Nice work champ! Here an excerpt from the NSSA release:
The much anticipated High School Men’s final did not disappoint as all finalists pushed each other to not only win the individual title but also to rally up points for their school. Local surfer Christian Saenz was energized for the title and his hard fought approach paid off. He had to dig deep the day before in storming conditions in the Men’s repercharge fending off elimination with some last minute wave heroics. In the Men’s final, he found himself trailing in the fourth place position in the final five minutes. At the four minute mark, the determined goofy-footer dropped in on a set right hander and immediately exploded on a huge backside manuever and then continued to blast turns to the beach. The wave score came in at an 8.17 and pushed Saenz to first by more than a three point advantage over heat leader Colin Moran who dropped to second. “Yesterday I grinded out a third in the repercharge because I just wanted the State title so bad,” Saenz said. “On finals day, the waves were breaking more on the outside. Colin was in first with a 12 point total score and all I knew was that I needed a 6 score or better to take the lead at the 4-minute mark. On the 8-point ride I knew I had to go for broke on an outside set.” As for the upcoming National Championships, Saenz is thrilled about having the chance to compete on his home court. “I’m so stoked to have the Nationals on southside,” Saenz said. “It’s just comfortable for me in front of a hometown crowd. It’s just good to have that vibe. It pumps up my confidence to perform and I love this wave. I think our team has a chance to bring home the National title. We had a few errors at this event but it was all a learning experience so hopefully we can come out smarter for the Nationals.”
