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Santa Cruz

Andrew Jacobson knocks down the skins for a sudden death victory.

The 2009 Quiksilver King Of The Groms leap-frogged its way up to the chilly waters of Santa Cruz last Saturday.

With fun, 1-3 foot, inconsistent lines hitting Pleasure Point's First Peak, the KOG delivered competitors more than enough canvas to showcase their talent. The KOG uses a "skins" format that offers the kids the opportunity to surf two times if they don't win their heats. For those that do, they have the chance to catch fire and get on a roll with each "skin" worth $100.

Andrew Jacobson opened up his campaign with a trifecta nailing 3 "skins" that wouldn't be contested until the second round hit the water. With a backhand attack of vert slams, speed snaps, and pendulum like timing, his Malibu-honed approach was on point. Speaking of Malibu, Colton Sarlo, son of LA Godfather Allen Sarlo, brought home a couple "skins" with an act that made dad proud.   

Santa Cruz locals Jake Logan, Willie Eagleton and Garrett Colfer held down their backyard and pulled 4 "skins" between them. Andrew Jacobson's Round Two campaign was uneventful but his earlier performance kept him atop the leader board. Then came Mr. X -- Jordan Heaselgrave --who traveled all the way from Barbados to compete. He didn't make as much as a boat wake in Round One and came scorching out of the blocks in Round Two. Jordan rallied hard to catch Jacobson's three with a forehand attack that saw the most consistently high scoring claims of the event! The dinger was his 9.5 ride on a bomb where Heaselgrave unleashed a series of deep bottom turn to giant carves and lip blasts that equaled Andrews 3 "skin" count and forced the KOG into a sudden death "surf off."

Going into the last heat of the day and all the marbles riding on the outcome, Heaselgrave and Jacobson both opened up solid but held out on claiming rides in the 6 and 7 range. Then Jacobson dealt the final blow at around the 10-minute mark. He unloaded off the bottom, sent a Christmas tree fan into a speed check slash on the fat section. This propelled him into a closing section with another vertical backhand blast, releasing his fins, briefly hiding himself in the foam and emerged to his LA Posse screaming, shouting and jumping up and down for him to claim it! Andrew hesitated, at first, and then threw his hands in the sky and was rewarded an 8.66 and the title of Quiksilver's King Of The Groms.

Skin Count:

Andrew Jacobson: $400
Jordan Heaselgrave: $300
Colton Sarlo: $200
Willie Eagleton: $200
Frank Curren: $100
Matty Passaquindici: $100
Garrett Colfer: $100
Decker McCallister: $100
Skylar Lawson: $100
Jake Logan: $100