Lifeguard Tower 22 South of the Santa Monica Pier – Perfect unseasonably warm weather and 2-3 foot waves with nice shape greeted surfers from eight southern and central California high schools as the Santa Monica Viking Surf Club hosted Round Three of this year’s Interscholastic Surf Federation (ISF) competition season on Sunday, December 11.
Although the Vikings were bested by a close margin in head-to-head first round competition with Oxnard High School, it was a good day for individual results.
Four Samohi short boarders in the super competitive men’s division advanced to the second round including Alex Silver, Chris Colojezzi, Steve Alfano and Shane Kechin.
Sarah Couterier advanced to second round in women’s long board as well, and Michael Rossi advanced to second round in body board.
Shane Kechin also advanced in the body board competition and made it to the final round where, perhaps flexing “home waters advantage,” he brought home a trophy for Samohi. Shane’s performance ended a long drought of over a year during which Viking surfers were blanked in making it to any final round of individual events.
Additional Viking surfers at Sunday’s meet included Diego Reis in men’s short board, Gaby Fargo in women’s short board, and Jason Abraham and Eamon Wright in men’s long board.Yorba Travis and Brian Guth, both volunteers, coach the Samohi Surf Team. The faculty advisor is Math teacher Michael Adams. After several decades of remission, the Samohi Surf Team was resurrected three years ago by Chemistry teacher Bill Pence.
