Groms surf for title, travel; but mostly it’s for fun

Marisa O’Neil

Their sun-bleached hair still damp with seawater after a surf session

and freckles peeking through golden California tans, the 12-year-old

Thorne twins looked the perfect definition of “groms” Saturday

afternoon.

Groms -- short for grommets and meaning young surfers -- shredded

the waves off 54th Street on Saturday in Quiksilver’s Southern

California regional King of the Groms surfing competition. About 50

surfers, ages 15 and younger, vied for the chance to go to France and

test their skills against other winners from around the globe.

The winner of that event will get to surf for Quiksilver in

competitions in Australia, Japan and Europe with some of surfing’s

biggest names, pro surfer manager Chad Wells said.

“These kids right here are the future of surfing in Southern

California,” Wells said, gesturing around a beach full of young,

damp, wetsuit-and-trunks clad surfers.

But Saturday’s competition was also a chance to hang out, surf,

see friends and show off for moms, dads and grandparents.

“It’s just really fun,” Newport Beach resident Jared Thorne said

as he watched his twin brother, Taylor, paddle out for his heat.

Jared and Taylor have only been surfing for a year, but already

have a number of competitions under their belts. On Saturday, their

grandfather -- San Clemente resident Harley Payne -- watched from the

comfort of a beach chair.

“There’s a lot of competition,” Payne said.

Some of that competition came from 10-year-old Johnny Elles. This

is his first year of competition, but he still managed to win his

heat.

“I guess I’m lucky,” he said.

But it isn’t the first time he’s beat out the older boys, his

mother, Huntington Beach resident Catherine Elles, said. He scored

higher than even high school surfers on a wave he caught at another

competition, she said.

That makes the early mornings and nearly daily practices

worthwhile.

“There’s not too many sports that kids will get up at five in the

morning in the cold for,” Johnny’s dad, Karl Elles, said.

And not too many sports that will take them to exotic locales to

compete against some of their heroes.

Though only one will advance, the goal of the competition is for

everyone to have a good time, Wells said.

“Even if you lose, it’s still a fun day at the beach,” he said.

The competition is scheduled to continue today.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at [email protected].