Hopkins, Mattei finish 11th Respectively at NSSA HB
It was a pleasant Sunday at Huntington Beach, great for sunning, not so great for surfing. The waves were in short supply on the final day of the NSSA Huntington Beach Conference Open, but that didn’t stop a couple of Warriors from pushing through and showing out. Both Jack Hopkins on the men’s side, and Ninon Mattei on the women’s, finished 11th overall after clawing through semifinal rounds that featured very few waves powerful enough to get up, much less ride.
by BRANDON PETERSEN
It was a pleasant Sunday at Huntington Beach, great for sunning, not so great for surfing.
The waves were in short supply on the final day of the NSSA Huntington Beach Conference Open, but that didn't stop a couple of Warriors from pushing through and showing out.
Both Jack Hopkins on the men's side, and Ninon Mattei on the women's, finished 11th overall after clawing through semifinal rounds that featured very few waves powerful enough to get up, much less ride.
"Our surfers did incredible with the cards they were dealt today," Westcliff surf assistant coach Chelsea Ehlen said. "The sport can have a very unpredictable stage to perform on – you get 15 minutes with up to six total surfers in the water fighting for the same few waves."
Mattei reached the semifinals after taking second overall in her first heat Sunday. In the second round, the waves were diminishing, but she was good enough to pull off enough points to get through the semis.
"This girl is a surfing machine," Ehlen said. "We just need to give her a canvas of a wave and she can paint the masterpiece we know she in capable of. For Ninon, it's frustrating to surf in waves that barely have enough power to push you, when you grow up surfing with waves that people dream of riding."
The journey for Hopkins was similar. After reaching Day 2 with a fantastic opening round heat Saturday in which he placed second, Hopkins had to fight hard to find waves in the quarterfinals.
"Jack used his strength to pump through some small waves with great turns," Ehlen said. "It paid off and got him through to the semifinals."
Sierra Lim, Bryce Mattox and Ian Livesay all competed on Sunday as well.
Lim found herself in a heat that featured almost no waves at 7:15 a.m. and her bad luck took her out of the running early in the day.
Mattox, who had a great day Saturday, also found the waves few and far between in his quarterfinal round and bowed out there.
"Bryce surfed so well this weekend," Ehlen said.
Livesay competed in the longboard competition and sailed through the opening round with a solid showing. Unfortunately, like many of his teammates, the conditions declined in subsequent rounds and he wasn't able to find the swells to move on.
"All of our surfers are a definite force to be reckoned with," Ehlen said. "The biggest thing to improve upon is to just have better surf and to show our true colors."
It was an incredible weekend for Westcliff, which is no longer an unknown, but a burgeoning cornerstone program in the Southern California surf scene.
"People are starting to remember us, and that's exactly what we want for the program," Ehlen said. "Our athletes advance further in each contest, and that improves our overall rank."
Surf is based on a scoring rank system, and that will determine how far Westcliff goes this year as a team. Right now, the Warriors are in the thick of a fight for the state and national competitions.
"All we need are waves, and it's game over," Ehlen said. "It's only a matter of time before Westcliff is the school to beat. Our surfers are hungry and could not be more stoked for the next competition."
Hopkins finished 11th out of 150 men.
Mattei finished 11th out of 50 women.
Up next, the Warriors surfers head to Seaside Reef at Cardiff by the Sea, Feb. 5 and 6.
To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail brandonpetersen@westcliff.edu.