national championship results

The Home Team Takes The Win
Southwest Champions Narrowly Edge Hawaiian Squad To Win The 2007 Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge Presented SURFER Magazine

“We’ve got some badass Hawaiians,” said Roy Powers just prior to the 2007 Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenge National Finals. He was commenting on why he thought his team would take the win. On paper, there was no reason to think they shouldn’t. Stacked with a pair of ripping shop employees in the form of Travis Hashimoto and Gareth Sugihara, and anchored by WQS firepower courtesy of Powers and whammy-rider Dustin Cuizon, T&C Fiberglass looked like they had everything they’d need.

But that’s not to say the rest of the squads didn’t look strong as well. In fact, even Powers, despite his badass Hawaiian boasting, had to admit that there were a few teams to be reckoned with on the beach in Oceanside. “There’s a couple really solid squads here,” said Powers. “Santa Cruz is looking good, pretty solid.”
And as the horn sounded, Power’s words seem to be prophetic. The Santa Cruz-based O’Neill team looked commanding right out of the gates. With Kieran Horn, Ratboy Collins and Jesse Colombo waiting on shore, shop rider T.J. Mikus got his team on the board early, locking in a two wave combined score of 10-points and tagging teammate Kieran Horn before any of the other shops could send out a second rider. Thanks to Mikus’ quick work, O’Neill was in the lead and the clock was in their favor. But then Horn, the team’s double-whammy rider, entered the water and sat. And sat. And sat. And sat. And sat. As the other teams kicked their game into gear, rotating through riders and posting points, Horn burned nearly an hour off the clock waiting for a set wave in the inconsistent Oceanside lineup. It was a death sentence for the squad from Santa Cruz.
But while O’Neill stagnated, the other teams pounced. The WRV squad, which represented the Northeast and was anchored by Wes Laine and Noah Snyder, and was backed up by employees Jeff Meyers and Jesse Fernandez, worked through their ranks well and stuck to their game plan. By the time the clock expired, they’d finished in fourth, less than a point ahead of O’Neill.
The 2007 Southeast division champions, the Goods, also were on track. Led by whammy rider Adam Wickwire, the team pushed through the heat, climbing dangerously close to the top position with roughly 20-minutes remaining. But despite their momentum, they had to settle for third.

Throughout the heat, T&C seemed to have control. After posting a 9.0, which he doubled for 18 points on a single ride, Cuizon gave the Hawaiians an edge that nearly carried them to victory. And as Powers entered the water with minutes remaining, it seemed he needed only to expand their lead. But trailing close on their heels was the Southwest division’s representatives, Hansen’s.
Led by team captain Jeremy Sherwin and by whammy rider Austin Ware, and bolstered by Eric Snortum and Ryan Birch, the Hansen’s squad was the dark horse that no one saw coming, and as time ticked down, it became clear they were in serious contention for the win. With minutes remaining, they trailed T&C by less than two points. Sherwin and Powers went head to head in the last seconds of the heat and when the scores were tallied, it was Sherwin who came out on top, giving his team the win over their Hawaiian rivals. With all riders posting solid scores—including Birch, who lit up a left for a 7.27, a score that earned him the DC Wave Pillager Award—Hansen’s came together, strategically, as a team to take every penny of the cash on offer today.
With $10,000 in their pockets, plus another $750 that went to Birch courtesy of DC, the crew from Encinitas left for their short ride home with grins on their faces and schemes of how burn cash running through their brains. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do with the money,” said a smiling Sherwin. “Both the groms just got out of high school, so that money is going to go a long way. They’ll probably buy a few boards and probably plan a trip or something. None of it’ll sit around for long.”

Results:
1. Hansen’s: 50.36
2. Town And Country: 48.76
3. The Goods: 39.13
4. WRV: 32.08
5. O’Neill: 31.29

DC Wave Pillager Award: Ryan Birch ($750)