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May 2006 Issue
Groms 11 and Under
Decker Mcallister
By Peter Ganibi
Home Town: Montecito
Local Spot: Montecito
Age: 9
School: Montecito Union
Favorite Class: Art or PE
Sports: Baseball
Position: First Base
Job: Esau’s; busboy, cook
Sponsors: Surf Happens, Esau’s
Barrels or Air's?
If I was at Pipe I would like to get barreled. But when I'm somewhere like Rincon I love boosting big Air's.
When I see you out in the line-up, why the serious game face?
I don't know what you’re talking about! I smile; I don't know why people always say that!
When you’re surfing, who do you emulate?
I just try to have good style and try not to fall.
Who's got the best style in SB?
Tom Curren, of course. He's got the best style in the world, but Kelly’s the man, He's the man of all men.
Are you on a workout plan?
Every Monday and Wednesday I go to the track to train. Tuesdays & Thursdays I surf with Chris Keets. On the weekends, I surf with my dad.
What are your goals for the summer and fall?
To be really solid and to be able to pull an air reverse.
When I first met you last year, your Dad was pushing you into some solid surf. It seems like you don't mind when it's big.
I've surfed eight-foot Santa Cruz. It was the scariest thing Iv ever done.
I was out at Miramar on Big Wednesday with my Dad, I dropped late into a set wave, I was going so fast that I pulled out and I launched about twenty feet.
So what’s in your Quiver?
What’s a Quiver?
It's a collection of boards for different days.
No, that's not happening, if I ding my 4'10 I ride my 5'3 that's all.
I’ll ride my 5'3 if it’s a few feet over head, so I can paddle in.
What are your future career plans?
Pro surfer, if that doesn't work a Doctor. They make 900 dollars a night.
Is it time for shout-outs yet?
Go for it!
Keets for all the training and getting me there, Esaus for breakfast and lunch, Dad for teaching me how to surf, Mom for all the laundry and food.
Parker Coffin
By Grey Lockwood
Photo Courtesy of Hurley
Stats: 4’ 6”, 75lbs
DOB: September 26, 1995
STANCE: Goofy
LOCAL SPOT: Rincon
SPONSORS: Hurley, A-Frame Surf Shop, Channel Islands Esau’s Café, and Gold Coast Groms
STARTED SURFING: 2 years old
STARTED COMPETING: 7 years old
JOB: Being a Kid
SCHOOL: Montecito Union School
MUSIC: Not Country
NICKNAME: Squirt
Why do you think you were chosen to be one of Blue Edge’s Top 10 local groms?
Because I’m 4’ 6” tall and I surf like a guy who is 4’ 7” tall.
How did you get into surfing?
My Dad and Uncle pushed me into waves in Hawaii when I was 2.
What is your favorite thing about surfing?
Surfing in the water with your friends is the best.
Where have you traveled for surf?
Kauai, Maui, Cabo San Lucas, Sayulita, Rosarita, Ensenada, Tavarua,
Costa Rica, and soon to go to El Salvador.
Which surfers have influenced you?
Kelly Slater for his competitive spirit, Rob Machado for his style, Tom Curren for his barrels, Bruce Irons for his cutback and Blake Howard for his airs.
What would you like to accomplish before finishing high school?
I would like to win a National Title in the NSSA.
Describe an average day in your life.
Wake up, go to school, come home, eat a snack, surf, come home, do homework, eat dinner, go to bed.
How did you start competing?
At Chris Keet’s local contest series for Surf Happens.
What is your favorite surf spot and why?
Restaurants, because it is such a perfect, barreling, long, uncrowded, left, reef break.
Do you like living in Santa Barbara?
Yes, because it is such a beautiful place to live-- No, because it has cold water and no lefts.
What is your favorite surfing maneuver?
My cutback.
Any shout-outs?
My family, Toma Tomatsuri, JP Garcia, Dave Letinsky, my sponsors, and the people I surf with here that push me to do better: (Conner Coffin, Kokoro Tomatsuri, Dustin Letinsky, Adam Lambert, and Andrew Bennet)
Posted May 2006 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
