“Uncle” Andrew Gesler Steals Candy From The Babies At
The Grudge Match Qualifier By Jon Coen; Photos by Ray Hallgreen
TURF: Smith Optics Garden State Grudge Match Qualifier; Meters, Seaside Park, NJ;
July 24th, 2009
ENERGY: There’s a reason to run events on call, instead of the more definitive,
“Contest is on for Saturday. First heat’s in the water at 8 a.m.”
That reasoning is not just to ensure better waves, better photos, and better
coverage, so the title sponsor reaches a larger demographic — but also so
the contest director doesn’t have to listen to surfers piss and moan that they
would have advanced had there been “real waves.” The Grudge avoids that altogether
by holding both its Qualifier and Main Event in real waves, which in this case began
with overhead, glassy gems with barrel sections — the best day of the
summer in Jersey (surfers had to find other stuff to piss and moan about).
This time, the secret ingredients in the Cloupe Soup were a rare cleaned-up north
windswell with a fading background south. The surf stayed stellar until an
afternoon sea breeze met with low-tide closeouts. But even the later rounds saw
shallow, shoulder-high racers.
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT
CLUB: Cloupe? The surf looked so good in the morning, Contest
Director Rob Cloupe actually threw himself in a heat, along with judges Ed Zito
and “Biggie” Brett Schellaci. How could they resist?
The most notable new kid in the class was the first-ever Grudge contestant with
a Confederate flag tattoo. Josh Wilson, a former three-time NSSA National Champ
from Central Florida, has maintained a New Jersey address for over a year now,
working as a surf coach for the new crop, thus making him eligible for a Garden
State Grudge Match title. Like Australian fashion photog-turned-Jersey loc’
Todd Barry, Wilson’s now in the Main Event and praising the format. “I’ve heard
about this event for some time,” said the relocated Gator, “and watched some of
the contest footage on YouTube. I’ve been here for over a year now, which
qualifies me.”
But he had to really fight
through his semi, when the pulse deteriorated. With most waves registering two
pumps and an ill-timed check, Wilson unloaded a huge hit in an inch of water,
actually bellied for a second, and rode out at the horn. He combined several
maneuvers in the final to take 2nd-place, including a frontside smack-to-wrap
that put a 6.5 in his box.
SLIDE: The
surf was so damn good that Zack Humphreys (whose status in the Grudge Match was
forever cemented when he felled Dean Randazzo as a 15-year-old) decided to
compete instead of judge. Humphreys has a public distaste for most
competitions, but he needed a crack at this surf.
The Qualifier is designed for New Jersey surfing’s Godfathers to “open the
books,” as we say in this state. And the new made men are PJ Raia, 15, of
Rumson and Pat Schmidt, 14, of Manasquan — who took 3rd and 4th-place,
respectively, in the final and earned their Garden State Parkway toll money
into the Main Event. Raia and Schmidt have the competitive smarts most surfers
don’t get until they’re 22 and have finished the prerequisite aerial know-how
for young bucks. This pair has been going at it for years. Hell, they still
carpool home together in the same ride. Their success is the result of good parents,
good sponsors, and the New Jersey surfing community getting them into competing
at the national level.
Humphreys switched to a shorter, fatter board for the “Death Heat.” The
turns on this nub failed to impress the judges, and Raia surpassed his elder
with a few well-placed whacks. But both boys fell short in the final, with Josh
Wilson and Jersey staple Andrew Gesler finding the set waves.
THE PAIN: You
could say Sicklerville’s Kyle Abel, whose consistently vertical turns left him
wondering why he was heading home instead of to the finals. Or Surf City’s
Connor Willem, who got a parking ticket at about the same time he missed advancing
by a single slot. (It’s 25 cents for 10 minutes, which is exactly why they call
this break “Meters.”)
But “The Pain” inarguably
goes to John Kemenosh, a 23-year-old Ocean City surfer who tore his Achilles
tendon playing hoop for Cape May Tech and ditched physical therapy halfway
through. Dude can’t even run yet, but learned how to surf again here and took 6th
in his first surf contest in three years.
THE MAN: Andrew
Gesler was just a kid when he was selected to surf the inaugural Grudge Match.
Last year’s first round shocker not only sent Gesler home empty-handed, but
also without a guaranteed berth into the ’09 Main Event.
The night before the Qualifier,
Gesler was up all hours, guest-bartending at a fundraiser for the hugely
anticipated collective New Jersey surf film project, Dark Fall, at Maynard’s in Margate. But Gesler actually seems to
perform best on zero sleep (he aced the 2004 Red Bull Ice Break Qualifier after
a harrowing overnight travel ordeal from California). After scoring big points
in firing Round One conditions, he went out and launched seven airs on eight
waves in his next heat.
Then, in an interesting
semifinal exchange, Gesler took the best wave from PJ Raia and rode it directly
into the final, while Raia had to surf the “Death Heat.” Back on the beach,
“Uncle” Andrew scolded Raia, then rounded up his young cohorts, and told them
to never back down whenever they see the wave of the heat.
The swell was rejuvenated
after waning a bit through the late rounds. Gesler won the final a minute into
it on a surprise four-foot line, putting all his years of pro surfing
experience into his first turn, blasted another, and finished with a floater
(7.74). He backed that up with a 6 to leave the others fighting for 2nd.
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT
FIGHT CLUB: “There were peaks, barrels,
glass, warm water... it was like France.” –Grudge Trials winner Andrew Gesler
“It still feels stiff and
weird, but I’ve come a long way from being in a boot for eight months.” –John
Kemenosh, after surfing all the way to the Death Heat, where he couldn’t even
run back up the beach to counter the increasing south drift
“Gesler has been my hero
since I was a little kid, but I kind of knew that was my wave.” –PJ
Raia, after their semifinal exchange
“Thank you for having me
down here, Cloupe. I felt like I was on vacation this morning in that surf. I
left my house at 5 a.m. I would have been here sooner but my dog shit in the
kitchen.” –Bare Wires Surf Skate owner and judge, Adam Holloway on the
early conditions
FINAL
RESULTS OF THE 2009 SMITH OPTICS GARDEN STATE GRUDGE MATCH QUALIFIER
1. Andrew Gesler, $500
2. Josh Wilson, $250
3. PJ Raia, $150
4. Pat Schmidt, $100
South Carolina’s Cam Richards Steals 12th Annual
Tommy Tant Memorial Classic Men’s Pro Title From Florida Vets; Cody Thompson, Amy Nicholl,
Noah Schweizer, And Dan Worley Also Win Big
VQS
HITS THE JACKPOT AT CASINO PIER Jellyfish Surf Series Winners Include Local Boys
Hammer, Schmidt, Vanaman, And Siganos, Along With Florida Girl Emily Ruppert
DUBIOUS RECORD The WRV
Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Offers Locals Genuine Perspective & More
Money Per Square Foot Of Wave Than Any Surf Contest In History
Sweetwater Leaves It Up To The Grom At Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier; “Uncle” Andrew Gesler Drives Heritage Win Home In Northeast
By Matt Pruett and Nick McGregor;
Photos by Matt Lusk
