The Coldwater Classic has always been the locals’ event. Sure, it’s been a few years since a hometown boyl has taken the crown, but there are always a few in the final and the list of past winners is littered with names from the pages of Santa Cruz’s surfing history. So it comes as no surprise that locals are getting all the attention after two days of competition.
No, it’s not one of the ones with a killer nickname like Flea, The Condor, or Ratboy. This guy actually doesn’t even have a nickname (he says it’s because he doesn’t charge huge Mavs), which might be why you’ve probably never heard of him — it’s midtown resident Jimmy Herrick that’s blowing everyone out of the water. After advancing through the heavily contested local trials, Herrick continued his run of great surfing, winning his heat and advancing to tomorrow’s Round of 96.
“It feels good to get out of the trials and to keep going in my hometown with all the boys watching,” Herrick says. “I just want to keep going as far as I can.”
Josh Loya and Bud Freitas, both un-nicknamed as far as I know, were also stand out SC locals that advanced to tomorrow’s competition. Loya has been to the finals for the past two years and is definitely one of the guys to watch, while Freitas is looking to improve on his quarterfinal finish from last year’s event.
While the Westside/Eastside/Midtown-ers had it good, the Restsiders seemed confused. Some weren’t sure how to interpret the hoots from the cliff, especially east coaster Nick Rupp, who got sucked over the falls on a set that swung wide, which was definitely worth the price of admission. Wait, did I pay to get in here? Anyway, back to Herrick and local strategy.
“It was a little smaller today, so I just sat close to the cliff and picked off the right waves,” says Herrick. “There’s a lot of jockeying for position, but guys from out of town don’t want to hit the cliff. Tyler Smith and the boys were up there telling me which ones to go on and which ones to let pass.”
It’s only going to get crazier as the competition begins to dwindle and the Junior Pro starts. Nearly every grom is staying at Nat Young’s house just down the street, so if they’re still alive by tomorrow, you know they’ll be ready to don a jersey and get out there.
With perfect weather on tap, the likes of Cory Lopez, Chris Ward, and Kieran Horn frothing at the bit, and all-time conditions predicted for this weekend, make sure to stay tuned for further developments.