06.23.01
Press Release

Mohr Wins on Countback, Beschen On Track at Vans Off the Wall Pro

SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA-USA - Pro longboarder Josh Mohr got revenge for last month's narrow loss to Colin McPhillips by narrowly beating the former world champion on a count-back, and elite ASP surfer Shane Beschen emerged as tomorrow's favorite to take the Men's Shortboard crown during the Vans Off the Wall Pro at San Clemente Pier, the third stop on the 2001 Professional Surfing Tour of America (PSTA).

In addition to McPhillips and Mohr, Saturday's Longboard Final included smooth local goofy-footer Geoff Moysa and rookie Travis Northy of Capistrano Beach, making his first PSTA finals appearance. Leading up to the Longboard Final, conditions improved dramatically. A building tide and dropping wind cleaned up the peaky conditions and prompted some spectacular battles in the Quarterfinals, especially amid the long lined up lefts.

Both Semis featured all-star longboard lineups. In Semifinal 1, former world champ McPhillips squared off against fellow San Clemente residents Stephen Slater, Moysa and Brendan White. McPhillips started slow, while the goofy-footers Moysa and White took advantage of the lineup lefts with heaps of frontside laybacks, roundhouse cutbacks, helicopter 360s and floaters. The stocky Slater pulled some strong vert backside and frontside snaps. Moysa's huge floater near the end of the heat cinched the win, while McPhillips barely beat out both White and Slater with a strong late backside re-entry.

From Semifinal #2, super smooth Travis Northy and Huntington's Josh Mohr joined McPhillips and Mosya in a dynamic final pitting two frontsiders and two backsiders. Mohr and McPhillips set the pace with strong backside attacks, while Moysa and Northy struggled with wave selection in the first half of the 30 minute heat.

At the mid-way mark McPhillips boosted a huge backside floater but was unable to stick it, then paddled to the north peak and picked up a high-scoring right. Moysa also picked off one of the day's best north peak rights, but couldn't stick the huge floater. Meanwhile, McPhillips methodically dissected the field with a series of solid lefts and rights. Mohr missed opportunities for high scores by failing to land a big floater and also a heli-360. Moysa pulled a clean layback snap with about five minutes remaining.

A frantic exchange within the last two minutes involving all four surfers left the outcome in doubt, and a technical problem did not allow competitors or spectactors to follow the scoring. On the awards stage it was announced that McPhillips and Mohr had tied for first, with Mohr winning on a "count-back" that compares the surfers' single-highest scoring waves. For Mohr it was sweet redemption after narrowly losing to McPhillips at the Op Pro at Oceanside three weeks ago.

"The computers were down so we weren't hearing the scores, but I knew it was going to be tight. Everybody was ripping, I could see their waves and everyone was surfing great. I fell on a lot of waves, luckily they only score on three. I was trying to pull off some extraordinary stuff and I ended up pulling a couple. Sometimes that's what you have to do in a final, just pull out all the stops. If you fall, you fall. Then go back out for the next wave and hope you make it."

Starting things off at 8 a.m. was the Men's Shortboard Round of 32 marquee heat featuring Shane Beschen, Mike Parsons, Dino Andino and Christian Fletcher, pro surfing veterans all and all with San Clemente roots. With a plethora of good-sized sets to choose from, all four surfers were in the hunt from the start, with Beschen sprinting out to an early lead. Fletcher countered with his money move, the aerial, and followed up with a clean barrel on his second wave.

Meanwhile, Parsons and Andino kept it close, with Parsons advancing to first on the strength of a 6.5. But it was the current WCT surfer Beschen who leapfrogged Parsons near the end. Fletcher wasn't able to follow up on his 8.0 aerial score and failed to advance in a contest he wanted to win in front of his hometown crowd.

With his extensive WCT experience, Beschen has to be considered the favorite. Also advancing into the quarterfinals are Mike Todd, Jeremy Sherwin, Dean Randazzo, Bron Heussenstamm, Jason Senn, Ryan Simmons, Haley Yerhgans, Matt King, Shawn Sutton Jeremy Ryan, and Max Hoshino.

With his second place finish behind Mike Todd, Jeremy Sherwin accomplished his goal of making it to the quarterfinals of the Vans Off the Wall Pro. Sherwin, 23, was a rising young star in 1996, winning the NSSA high school and Explorer seasons. But he admits the jump from amateur to the pro ranks was difficult. "I graduated high school at 17, then tried to do the college thing and competitive surfing at the same time. But the Bud Tour wasn't really happening, so my pro surfing goals kind of fizzled out."

Sherwin focused on his education and will be finishing his biology degree at UC Santa Cruz next March, and is using the PSTA to re-ignite his competitive career. "I want to get some experience and points this summer to give me step to work off for next year. I'm hoping to go to Australia, Europe and Hawaii next year. I'm stoked to make it to the quarters, it's an ego booster for sure."

In the Women's Shortboard Round of 32, Carlsbad's Julia Christian continued her dominance of California women's surfing with a runaway effort of 16.25 in her first heat, a full 8.5 points ahead of second place finisher Marni Wahlquist. Julia pulled multiple maneuvers on several long lefts despite the challenging conditions. "It's kind of weird out there, the current's pulling you out, and there's current pulling you north, and then when you're on the waves the tide's getting higher so there's a weird bump that can knock you off your board. It's funky, really funky. It's hard to tell which waves are going to line up, they all look the same when you take off."

Christian's chief rival Holly Beck also advanced easily to the Women's quarterfinals, despite falling on what would have been a high-scoring first wave. "My foot slipped right off," recalled Holly. "I came back around the turn, and my foot was on the side, and when I tried to put it back on the rail I slipped off." Holly said she was stoked with the conditions: "This is my kind of wave, I like the quick, wedgy lefts off the pier. You can sit right on the edge and hold off the other competitors. I've got longer arms, I guess I'm genetically blessed in that department."

The Vans Off the Wall Pro concludes tomorrow with the completion of the Men's and Women's Shortboard divisions, and a special 15 & Under division for the groms.

Vans Off the Wall Pro, Day 3 Results
Men's Shortboard Round of 32

Heat 1
1. Shane Beschen 18.60
2. Mike Parsons 15.25
3. Christian Fletcher 15.10
4. Dino Andino 14.70

Heat 2
1. Mike Todd 14.60
2. Jeremy Sherwin 13.75
3. David Giddings 13.50
4. Joe Stauffer 10.25

Heat 3
1. Dean Randazzo 17.65
2. Bron Huessenstamm 12.85
3. Tim Reyes 11.60
4. John Robertson 10.45

Heat 4
1. Greg Long 16.15
2. Benji Severson 13.75
3. Darryl Goodrum 13.65
4. Walter Cerny 9.25

Heat 5
1. Jason Senn 17.00
2. Ryan Simmons 16.50
3. Peter Berkey 12.50
4. Zach Keenan 12.50

Heat 6
1. Haley Yerhgans 18.00
2. Matt King 17.25
3. Ian McPhillips 12.35
4. Michael Hoisington 11.20

Heat 7
1. Shawn Sutton 15.75
2. Max Hoshino 12.40
3. Jeremy Sommerville 11.90
4. Kakoa Bacalso 11.35

Heat 8
1. Jeremy Ryan 18.25
2. David Pinto 15.15
3. Frank Walsh 13.55
4. Rodger Eils 12.10

Women's Round of 32

Heat 1
1. Julia Christian 16.25
2. Marni Wahlquist 7.75
3. Jody Tucker 5.50

Heat 2
1. Dianna Mattison 11.75
2. Angie Conti 11.00
3. Erin Meyers 11.00
4. Tanya Booth 3.35

Heat 3
1. Jodie Nelson 18.25
2. Jamie Gee 10.50
3. Karen Moran 8.00
4. Alison Baley 7.25

Heat 4
1. Liz Motshagen 12.00
2. Kyle Langen 11.00
3. Abby Haney 4.50

Heat 5
1. Holly Beck 17.25
2. Jessica Aswald 5.60
3. Debbie Scarano 4.90

Heat 6
1. Lisbeth Diaz 8.25
2. Kim Mayer 5.75
3. Mariena Grillo 4.25

Heat 7
1. Nicole Grodesky 16.75
2. Erin Edwards 10.75
3. Seri Cota 10.25

Heat 8
1. Amber Puha 12.00
2. Colleen Hanley 8.50
Longboard Quarterfinals

Heat 1
1. Colin McPhillips 22.35
2. Geoff Moysa 21.55
3. Steve Newton 14.75
4. Linden Brocolli 14.50

Heat 2
1. Stephen Slater 18.00
2. Brendan White 16.25
3. Ryan Mada 12.50
4. Mike Gee 11.50

Heat 3
1. Josh Baxter 15.50
2. Michael Detemple 14.35
3. Alex Altamirano 11.85
4. Jed Morouse 10.05

Heat 4
1. Travis Northy 16.85
2. Josh Mohr 16.35
3. Taylor Jensen 14.85
4. Sean Haggar 10.15

Longboard Semifinals

Heat 1
1. Geoff Moysa 20.35
2. Colin McPhillips 16.40
3. Brendan White 15.65
4. Stephen Slater 14.50

Heat 2
1. Travis Northy 16.00
2. Josh Mohr 15.10
5. Josh Baxter 12.40
6. Michael Detemple 10.90

Longboard Final

1. Josh Mohr 17.75 (wins on countback)
2. Colin McPhillips 17.75
3. Geoff Moysa 16.40
4. Travis Northy 12.45

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