AmphibiousDivision:Rick’sClassicAndOurChilgrens

Mendiola, Gogue win Rick’s Reef surfing titles

By Martin J. Dugan • Pacific Daily News • March 16, 2010

The third annual Rick’s Reef Classic surfing and body-boarding competition, co-sponsored by GTA TeleGuam and Bud Light and organized by the nonprofit organization Guahan Napu Inc., wrapped up Sunday after two days of competition.

Mae Mendiola and Jared Brandon Gogue were crowned the women’s open and kids’/grommet surfing champions, respectively.

Saturday’s men’s open and body-boarding competitions saw big, difficult conditions at Satpon point, better known as Rick’s Reef, near the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort. Wave sizes ranged from 4 to 6 feet with occasional bigger swells.

Kenny Pier, one of the men’s open surfing competitors, described the challenge of the situation.

“It was tough out there — especially when the tide started to drop and you couldn’t see how shallow it was because of the amount of water moving across the reef. It’s a matter of having the right tactics in these conditions,” said Pier.

Women’s open and grommet categories were carried over to Sunday due to Saturday’s high surf.

The results were as follows: