Santa Cruz’s Nat Young sneaked through the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Vans Pier Classic. Then — in a style that was anything but stealthy — the pro surfer eked out a win over Nathan Yeomans by 0.20 points in tough conditions at the Huntington Beach Pier on Sunday.
The windy day had 12-plus-foot waves for surfers in the finals to take advantage of, and Young did just that. Young scored a 15.07-point, two-wave total in a final heat that also included Chris Ward, who took third with a 10.66, and Chase Wilson, who took fourth with a 7. Young’s top scoring wave was a 7.60, which included “several committed turns and a floater-to-barrel combination,” according to the Classic’s website.
“It feels good to just get a win,” Young was quoted on the site. “I haven’t had one in awhile. To get a win at the start of this year is great and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Young earlier advanced from the quarterfinals and the semifinals, where he placed second in both heats. The Association of Surfing Professionals 4-star event’s two-man advancing format allowed Young to make the final.
He celebrated the win by taking a limo to a Lakers game.
Surfline also has an awesome slideshow from the contest. I recommend checking it out.
— Christina Gullickson, on Twitter at CGullTweets
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