The Grudge Match Qualifier Was As Fun As A Funeral, But The Kids Know What’s Up By Jon Coen
TURF: 9th Annual
Smith Optics Garden State Grudge Match Qualifier Presented By Dakine, Nixon,
O’Neill, and DC; Meters, Seaside Park, NJ; August 30th, 2011.
ENERGY: Overall,
this was a low-key event. Maybe it was the late summer date, or maybe it was
the fact that everyone was recovering from the combined evacuation/firing surf
of Hurricane Irene. But the overall mood was very subdued. The Grudge Match will
be ten years old next year, and while it’s as relevant as ever in the New
Jersey power struggle, running the 32-man qualifier is just going through the
motions. Maybe that was why there were hardly any photographers on the beach.
The surf was two-
to four-foot and unrelated to Irene. It was a nice pulse, but the wind was
north and then east. With the wind up and the tide down, the last few heats saw
more one-hit wonders than ‘80s pop radio. Stand up, one pump, and then do your
damndest to get above the lip. The finalists actually had to avoid the set
waves.
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT CLUB: Mikey Vanaman of Ocean City — 10 years old and
slashing. So what if he didn’t advance? He’s looking at his scores and he
hasn’t even learned decimals yet in math class.
SLIDE: This year’s
Qualifier was a little odd, basically because it featured guys who simply
didn’t show up for the main event in 2010. It’s the Grudge Match, fools! You
miss it, you lose it, and there are plenty of hungry scrappers who will take
your spot in an instant.
Tommy Ihnken of
Howell won the Grom Grudge last year and has already surfed the main event.
Filling out physically, he was possibly the most solid surfer, starting out the
day with five vertical hits when conditions allowed it and air reverses when
conditions didn’t. There was also strong surfing from Tim Daley, repping the
Brigantine Fire Department, and Andrew Rooney, repping the Manasquan family
dynasty.
Jersey’s Mod Col surfer Brendan Buckley showed
his dazzling air show, but was stopped in the semis. Relatively underground
shredder/surf instructor/translator/world traveler Tyler Vaughn also made an
admirable run to the semis. Finalists PJ Raia and Ihnken have qualified or
gotten alternate slots in the past, but Dalton Johnson of Point Pleasant, who works
in NYC with the Laborers Union and recently copped an ESM Who Da Guy, has been trying to bust his way into the Grudge
Match for nearly half his life. And 21-year-old Pete Machotka, a Stockton State
senior and Harvey Cedars lifeguard, has been doing this event for six years. Thanks
to their final showing, they both have spots when that October maelstrom shakes
the Casino Pier.
While Johnson blew
his tail, Ihnken and Machotka hammered away on their backhand. But Raia was the
only guy to link up more than one move, finding a right corner to draw three
solid turns into a 7.0. Raia basically blew everyone out of the water with his
12.5 total.
THE PAIN: Clay
Pollioni of Ortley went down in the quarters. In 2004, Pollioni was the guy who
muscled ’03 champ Matt Keenan out the door. Dr. Clay still has enough smoke to
be a chronic Grudge surfer, and hopefully he gets an alternate slot in October
because he’s been dominating the Pier since he was 16.
THE MAN: 17-year-old
PJ Raia of Rumson has been spending time between New Jersey and California.
He’s got solid support from Analog, and just a few days before the Grudge
Qualifier had squared off against Benny Bourgeois at the ECSC Vans Pro in
Virginia Beach. As a 15-year-old, Raia and buddy Pat Schmidt represented the
new force of kids coming out of Monmouth County after the South Jersey youth
had dominated for so long, making the Qualifier final in 2009. But last year,
he had a commitment in California and missed the main event. Move your meat,
lose your seat.
There have been
some great Jersey surfers (think Andrew Gesler, who had to requalify for the
’09 match-up and then went to the finals against Hammer) who have lost spots
and come back. Raia held his best for the final, which is what great
competitors do. And he deserves his seat at the table.
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “OK guys, let’s get out there and get this over with.” –A
worn out Rob Cloupe, who has run this event from its inception, starting the
final
“I’ve had a chance
at being an alternate in the past, but I wanted to actually qualify. It’s the
biggest contest I do and it’s a big relief to finally be in.” –24-year-old
finalist and recent ESM Who Da Guy Dalton
Johnson
“He had everyone
in that final by five points. He can do the small-wave contest thing, but he
just moved to Monmouth Beach, so we surf a lot of the same spots and I see him
on those heavy days and he’s proving himself there too. I saw him get some
really good tubes after Irene.” –“Jersey” Mike Gleason on Grudge Qualifier PJ
Raia
“It may seem like
the qualifier isn’t as exciting as it used to be. But to us younger guys, we’re
all still stoked on it. I remember being younger and watching the Grudge Match.
It’s still just as sick now that I’m older.” –PJ Raia still knows what’s up
FINAL RESULTS OF THE 9th ANNUAL SMITH OPTICS GARDEN STATE
GRUDGE MATCH QUALIFIER PRESENTED BY DAKINE, NIXON, O’NEILL, AND DC:
1. PJ Raia, $500
2. Dalton Johnson
3. Tommy Ihnken
4. Pete Machotka
: ADVERTISMENT :
: ADVERTISMENT :
IN LOVING MEMORY Flagler Beach, FL’s, Haley Watson Honors Her Mother At May Day Memorial Surf Classic
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
