COURTESY OF THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

East Coasters Come Up Short For Titles At Surfing America Quiksilver U.S.A. Champs, But Still Kick Some Butt And Take Some Names
       By Nick McGregor

Reposted from http://www.easternsurf.com/feature_070111/

Last year, four East Coasters hoisted 1st-place trophies atop the podium at the Surfing America U.S.A. Championships. But in 2011, once the newly minted Quiksilver U.S.A. Championships wrapped up in absolutely fabulous head-high Lower Trestles conditions on June 25th, not a single Rightsider had claimed victory. Of course, Cali-kids Kolohe Andino, Parker Coffin, and John Mel, along with Hawaiians Seth Moniz, Tatiana Weston Webb, Mahina Maeda, and Meah Collins stole the main headlines. But that doesn’t mean the East Coast’s male and female representatives didn’t still show up and blow up to the best of their abilities. In marquee youth competition, Melbourne Beach, FL’s, Jasset Umbel finished 3rd in Girls Under 18, while Garden City Beach, SC’s, Cam Richards also finished 3rd in Boys Under 16. Meanwhile, Indialantic, FL’s, Nikki Viesins earned a 4th-place trophy in Girls Under 16 and Pawleys Island, SC’s, Luke Gordon finished 4th in Boys Under 12.

In longboard and adult divisions, the East Coast didn’t notch a single shortboard finalist. But Cocoa Beach, FL’s, Steve McLean finished 3rd in Junior Longboard, while Texas standout Cody Canzoneri logged an impressive 2nd-place in Men’s Longboard and fellow Lone Star representative Albert Shannon finished 4th in Senior Longboard. Other impressive performances were put forth by Central Florida’s Emily Ruppert, who made the semifinals of Girls Under 16; South Florida’s Izzy Gomez, who made the semifinals of Girls Under 12; North Carolina’s Stevie Pittman, who made the quarterfinals of Boys Under 12; New Jersey’s Maddie Peterson and South Carolina’s Katie Gordon and Emory McClary, who made the quarterfinals of Girls Under 14; New York’s Quincy Davis, who made the quarterfinals of Girls Under 18; North Florida’s Keto Burns and New Jersey’s Mike Ciaramella, who made the quarterfinals of Boys Under 18; and Corey Howell and Noah Schweizer, who made Round Two of Boys Under 16.

Stay tuned next week for coverage of many of the same surfers, who are still in California duking it out in the NSSA Nationals.