waves.”

Colin McPhillips of San Clemente, who won the longboard final, echoed Larkins and Sutton’s comments about the surf.

“I just got back from Costa Rica where the waves were about six feet,” he said. “But hey, you have to work with what you get. That’s surfing.”

McPhillips edged world champion Joel Tudor of San Diego, winning 28.44 to 27.53.

“The surf wasn’t that good, but it’s still good to win,” McPhillips said. “I’m on my California leg of my tour, and I hope by the time things start in Huntington Beach, that the surf is better.”

In bodyboarding, Jacob Reeve of Santa Barbara won his first professional event. Brian Wise of Huntington Beach was fourth.

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