Mike Trout leaves Angels’ loss to Padres with left hand injury

• July 4, 2023

SAN DIEGO — Everything was already going wrong for the Angels on Monday night.

And then Mike Trout got hurt.

Trout, who had just been heating up at the plate, left the Angels’ 10-3 loss to the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning, with an injury to his left hand.

There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of the injury. Trout took a swing at a pitch and fouled it off, and then he shook his left hand. Head athletic trainer Mike Frostad came to check on Trout, and he was quickly removed from the game.

Trout, who is set to start in the All-Star Game next week, had two singles and a walk in the game, continuing a stretch that had seen him hit .340 over the last two weeks.

He had been one of the bright spots on a bad night, when the Angels lost for the fifth time in their last six games.

Starter Jaime Barría didn’t pitch well enough, and he was burned by his defense in one crucial sequence.

Shortstop David Fletcher made a bad throw on what would have been a first-inning double play. It allowed the inning to extend for Xander Bogaerts to hit a three-run homer.

Barria still managed to get through five innings, allowing just one more run. The Angels trailed 4-0 when he threw his final pitch because they had come up empty repeatedly with runners in scoring position.

In the first five innings, the Angels were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine runners on base and getting nothing out of seven hits and four walks.

The Angels finally got back into the game in the sixth.

Rengifo and pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas singled. Taylor Ward drove in one with his second double of the game. Trout then knocked in a run with his second hit of the game, pulling the Angels within 4-2.

Manager Phil Nevin took Barria out after five innings and 87 pitches, with the heart of the Padres’ order due for the third time. With the Angels still losing, Nevin likely didn’t want to burn his high-leverage relievers in a game they were losing, so he summoned rookie right-hander Victor Mederos for his second major league game.

All he had to do was face Soto, Tatis, Machado and Bogaerts.

Mederos didn’t retire any of them – although Tatis reached on a broken-bat hit and Bogaerts on an infield hit. That led to two more runs.

Tucker Davidson and Sam Bachman combined to give up three more runs in the seventh. Bachman continued and gave up another run in the eighth. In his last five games, he’s allowed 11 hits, three walks and five earned runs in five innings. The Angels also had him throw 44 pitches two days after he threw 34 pitches.

More to come on this story.

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Dodgers beat Pirates, kick off homestand with Dave Roberts’ 700th win

• July 4, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― The Dodgers limped home Monday on the heels of back-to-back losses to the woebegone Kansas City Royals, having lost their best pitcher to a shoulder injury earlier in the day.

A couple of big hits by outfielder David Peralta and a serviceable spot start from Michael Grove got them back on track. Max Muncy also hit his 18th home run of the season in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before an announced crowd of 49,652 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers (47-37) delivered the 700th career win for Manager Dave Roberts.

Grove allowed one run over four innings, facing the Pirates’ starting lineup twice before turning the game over to the bullpen. With a little help from his defense, Grove delivered one of his best performances of the season.

Grove allowed a wall-banging double to Carlos Santana to begin the second inning. The Dodgers’ infielders drew closer to home plate with Santana at third base and one out. Shortstop Miguel Rojas devoured a grounder by Nick Gonzales and threw quickly to home plate, in time to cut down Santana and keep the game scoreless.

Grove did not help his own cause when he made an unwise throw to first base later in the inning, rather than holding on to a swinging-bunt ground ball halfway up the first-base line off the bat of Rodolfo Castro. When Grove’s throw eluded Freddie Freeman, Gonzales scampered all the way from first to third, then scored on a single by Jared Triolo.

The Dodgers rattled off five unanswered runs against right-hander Mitch Keller (9-4). Muncy broke open the scoring with his solo home run in the second inning. Later that inning, Peralta doubled and scored on a Jason Heyward grounder that got past Santana at first base.

With two outs in the fourth inning, Keller hit Miguel Vargas with a 93-mph sinker, then served up an RBI double to Rojas that gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.

Freeman and Smith led off the fifth inning with a pair of singles, and another two-out rally led to two more runs. Peralta poked a single into left field to score Freeman. Heyward hit a soft line drive in Santana’s direction, but the first baseman simply missed it, allowing Smith to score.

The Dodgers’ bullpen had a fairly easy time protecting the 5-1 lead. Caleb Ferguson (5-3), Ryan Brasier, Daniel Hudson, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five over the final five innings.

Peralta, Muncy and Rojas each had two of the Dodgers’ nine hits.

The Dodgers are sending three position players to the All-Star Game next Tuesday in Seattle. From May 1 through Sunday, Peralta had a higher batting average (.346) than Freddie Freeman (.327), a better on-base percentage (.387) than Mookie Betts (.383), and a higher slugging percentage (.508) than Will Smith (.476).

There’s an obvious caveat to Peralta’s success. As a part-time player, he rarely bats against left-handed pitchers. The Dodgers have effectively limited Peralta’s greatest weakness – he’s hitting .240 in his career against lefties – by never making him confront it. At 35, the extra time off might be beneficial to Peralta’s health.

Still, most pitchers throw with their right hand, giving Peralta plenty of chances to do damage. He did very little before May 1, when he was hitting .167 with one home run.

More to come on this story.

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Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw lands on injured list with shoulder soreness

• July 4, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― For three months and three days, Clayton Kershaw managed to avoid the injured list. At age 35, he was defying Father Time and his own injury history all at once.

That changed Monday, when the Dodgers placed Kershaw on the 15-day IL with left shoulder soreness. Kershaw will not pitch again before the All-Star break.

By backdating his IL stint to June 30, Kershaw is eligible to pitch during the Dodgers’ series against the Mets in New York, their first series after the All-Star break.

“Any time you have to take time off it’s frustrating,” Kershaw said. “Disappointing. Just the way the season was going, I had hoped I could make it through a full season. I haven’t done that in a while. It’s always something I want to do. Anytime it doesn’t work out, it’s definitely frustrating for me, but where we’re at in the season with the break, it’s probably a good thing to take a little break now.

Right-hander Michael Grove was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and started Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Kershaw’s place.

The Dodgers also recalled right-hander Gavin Stone from Oklahoma City with the intention of using him in a potential long-relief situation if needed. Stone was 2-4 with a 6.71 ERA at Oklahoma City, where he was used exclusively as a starter. Left-handed reliever Victor Gonzalez was optioned to Triple-A.

Kershaw was the only member of the Dodgers’ season-opening rotation who had avoided the IL so far, and he was their best pitcher when healthy. His 10 wins lead the National League. His 2.55 ERA ranks third and is remarkably in line with his 2.48 career ERA – the lowest among active qualified pitchers.

On Sunday, Kershaw was named to his 10th National League All-Star team. He said he will still attend the game in Seattle with his family, but lamented being unable to pitch with his children watching.

“I wish I could’ve skipped a start and made the next one but that’s not where we’re at,” he said. “Sometimes roster decisions take precedent, and I understand that.”

The injury surfaced on one of the 79 pitches Kershaw threw against the Colorado Rockies last Thursday in Denver, Manager Dave Roberts said.

Kershaw made two trips to the injured list last season, once in May and again in August, for ailments related to his back. He has not been placed on the IL with a shoulder-related injury since 2019, though the three-time Cy Young Award winner said Saturday he has had “shoulder stuff” before, received injections for it before, and pitched through injuries at times.

The last year in which Kershaw avoided the IL entirely was 2015.

“I would’ve loved to have had a few more days to make a decision, to give it a little more time,” he said. “(Monday) probably wasn’t going to be an option just because I had to take a few days off on my front end” after receiving an injection Thursday to relieve inflammation.

“I don’t know if I could’ve pitched this week or not,” Kershaw said. “I would’ve liked to have tried, obviously. That was a little bit above my pay grade.”

CALL IN THE RIGHTY?

The Dodgers weren’t the only team to lose a pitcher Monday. The NL All-Star team is down an arm too, and the league will have to choose a pitcher to take Kershaw’s spot on the roster.

Roberts lobbied for Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to take Kershaw’s place. The 28-year-old reliever has never made an All-Star team before. This year, as the Dodgers’ primary closer, Phillips is 11 for 12 in save situations with a 1.91 ERA.

Nine NL relievers began the week with more saves, but Roberts believes Phillips’ usage pattern is a credit to his value.

“We could’ve easily made Evan the dedicated closer to accrue saves,” Roberts said, “but what he’s done to buy into our team and pitch in highest-leverage (situations) every time he’s out there has been, I would argue, more valuable than a closer. He’s facing the toughest part of the lineup every time he’s out there.

“A closer, you could face the bottom (of the lineup), it could be a three-run lead. Every time (Phillips) is out there, it’s the highest leverage (situation).”

Phillips has appeared in 17 high-leverage situations, more than any right-handed pitcher in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Left-hander Caleb Ferguson has also appeared in 17 high-leverage situations but is 2 for 3 in save chances with a 3.00 ERA.

ALSO

Grove will either start or “open” Saturday’s game against the Angels, Roberts said. … Jason Heyward got his 12th start of the season in center field. Roberts said he preferred Heyward over rookie James Outman, who went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts in his only prior game against Pirates starter Mitch Keller. … Infielder Jahmai Jones, who opted out of his minor league contract with the Dodgers over the weekend, signed a major league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

UP NEXT

Pirates (RHP Luis Ortiz, 2-3, 4.11 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Emmet Sheehan, 2-0, 2.65 ERA), Tuesday, 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

OC’s first Pride-themed lifeguard tower gets July 4 celebration in Laguna Beach

• July 4, 2023

Orange County’s first rainbow-colored Pride lifeguard tower now stands at West Street Beach, an area of Laguna Beach’s shoreline known for its history as a haven for the LGBTQ community.

The picturesque stretch with towering cliffs, interesting rock formations and pristine tidepools wedged between Aliso Beach and Thousand Steps Beach was known as a “party all the time” among the gay community. Areas were regularly roped off for dancing and volleyball competitions, and a low-power radio station KWER FM 104.7 (Queer FM) kept everyone in the party spirit.

On the Fourth of July any given year, the celebration hit an even bigger note, with hundreds of people gathering on the beach for fun in the sun and activities that lasted long into the evening, ending with a great view of the city’s fireworks show shot off from Heisler Park.

So, it’s fitting that on this Fourth of July, the new tower will be christened with a fun day of activities hosted by Laguna Beach Pride 365, including a 1 p.m. ribbon cutting. Hundreds are expected to attend.

A plaque celebrating the beach’s history and proclaiming it a safe place for all to gather is still being crafted and will be installed in August during the community’s Pride Festival.

“It’s a fairly simple message that we accept diversity,” Craig Cooley, president of Laguna Beach Pride 365, said about the tower’s installation. “What’s impacted me the most, and brought me to tears, is the number of positive responses we’ve gotten on social media since it went up on June 26.”

While there’s “been so much pushback nationally and in the state legislature” and following the Supreme Court ruling last week that a website designer could refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings, the new tower “has sparked a lot of support,” Cooley said. “The response was overwhelming.”

The timing of the Pride tower’s debut with the Fourth of July is “very significant” because of the importance of the American Constitution in protecting the rights of the LBGTQ community.

“The Constitution and those who believe in its proper interpretation are what gives us our freedom and what the LGBTQ community has benefited from to protect our individual rights,” Cooley said. “It’s about the Constitution, independence and human rights. What better time to have the tower out there?”

Cooley proposed the tower to the Laguna Beach City Council earlier this year when it took over operation of several southern beaches in town that had previously remained the county’s responsibility. Then the project got a huge boost from a $10,000 donation from locals Steve Chadima and Mark Porterfield, who met in Laguna Beach nearly 40 years ago.

So when the city planned six new towers on the South Laguna beaches, the Pride tower was included at West Street Beach.

“It’s something we’re pleased to have and respect the history of the gay community in Laguna Beach,” Mayor Bob Whalen said. “It’s something the gay community asked us to support.”

Some residents who live in the area worried the rainbow tower might be a target for vandalism – Long Beach’s Pride tower was set on fire in 2021 – expressing concern to the council at recent meetings.

The council opted to move the tower’s location 200 feet to the south to provide some more distance from nearby vegetation, but Whalen said he doesn’t feel the new tower “presents a major threat.”

“The Fire Department is very confident, should anything happen, we’ll have the ability to access the place,” he said. “We thoroughly looked at fire risk and addressed that.”

Some residents suggested moving the tower to Main Beach, but the council agreed that given West Street Beach’s history, the best place to represent the Pride message would be at that beach.

“I think we’re all pleased it’s there,” Whalen said.

Chris Tebbutt, who chose Laguna Beach as the town he and his husband wanted to raise their boys when they moved back to California from the East Coast, said he has found memories at West Street Beach.

Tebbutt co-founded with Cooley the Laguna Beach LGBTQ Heritage and Culture Alliance, which is dedicated to making sure the local LGBTQ community is seen and embraced. The Pride tower, he said, should help that effort and give a nod to the past.

“It’s a great addition, not only for representation, but it’s about being fun,” he said. “It feels friendly and welcoming.”

Bob Celli, who was the co-owner, DJ, programmer and promoter of Queer FM, which started 40 years ago this year, applauded the tower.

“To see the beach get its own lifeguard tower shows just how far acceptance of the gay community has come, in spite of new efforts to force us back into hiding,” he said. “I was 16 years old when I started that radio station with my best friend and eventual husband. Now, at the age of 56, I look back at the fun – and challenges – we had on West Street Beach and I’m so happy to know that people are still enjoying that gorgeous cove to this day.”

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Angels’ Mickey Moniak grew up dreaming of playing at Petco Park in San Diego

• July 4, 2023

SAN DIEGO — Last year Mickey Moniak nearly got to live out his boyhood dream of playing a game at Petco Park. Instead, he watched a game from the dugout and then left town a few hours later.

Now, it’s finally going to happen for the Angels outfielder, who grew up about 30 miles north of the ballpark in Encinitas. He said he often came to games here while he was growing up, including the Padres’ first game at Petco.

Moniak did play at Petco during showcases when he was a prep star at La Costa Canyon High before he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft.

“It’s going to be special,” said Moniak, who spoke to a few waves of reporters in the Angels’ clubhouse before the first game of the three-game series against the Padres on Monday.

Last June, Moniak was playing for the Phillies’ Triple-A team when Bryce Harper was hit in the thumb by a pitch on a Saturday night in San Diego. Moniak was summoned for a cross-country flight, arriving at Petco just before the game started. He didn’t get into the Sunday afternoon game, and then was back on a plane to Philadelphia after the game.

So close.

“I got to experience it a little bit,” Moniak said.

Moniak would have played at Petco for the first time as a big leaguer on Monday night if the Padres weren’t starting left-hander Blake Snell. They’ll face right-hander Joe Musgrove on Tuesday.

Even though Moniak is hitting .307 with nine home runs and a .994 OPS in 119 plate appearances, Manager Phil Nevin still uses him sparingly against lefties.

Moniak is 0 for 9 this season against lefties and 1 for 33 with 15 strikeouts in his career against them. The only hit was a bunt single. Also, the three times Moniak was injured while batting last season all came against lefties.

“It is what it is,” Moniak said. “I’ve got full trust in Nev and the front office and the people making the decisions. It’s above my pay grade. I trust in them. I’m just here to play. Whenever my name is in that lineup, I’m ready to go.”

HONORED

Shohei Ohtani was named American League Player of the Month for June and the Player of the Week.

Ohtani hit .394 with 15 homers and an OPS of 1.444 in June, to go with a 3.26 ERA in five starts, with 37 strikeouts in 30⅓ innings.

It was the third time in Ohtani’s career that he won the monthly honor.

He has won the weekly award six times. Last week, Ohtani hit .417 with six homers. He gave up one run in 6⅓ innings in his only start.

NETO UPDATE

Shortstop Zach Neto is aiming to return to action after the All-Star break, but there remain some hurdles he needs to clear in his rehab from a strained oblique.

“Right after the break, we’re hopeful that I should be back, but that’s if everything goes well,” Neto said. “I’m just crossing my fingers and just hoping to feel good every day.”

Neto has been out since June 15. He didn’t do any baseball activities until Sunday. He’s now thrown two days in a row. He hit off a tee on Monday.

“I feel good,” Neto said. “It’s just a matter of getting it out of my head. My body feels good. I’m a little scared. I don’t want to get hurt again. But after a couple swings, after a couple of throws, I get back into competitive mode. It’s normal. So I just need to start feeling like that more.”

NOTES

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe (shoulder surgery) is scheduled to begin taking dry swings on Tuesday, which will be 10 weeks since his surgery. O’Hoppe can also start catching the ball when he’s playing catch, instead of having a trainer catch for him. The best-case scenario for O’Hoppe would be a return to the lineup in late August. …

Nevin had said last weekend that he didn’t plan to use a strict platoon with first baseman Mike Moustakas, but he nonetheless benched him against Snell on Monday. “This one’s a different lefty than most,” Nevin said. “He just is.” Over his career, Snell has held lefties to a .594 OPS, although they’ve produced a .777 OPS against him this year. Nevin said he considered playing switch-hitter Eduardo Escobar at first and Hunter Renfroe in right field, but Escobar had not played first in a few years. He started Renfroe at first and Luis Rengifo in right field. …

A visit to San Diego also has special meaning for Nevin, who enjoyed his best major league seasons with the Padres from 1999 to 2004. He said he’d only been back to Petco a few times as a coach, and he’d obviously never managed a game in San Diego before. “It’s special being here,” Nevin said. “A lot of great memories for me.”

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 7-3, 3.02 ERA) at Padres (RHP Joe Musgrove, 6-2, 3.80), Tuesday, 3:40 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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Police search for 3 suspects in Huntington Beach smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery

• July 4, 2023

A Huntington Beach jewelry store was robbed Monday, over a year after employees at the same jewelry store fought off thieves during an attempted smash-and-grab robbery, officials said.

The robbery occurred around 2 p.m. at Princess Bride Diamonds in Bella Terra, a family-owned business located at 7821 Edinger Ave. Three men armed with hammers entered the store and smashed several display cases before fleeing the scene with an unknown amount of stolen jewelry, said Huntington Beach Police spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla.

Six people were evaluated at the scene and released by paramedics, said Cuchilla. Details on their conditions and whether they were customers or employees were unavailable.

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LAFC’s summer transfer moves won’t be as splashy as 2022, but club remains flexible

• July 4, 2023

Unlike last season’s blockbuster summer transfer window, there’s little reason to anticipate significant changes to the Los Angeles Football Club roster over the next month.

But if an opportunity to add big-name players presents itself, LAFC is ready to jump at the chance.

“What I would say to supporters is it’s not as though we’re not in conversations like that,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said.

One year after acquiring Giorgio Chiellini, Gareth Bale, Denis Bouanga, Cristian Tello and Seba Mendez en route to winning the MLS Cup, Thorrington predicted comparatively minor moves from Wednesday through Aug. 2.

“We’re not going to have five new players, but we do feel like there are areas we’re always looking to improve,” Thorrington said. “The way our league works in order to have the flexibility to do that sometimes you have to make some tough decisions, as we had to do last offseason and in the past in order to create space to bring in players we think will help.

“I think it’ll largely be like-for-like, with maybe another player in the margins.”

The strain of 29 games across all competitions by July 1 – four more than the previous MLS club record set by Seattle last year – has been evident as fatigue and injuries are omnipresent for LAFC (9-5-5, 32 points) in 2023.

Weighing near-term needs against a long-term vision and potential consequences in the financially constrained MLS is the calculus by which the LAFC front office will approach the critical transfer period.

The club’s defensive unit was already bolstered by center back Mamadou Fall, who returned following a year away on loan with Spain’s Villareal.

Fall is practicing and can play when the window opens following LAFC’s sold-out clash against the Galaxy (3-9-7, 16 points) on Tuesday night at the Rose Bowl.

What next?

“Extra ammunition” for the attack and replacements for outbound transfers are LAFC priorities, Thorrington said.

“When I look at our group right now I think that is where additional resources would be most valuable,” he added.

The long-rumored departure of Ecuadorian midfielder Jose Cifuentes is likely the first domino to fall.

A chilling of the transfer market during the COVID-19 pandemic delayed Cifuentes’ departure to Europe.

One of three LAFC players signed under the U22 initiative, Cifuentes has been heavily linked to Rangers Football Club of the Scottish Premiership.

If Cifuentes is not transferred or re-signed, he would be free to leave at the end of the season.

The indications are that he wants out sooner than later.

Should a move occur with Cifuentes – it is dependent on the offers LAFC receives – the defending MLS champions intend to bring in another attack-minded midfielder.

Regardless of the decision on Cifuentes, LAFC can also sign a designated player who is 23 years of age or younger.

“We would like to inject some fresh blood and improve, but we have a very good team already,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “I don’t think there needs to be a lot of improvement. It’ll be very specific to a need that we have to finish the season out in a similar fashion to last season.

“Whether you win or not, we do not know, but I think if we remain healthy and make a change or two we’ll be very competitive to see ourselves play a very important role in the playoff picture.”

LAFC AT GALAXY

When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena

TV/Radio: Apple TV+ – Free, 710 AM, 980 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Huntington Beach ‘super star’ Freyre earns second NSSA surfing national title

• July 4, 2023

Huntington Beach surfer Sara Freyre had to make it count as the buzzer was ticking down.

Even with the high score of  9.67 she earned early on, Freyre needed another big score to take the top spot in the women’s finals at the National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championships on Monday, July 3.

With just two minutes on the clock, the wave she needed came her way and she rode it to her second consecutive NSSA national championship title surfing the familiar waves on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier in front of her hometown crowd.

“It feels so amazing,” Freyre, a member of the Huntington Beach High surf team, said. “I’m just super happy to represent Huntington Beach and have another win.”

For the last eight days, the top young amateur surfers from around the country and elsewhere battled it out in Surf City with the hopes of taking home a prestigious NSSA national title, joining a long list of stand-outs who started their pro careers on the same stage.

“This event was the largest we’ve ever had,” said NSSA Executive Director Janice Aragon, who estimated between 700 to 800 surfers competed throughout the marathon event. “They really came out in numbers this year. We almost didn’t fit it into eight days. It was insane.”

The men’s open final heat was a nail-biter, painfully close as local surfer Gavin Lusby and Lucas Cassity, of Mexico, clamored for top spot.

Lusby looked as if he was in a prime spot to earn the title, but Cassity paddled into a bomb to earn a high 9.0, giving him the exact score to tie his opponent.  In that situation, the surfer with the highest second score, in this case Cassity, wins.

“It was a battle,” Aragon said of the men’s face off in the water.

A new swell showed up just in time for the finals, producing challenging surf for the competitors to showcase their skills.

“Everyone has been crushing it. But the younger kids have been blowing my mind,” Aragon said.

San Diego surfer Zoe Panettiere, 12, landed a huge 8.83 in her semi-final heat with a massive wave. It nearly ran her into the pier pilings, but she swiftly navigated her board in the other direction and landed the turn, making it out unscathed.

“If I wouldn’t have landed the turn, I would have hit the pier,” said Panettiere, who said her goal is to one day be on the World Tour.  “I was super nervous … I was like ‘I’m just going to go for it.’ And I ended up landing it.”

Huntington Beach’s Brett Simpson, a former World Tour competitor and two-time U.S. Open of Surfing champion, was down at the beach watching the talent, calling Huntington Beach the “epicenter” for surf contests.

He was especially impressed by the talent among the younger competitors in the 8- to 10-year-old range.

“It’s our next generation,” said Simpson, also an NSSA alumni. “They are putting so much into it.”

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Following Freyre’s win and her hoist up on the sand, Simpson called the young surfer an “HB super star.”

While many young surf stars opt to get homeschooled to train in the waves all day, the NSSA’s goal is to put an emphasis on kids also excelling in school.

With so many stellar surf programs at the high school level, surfers can do both these days, said Simpson, who graduated from Huntington Beach High and was captain of its surf team. Simpson was also the head coach of the US Olympic surfing team in 2021.

“I hope families and kids understand,” he said, “they can be professionals and go to school.”

​ Orange County Register