127

By Brandon Petersen

The ocean was roaring again. Southside Huntington, six to eight feet and mean — the kind of swell that punishes hesitation. For the Westcliff surf team, it was perfect. The kind of day where you find out what you're made of.

And for Blaze Roche, it was personal.

Three months to the day since the passing of his close friend, Kolby Aipa, Roche paddled out with a quiet sense of purpose that was impossible to miss.

"You could tell Blaze was surfing for a bigger purpose in this event," said head coach Lucas Taub. "His good friend Kolby passed away three months yesterday. The Aipa family was there all weekend to support us, and Blaze — and those closest to Kolby — really felt that."

Roche didn't just feel it. He channeled it. Using years of local knowledge — every rip, reform, and shifting sandbar burned into instinct — he carved, powered, and soared his way through the field. His 7.33 and 7.67 in the final sealed it: his first-ever NSSA college win, right here on his home break.

"Blaze was on fire this event," Taub said. "It really paid off and it was so cool to see him take that first win. I'm so proud of him. Whenever Blaze clicks, the team seems to all click as well."

They did more than click — they detonated.

Behind Roche, Jordy Collins continued his machine-like march through the collegiate ranks, finishing runner-up in the men's final.

"Our captain, our leader," Taub said. "Jordy continues to make final after final. He looked solid all event long — winning Blacks and then coming in second the week after. Jordy is an animal."

Ryder Smith, the freshman phenom, was all air and attack. He opened round one with a 9.0 — one of the highest wave scores of the entire weekend — and never backed down, finishing fourth in the men's final.

"You could tell from the first round he was on," Taub said. "Ryder surfed smart this event and put some amazing heats together. Our freshman! Super proud of him."

And it wasn't just the men.

Taylor Stacy, co-captain and the team's emotional anchor, delivered a masterclass in the women's final, hammering her backhand through Southside walls to earn a 16.00 heat total and the victory. "Taylor made, Taylor gang," Taub laughed. "You know she was hungry for that win. From the first heat, I knew she'd be tough to beat. You put Taylor on a big left, she's going to hammer it. Her backhand is second to none."

Stacy's win, combined with Roche's emotional triumph, gave Westcliff something no one could miss — momentum. "She's a huge part of our program," Taub said. "She carries us along with Jordy. She's our co-captain this year for a reason."

The weekend belonged to Westcliff. The Warriors scored 127 points — a full 19 clear of Point Loma Nazarene — to win NSSA College Event No. 2 over a field of 24 teams. In surf that Taub called "heavy and not for the weak," Westcliff stood tallest.

"When the team comes together, great things come out of it — and that's what happened this weekend," Taub said. "Honestly, I got goosebumps from this win. You could tell it was our weekend from the get-go. I'm so proud of this group of individuals. They worked so hard these past few weeks, and the results really show."

He paused, then added: "Proud is an understatement. This is only the beginning — we're coming for that win at event No. 3."

NSSA EVENT 2 TEAM STANDINGS (Top 4)

1. Westcliff University (Gold) – 127
2. Point Loma Nazarene (A) – 108
3. Saddleback – 86
4. UC San Diego (A) – 76

NSSA EVENT 2 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

• Men's Final: 1. Blaze Roche (WU) 15.00, 2. Jordy Collins (WU) 9.10, 3. Ted Mucciarone (PLNU) 9.00, 4. Ryder Smith (WU) 4.40
• Women's Final: 1. Taylor Stacy (WU) 16.00, 2. Audrey Denos (Saddleback) 15.26, 3. Syd Ott (PLNU) 6.96, 4. Keanna Miller (Cal Poly SLO) 5.16

FOLLOW WESTCLIFFU_SURF ON INSTA!!!

Lucas' beard alone is reason enough to follow.