MORGAN HALL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

CSUSM surf team tryouts occurred Sunday, Sept. 18. Calm water and bad waves added pressure to student surfers interested in joining the fall 2011 – spring 2012 team.

“It is a little nerve racking because the waves aren’t too good today,” senior Tyler Noonan said. “You’re lucky just to catch a few good waves,” he added.

Noonan, who surfed for his high school team and was trying out for the first time, said that he looks “forward to being able to get back into surf competitions and meet new surfers this season.”

This year, the Cal State San Marcos Surf Team tryouts gave each surfer three 15-minute heats to catch as many waves as he or she could with only the two highest scoring waves counting toward the overall score.

“We’re looking for length, turns and connecting rides and, of course, the more you do the more points you will get,” team captain, Ashley Aronson said.

Dave Kincannon, who was on the inaugural team back in 2001, but had to leave CSUSM to work, said, “The way tryouts are set up this year is a lot fairer than the first time I tried out. Now you can walk away with a far better overall average.”

Despite the bad waves, there was still a huge turnout for tryouts compared to years past.

“There are way more people here this year than there were last year. We now have enough for two teams and a few alternates,” Casey Guerrero, senior and returning team member, said.

Junior Helina Beck was extremely impressed with the amount of women who tried out for this year’s team. “Women’s surfing is just blowing up right now, and it is nice to see that we actually have enough girls interested in trying out for the team,” Beck said.

Beck participated on the team two years ago, but broke her ankle and could not return last season. “I still feel pain and haven’t gotten my full mobility back, but surfing is almost therapeutic for me.”

Beck did give some advice to those who don’t make the team: “Don’t let it bother you. We have such close competitions; still continue to surf and come to tryouts again next year.”

Being a part of the CSUSM surf team allows students to do something they love while traveling to different California beaches. “Last year I liked that we went to Huntington Beach, Ventura and Black’s Beach,” Guerrero said.

Kincannon looks forward to potentially surfing at Ponto, his home break. The surf schedule is still to be determined.

The following students made the 2011/2012 Surf Team: A Team: (Men) Ashley Aronson, Jason Hdez, Paul Brandlin, Daniel Jacobs, Dave Kincannon, James Elkins. (Women) Annie Howe and Kaitlin Maguire. (Longboard) Willie Peterson.

B Team: (Men) Zach Rudy, Leo Welnick, Tyler Aiken, Tyler Noonan, Andre Ramoska and Casey Guerrero. (Women) Laura Thatcher and Helina Beck (Longboard) Kaitlin Maguire – needs to choose between A Team Women or B Team Longboard.

Alternates: Mike Fiocco, Robbie Torres. (Longboard) Sean Malter. (Shortboard women) Danielle DeFritas.

Photo by Morgan Hall