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Sports

Boardriders Club Surfs Into Season End

Hundreds of local wave riders—of all skill levels—gather at Sangria to celebrate the South Bay Boardriders Club's surf series.

The South Bay Boardriders Club capped off its surf series season in style Sunday at on Pier Plaza. The five-event wave-riding series finished Saturday in Manhattan Beach, and the club had yet to recognize the top point-earners from the series of surf contests. 

These contests featured age-specific divisions for men, ranging all the way from 9-and-below years of age to divisions for 50-year-olds—and beyond.

Women were granted two age brackets in an 18-and-under division, and an open division. Saturday’s contest attracted about 200 competitors.

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“It's about time the South Bay had something to go to, to compete in as a family, as an organization, as a support group,” said former pro surfer Ted Robinson after the awards ceremony Sunday. He won the master’s division Saturday.

Community has been key to the success of the South Bay Boardriders Club, co-founder Mike Balzer told Patch.

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“We wanted to do five successful surf contests, and we hadn't even done one together before this year... The key was we wanted the South Bay surfing community to be a part of that—at all levels,” he said. “And we got it.”

Based on points, the top junior women’s surfer was Rachel Tominaga, while Natalie Anzivino took home top honors in the open women’s division. Kieran Walls won the micro-groms (9 and under) division. Groms division overall winner was Kyle Beatty. Juniors' division overall winner was Noah Collins. 

Brent Bland took the open longboard division. Ted Robinson took the master's division, and Scott Daley won the legends' division. Kent Nishiya won the juniors’ division.

Derek Levy, during his 2nd place finish overall in the legends’ division, made it clear during his acceptance speech that he appreciated the South Bay Boardriders Club effort to become a successful organization for local wave riders. 

“There were meetings, subcommittees, and more meetings,” Levy said of the club onstage, while thanking everyone for supporting the club in its success. 

Some local athletes hope to see more growth in the South Bay Boardriders Club’s future. 

“I would love to see Surfline give [the club] some credit—if it was in Orange County, I'm sure it would be on Surfline right now,” Robinson said. He noted that the South Bay being in the Los Angeles, and not the Orange County, surf-clothing-company hotbed puts local surfers at risk of being overlooked by “surf media” coverage.

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