A rematch of last year’s nail biter when Kokoro Tamatsuri won The Game, getting an 8 point ride with 1 second remaining. 

Conner Coffin, Carp’s version of a Lebron James, was home sick as a dog.  Carpenteria would have to dig deep to win today.

Malibu won the toss, and took the top of the order.  Skylar Lawson the freshman sub gets put in the game with 30 seconds left in the first period and comes up huge with a 7.0 score!  And throws a fist pump!  Hahaha awesome!  This is the stuff I was thinking of when I wrote the rulebook.  7’s were not easy to come by either as the judging panel was led by 3 time World Champion Tom Curren.

Chandler Parr, the lone girl in The Game, went big with a 6.0.  The goofy-footed Parr ripped the hell out of a left with three solid turns.  Impressive but not unexpected, as she was MVP yesterday, a first in NSL history.

Malibu posted a whopping 24 points in the first period and never looked back.  The coaching was on point today with the team of Rich Lawson (football and golf coach) and Pascal Stansfield, LA Arc Angels pro surfer.

Conrad Carr was totally dominant today.  This was Conrad’s 3rd year playing the Game and his experience and ability to perform under pressure gives him a serious future if he wants it.  I think Conrad had a 24.5 point Game.

The big story today was Skylar Lawson.  He was again subbed into the Game in the 3rd period and came up with another blitzing 7.  He was awarded MVP today.  It is the first time in NSL history a sub won this award and the first time a freshman has won it too!  Wow! 

Malibu is off to the National Championships at Upper Trestles June 6-7.   With some rhythm!  MTV2 will be following the Malibu Sharks in their daily lives for an upcoming 6 show series.

Thanks to: Red Bull!  Allisports.com!  Outdoor event specialist!  Yeah
Dante, Shane, and Sin!  Dave Letinsky and Mr. Tamatsuri for coaching
Santa Barbara!

And to all the pro’s that helped out this week in Ventura.

Ventura Pelicanos: Tom Curren, Nate Curran, Timmy Curran, Adam Virs,
Sean Hayes, Matt and Mike McCabe, Parker Coffin.

LA Arc Angels: Pascal Stansfield, Justin Swartz, Shaun Burrell, Jamie
Meistrall, Greg Browning.

San Diego Sea Lions: Zach Keenan, Jeremy Sherwin.

OC Octopus: Micah Byrne, Jesse Evans.

Here’s to bringing the pro games back!!!  We should make bumper
sticker’s that say “honk if you want the Cali Cup back” hahahaha!

See ya in Florida next week for stop 3 of the Red Bull Riders Cup.
 

We also believe that a score can be debated.  That’s why we also have professional surfers as Referee’s.  Here in Ventura Jeremy Sherwin and Justin Swartz stand next to the coaches during the game to call timeouts, sub in players, or refute scores.  These coaches, who are pro surfers themselves, must be talking with a respected peer or this referee situation would not work.  The Ref’s are in walkie talkie communication with the head judge, so if the Ref doesn’t like the score he communicates it with the head judge or game director (pro surfer as well).  This sometimes helps the head judge plead his case with the judges who may be a little off.

The Game format has checks and balances. That is why it works so well.

Check out this video produced by Fabio Eduardo Richner Galli from the 2008 Oi USA vs Brazil Challenge held in Marasias, Brasil.

Read the full story

The USA vs. Brazil Game Challenge Presented by Oi was held November 8-9 in fun 2-3 foot surf.

The talent packed team USA won game one (79.5-77) on Saturday by using their past Game experience to dominate the first two periods led by Shane Beschen and solid performances from Asher Nolan and Clay Marzo.  

Sunday saw an increasing swell, beautiful sunny weather and the packed crowd on the beach was treated to a show of the best surfers in the world. 

Team USA needed to win only one of the next two games to take the title home, but were unable to do so with the Brazilians quickly catching on to the Game format on their home-turf and simply out-surfed the Americans.

Both Teams came out fired up for Game two, with Brazil taking a one-point lead into the 3rd and final period.  The Americans, were only able to put 24.5 points on the board and left the door wide open for Brazil.  Heitor Alves all the secured the Game two win with a huge backside tail blast for a 9 from the judges that all but secured sending the challenge into a 3rd and final Game.

Team USA won the coin toss for Game 3 and coach CT Taylor elected to surf in the top of each period.  USA started strong with a 27-point opening period led by Cory Lopez.  Team Brazil answered with amazing surfing from Marcello Trekinho and the lightning quick Heitor Alves for a 29-point first period. 

The second period was a bit of a shocker of the Americans, with both Tom Curren, Clay Marzo and sub Asher Nolan failing to find high scoring waves in the inconsistent surf at high tide.  The Brazilians capitalized on USA’s dismal second period, extending their lead to 4.5 points going into the final period.

Shane Beschen and Clay Marzo began the top of the final period with back to back 7.5′s – Beschen for long running right-hander and Marzo for a mental tail-out snap to reverse that the judges rewarded for only one move.  Curren and Lopez both put up strong scores to post a 27-point period score.  But, the Americans were looking for something stronger to make the Brazillians work harder for the victory. 

In the bottom of the final period, Team Brazil needed only 23 points to take the win.  It took them only 3 1/2 minutes into the period to secure the victory with all four surfers catching scoring waves with Trekinho and Alves again leading the way throwing spray and punting airs. 

When it was announced that Brazil had won, water coach Peterson "the animal" Rosa did his best He-Man impression on the back of the jet ski and rode to the beach pumping his fist in the air to the erupting crowd on the beach.

"The teamwork was fundamental. Our coaches [Pedro Muller and Peterson Rosa] knew exactly what do. We worked together to the find the best waves and perform our best, I am much happy with this victory," said Game MVP Brazil’s Marcelo Trekinho.

"The Brazilian team bonded throughout the event. They learned the strategy quickly and surfed very well, so congratulations to them. I’m happy in to have participated in an event of this level," said Team USA’s Tom Curren

Brad Gerlach of the National Surf League was impressed with the performance of the Brazilians as well. "They embodied completely in the spirit of the Game," he said. "It’s much more than a championship to them, it’s the pride of their country. Throughout the practices and opening games, I saw that they were gaining confidence and bonding as a team and that’s was it took to take down Team USA".

Results:

(best of 3)  Brazil 2 – USA 1

Game One:
USA – 79.5
Brazil – 77

Game Two:
USA – 77.5
Brazil – 81

Game Three:
USA – 78
Brazil – 81.5

MVP - Marcelo Trekinho
Most Radical Maneuver - Clay Marzo (power blow tail off-the-top)

Team USA: Tom Curren, Clay Marzo, Shane Beschen, Cory Lopez and Asher Nolan
Team Brazil:  Marcelo Trekinho, Bruno Santos, Fábio Gouveia, Heitor Alves and Danilo Grillo