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Sports

Mohagen Wins for Riding Winter's Big Wave

Surfer Matt Mohagen is deemed this year's South Bay Boardriders Club Big Wave Challenge winner for riding a monster wave in El Porto.

For his feat of riding an about 15-foot wave like an aquatic matador at the tip of the El Porto jetty in Manhattan Beach, the South Bay Big Wave Challenge committee named Matt Mohagen as this year's winner in a ceremony Friday night.

The panel decided that Mohagen rode the largest recorded wave this winter and awarded him with $1,000, a surfboard and wetsuit in front of a nearly packed crowd at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse.

“I'm so psyched—it's been a long winter,” Mohagen said. “I got that wave in January, and actually have been really nervous, actually hoping another big swell wouldn't come in.”

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A breathtaking video of the wave showed Mohagen streaking across the water while the jetty loomed near. Surf photographer Jeff Farsai swam toward the wave while positioning a waterproof camera to capture Mohagen. 

Farsai was equipped with swim fins and a custom CMT housing structure covering his Canon digital SLR camera and lens to record Mohagen through the monster wave.

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Other Big Wave Challenge contenders included Derek Levy, Tyler Hatzikian, Chris Rodriguez and Marcello Malinco. The contest for the region’s biggest wave rider kicked off last year on Dec. 1 and ended March 31.

There were “no ifs, ands or buts” about honoring Mohagen as this year’s winner, said Hermosa Beach resident and photographer Mike Balzer, who founded the South Bay Boardrider's Club.

Even Hatzikian was “really proud of Matt, seeing him grow up and advance [in surfing], and charge, seeing him come back from the [Hawaiian] Islands,” he said.

“I grew up surfing Hammerland, growing up watching Tyler [Hatzikian] charge and pull into massive barrels, he's definitely one of my heroes out there,” Mohagen said before a crowd while accepting his award. “I'm definitely psyched to be on stage and have him say some positive stuff about me.”

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