Josh Giddings
Lives: San Clemente, CA
Sponsors: O'Neill, Killer Dana, Mayhem Surfboards
Birthdate: July 19th, 1994
Josh Giddings is a lanky goofy footer with flexibility to spare. He surf Lowers pretty much everyday with the rat pack of talent that is coming out of San Clemente at the moment. He competes in the NSSA, WSA Primes, and all the free events that he can get into.
He has made numerous finals with his highlights placing 3rd in the ISA Middle School Championships of 2007, 2007 Grom Search Champion at Pleasure Point Santa Cruz.
He is from a surfing family and that gene pool has him in the ocean for many hours a day working on his craft. He has made solid improvement in his surfing and continues to get better and better.
He can nail some nice air reverses and his back hand is quick and vertical.
He will be surfing his last year in the NSSA Juniors for 09/10 and will have three more years in the mens division after that. He will be entering 10th grade in the fall where he will work to get on the San Clemente Highschool Surf Team and add one more dimension to his competitve surfing.
Colton Ward Wins NSSA Event In Pumping Surf!
Event number 8 in the NSSA Open Season schedule went off this weekend in Ventura with some of the biggest California Street the event has had in its long history. Solid 6-8' foot surf pumped its way through the point this weekend offering the competitors epic surf to test their skills in.
San Clemente's Colton Ward won his first ever NSSA Open Season Boys final in the double overhead surf. It was a great accomplishment for the 12 year old goofy foot, considering he has been chipping away making several finals this year and now has finally captured the 1st place prize. What makes the win that much sweeter is it was in large challenging surf and didn't come down to groveling in small meager surf. He accomplished his goal by seizing the best waves of the final and laying down big carves on his backhand. Coming in the runner up position was Capo Beach's Jake Davis who was hot on Colton's heels to the very end, but narrowly lost in a few very tense moments to close out the final. With thirty seconds remaining and Colton in the lead Jake managed to grab a buzzer beater, but in the end it wasn't enough and big cheers where in hand for Colton's maiden win.
O'Neill team riders seized three of the top spots in the Boys 6 man final, with Colton Ward in first, Jake Davis in second, and Thelen Mckinna in third.
In the Juniors division we saw Ian Crane back in form after missing the first 7 events due to an injury he sustained last summer. He made quick work of the long beautiful walls displaying his powerful backside carves on many set waves. He reached the semi finals, which is a solid effort to make his way back into competition.
Other O'Neill highlights were Newbury Park's Jake Kelley,San Clemente's Josh Giddings and Shaw Kobayashi catching some amazing rides in the perfect surf.
The next NSSA event will be held at Salt Creek February 6-7.