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It was a winning combination of staying relaxed but focused, training hard and learning how to work together as a team.
Put all that together and you have gold.
The USA national junior surf team earned first-place gold at the Vissla ISA World Junior Championships, which wrapped up Sunday, Nov. 3, on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.
“It was a really fun week, we had some great chemistry,” said coach Brett Simpson, who previously won two US Open of Surfing championship titles at the same surf break.
The event, which kicked off Oct. 26 with a Parade of Nations down Main Street, drew nearly 350 top junior athletes from 44 countries to compete for individual and team medals, much like surfers will do in the 2020 Olympics, when the sport makes its debut.
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Team USA last year took silver, behind Japan, but was looking to reclaim gold, achieved by the accumulation of individual points. The USA took first in 2017 in Japan and in 2015 in Oceanside.
In Huntington Beach, the team was led by Ventura surfer Dimitri Poulos, who won gold in the Boys Under-18 division. Poulos was a late addition to the team after some members withdrew to chase their pro surf dreams in other contests.
“We had a great team. We’ve been victims of our success in developing our team to be pro surfers — we lose some of our better kids to events around the world,” said Greg Cruse, CEO for USA Surfing. “We filled the slots with kids that really had the desire to be there and wanted to participate, and they all stepped up.”
Taj Lindblad, of San Clemente, earned a silver medal in the Boys Under-16 division. Ryan Huckabee, of Florida, earned a copper in the same category and Tommy Coleman, also of Florida, made it to the podium with a bronze medal in the Boys Under-18 division.
Two USA team members won medals in the Girls Under-16 division, with Florida’s Zoe Benedetto taking silver and Caitlin Simmers, of Oceanside, landing copper.
“Everyone was really focused on the task at hand and everyone just gave 100%,” Cruse said.
Having Simpson step in as coach was also part of the winning recipe.
“I’ve had my eye on Brett for a long time,” said Cruse, who said he watched the former pro surfer take on a coaching role with the Hurley Surf Club and help out with the Huntington Beach High School surf team.
“I felt he had what it takes,” Cruse said. “He’s just got everything — he’s got great coaching demeanor, respect of the kids, current knowledge about what it takes to get scores. Surfing wise, he can still surf with the best of them.”
Simpson said he was impressed by what Poulos brought to the team.
“A few heats in, he started to get really comfortable,” Simpson said. “He’s somewhat of an underdog on the world stage. He’s had some good results, and to see him at his coming out party was really great to see. … We had a few athletes who maybe don’t have the big names, but they stepped up and put themselves on the map.”
For Simpson, it was a learning experience as he transitions from pro surfer to surf coach.
“It’s nerve-racking. I was pulling my hair out at times,” Simpson said. “When you have that many athletes going into an event, you have to keep calm and cool.”
Results
Team:
Gold: USA
Silver: Hawaii
Bronze: Japan
Copper: Spain
Girls Under-16:
Gold: Noah Lia Klapp (Germany)
Silver: Zoe Benedetto (USA)
Bronze: Betty Lou Sakura Johnson (Hawaii)
Copper: Caitlin Simmers (USA)
Boys Under-16:
Gold: Jackson Bunch (Hawaii)
Silver: Taj Lindblad (USA)
Bronze: Afonso Antunes (Portugal)
Copper: Ryan Huckabee (USA)
Girls Under-18:
Gold: Gabriela Bryan (Hawaii)
Silver: Minami Nonaka (Japan)
Bronze: Noah Lia Klapp (Germany)
Copper: Sara Wakita (Japan)
Boys Under-18:
Gold: Dimitri Poulos (USA)
Silver: Alan Cleland (Mexico)
Bronze: Tommy Coleman (USA)
Copper: Joh Azuchi (Japan)
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