Marzo claims two national surf titles
The Maui News:
Marzo claims two national surf titles
By KIM BALL, For The Maui News
Clay Marzo of Lahaina became Maui's first double winner at the National Scholastic Surf Association national championships on Saturday at San Clemente, Calif.
The NSSA meet is regarded as the most prestigious amateur surf meet in the United States.
Marzo, 14, won the Explorer Boy (13-14 years) and Open Junior (13-15 years) divisions, and he did so in convincing fashion. There were 72 surfers in each draw. He surfed four six-person heats in each division, and was first in all eight heats.
Marzo's domination was such that he had the highest heat score. His two-wave score of 18.0 out of 20 in his opening junior's heat tied Kilian Garland of Orcutt, Calif., for the meet's top score. They both won custom bicycles. Marzo also picked up three watches for having three scoring rides over 9.0 during the contest.
''It was really something to watch,'' said Gene Marzo, Clay's father, via phone from San Clemente on Monday. ''He didn't hold back at all. I'm just glad I got to see it.''
Marzo had no special strategy at the Lower Trestles surf venue. He was very familiar with the break, having made an NSSA national final for the fifth year in a row.
''I just wanted to go out there and get two solid waves, two set waves, do big moves, and then surf them all the way through to the inside and not all,'' Marzo said.
In his Explorer final on Saturday, Marzo still needed a 5.0 score with 2 1/2 minutes left in his 20-minute heat.
''I got a left overhead set,'' he said. ''I had a pretty big throw-tail. On the inside, I did a snap and then grabbed my rail and slid backward.''
Then 90 minutes later, Marzo came back to surf the juniors final. Once again Marzo needed a big score with about two minutes left.
''I needed another right, and I got it,'' he said. ''I was trying to be patient and the last one was a good one. I did four snaps, a bunch of snaps, and then a backward 180 thing.''
Still Marzo didn't know if he had won because the announcer quit calling out scores with less than five minutes left in all the final heats. Marzo and the rest of the competitors had to wait until the awards banquet on Sunday night at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott to find out the results.
''When they called my name for the Explorer Boys, I was so stoked. I finally won,'' Marzo said. ''I felt so dizzy. I was tripping out, it was like a dream come true. I just claimed it, too. When I got my trophy, I just held it up.
''Everybody thought I got second (in the Open Juniors) because this kid (Tyler Newton of Kauai) did an air reverse. But I won, I was freaking out, so stoked to win two.''
Other Maui surfers who made NSSA finals included: Ola Eleogram of Hana (2nd-Explorer Men, 4th-O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Open Men); Hank Gaskell of Hana (2nd- O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Explorer Juniors); Dusty Payne of Lahaina (6th-Open Juniors); and Paige Alms of Haiku (6th-Open Women).
Marzo claims two national surf titles
By KIM BALL, For The Maui News
Clay Marzo of Lahaina became Maui's first double winner at the National Scholastic Surf Association national championships on Saturday at San Clemente, Calif.
The NSSA meet is regarded as the most prestigious amateur surf meet in the United States.
Marzo, 14, won the Explorer Boy (13-14 years) and Open Junior (13-15 years) divisions, and he did so in convincing fashion. There were 72 surfers in each draw. He surfed four six-person heats in each division, and was first in all eight heats.
Marzo's domination was such that he had the highest heat score. His two-wave score of 18.0 out of 20 in his opening junior's heat tied Kilian Garland of Orcutt, Calif., for the meet's top score. They both won custom bicycles. Marzo also picked up three watches for having three scoring rides over 9.0 during the contest.
''It was really something to watch,'' said Gene Marzo, Clay's father, via phone from San Clemente on Monday. ''He didn't hold back at all. I'm just glad I got to see it.''
Marzo had no special strategy at the Lower Trestles surf venue. He was very familiar with the break, having made an NSSA national final for the fifth year in a row.
''I just wanted to go out there and get two solid waves, two set waves, do big moves, and then surf them all the way through to the inside and not all,'' Marzo said.
In his Explorer final on Saturday, Marzo still needed a 5.0 score with 2 1/2 minutes left in his 20-minute heat.
''I got a left overhead set,'' he said. ''I had a pretty big throw-tail. On the inside, I did a snap and then grabbed my rail and slid backward.''
Then 90 minutes later, Marzo came back to surf the juniors final. Once again Marzo needed a big score with about two minutes left.
''I needed another right, and I got it,'' he said. ''I was trying to be patient and the last one was a good one. I did four snaps, a bunch of snaps, and then a backward 180 thing.''
Still Marzo didn't know if he had won because the announcer quit calling out scores with less than five minutes left in all the final heats. Marzo and the rest of the competitors had to wait until the awards banquet on Sunday night at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott to find out the results.
''When they called my name for the Explorer Boys, I was so stoked. I finally won,'' Marzo said. ''I felt so dizzy. I was tripping out, it was like a dream come true. I just claimed it, too. When I got my trophy, I just held it up.
''Everybody thought I got second (in the Open Juniors) because this kid (Tyler Newton of Kauai) did an air reverse. But I won, I was freaking out, so stoked to win two.''
Other Maui surfers who made NSSA finals included: Ola Eleogram of Hana (2nd-Explorer Men, 4th-O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Open Men); Hank Gaskell of Hana (2nd- O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Explorer Juniors); Dusty Payne of Lahaina (6th-Open Juniors); and Paige Alms of Haiku (6th-Open Women).
posted by DP at 3:00 PM
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