Mira Costa Senior Takes Shortboard Title

When the 2010-2011 high school South Bay Surf League began its season, more than 450 male and female students took to the ocean with the hope of making their school’s team.

On Saturday, the South Bay Surf League championships pitted the top performers of the season against one another, with all surfers vying for the opportunity to claim top honors in their respective competitions. 

Mira Costa senior Maddie Hawks may have been just one of many surfers at the start of this season, but on Saturday in the individual surf-off, she captured the girls overall shortboard title in head-high Hermosa Beach surf. 

Hawk’s win may have felt a bit familiar -- last year, she took first place in the individual championship longboard division. This year's win, however, was even sweeter.

“Longboarding is more for fun,” said Hawks, who took fourth in longboard this year. “I take shortboarding much more seriously and get more competitive with it. I was still shocked that I took first. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Hawks told Manhattan Beach Patch that the quality of the girls competition continues to get stronger every year. “The girls get better and better as the year’s go on which is pretty cool to see,” she said.

And although the competition may be getting better, at the end of this day, Hawks' competitors were left in the wake of a Hawks cutback turn.

Mira Costa’s Jordan Wible finished second overall in the girls longboard, and in the boys shortboard final, Mira Costa’s David Slay was the top overall Mustang with a sixth place finish. 

Redondo Union’s Connor Beaty took first place in the boys shortboard and was later honored as the South Bay Surfing League’s Athlete of the Year. 

The South Bay Surf League’s season finale is set for May 14 with the Hennesey’s Cup Team Competition. The title will go to the top overall high school team.