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THE WALL CALLS

McKnight, Cumin Baksic, Springman Tabbed for SC Sports Wall of Fame

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

After a two-year hiatus, the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame will welcome its 25th, 26th and 27th inductees next month.

Mater Dei boys basketball coach Gary McKnight, all-around athlete Brandi Cumin Baksic and youth sports pioneer John Springman were selected as the latest honorees for the San Clemente Wall of Fame. The eighth annual—and first since 2019—induction ceremony will take place on May 14 at the San Clemente Aquatics Center in Vista Hermosa Sports Park. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

The honorees are selected each year by the Friends of San Clemente Foundation in coordination with the San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame Committee. The wall currently consists of 24 world and national champions, Olympians, professional or exceptional athletes, coaches, mentors and inspiring contributors to recreational programs that were either born, went to school or achieved their distinctions while living in San Clemente.

Before becoming the winningest high school basketball coach in California state history, Gary McKnight was a San Clemente Triton. McKnight’s family moved to San Clemente, where he began school as a freshman at San Clemente High School and graduated in 1971. McKnight played basketball and baseball for the Tritons.

McKnight began coaching at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana in 1983, and since then, he and the Monarchs have soared to unreachable heights. McKnight has an overall record of 1,214-127 as head coach of Mater Dei, which is the most wins in California history and the fourthmost all-time nationally. McKnight’s Monarchs have won a national title in 2014, 11 state championships, 16 Southern California regional championships, 23 CIF-SS championships and 39 Trinity League championships, with 29 consecutive league titles.

Brandi Cumin Baksic is one of the most well-rounded inductees to the Wall of Fame. Cumin Baksic has been representing San Clemente in athletic competitions for nearly her entire life. She began swimming with the San Clemente Aquatic Team at 8 years old and eventually swam as a Triton at SCHS. Cumin Baksic played club volleyball at 13 years old and earned a full-ride scholarship out of SCHS to Florida State University. She went on to become a firefighter 25 years ago and works in Torrance.

At age 30 while still looking for an outlet for her competitive energies, Cumin Baksic turned to running, biking and swimming and took part in Sprint Olympic Competitive Triathlons. She placed sixth in the world in the 2007 Olympic Distance Triathlon for Team USA. Cumin Baksic continued on this path to a ninthplace finish in the 2009 World Championship Hawaiian Ironman. She has gone on into stand-up paddleboarding and canoeing, where she has become a threetime international SUP champion and a four-time U.S. outrigger canoe champion with Dana Point Outrigger Canoe Club.

Anyone who was involved in San Clemente youth athletics in the '60s and '70s will know John Springman, who will be inducted posthumously. Springman was responsible for the building of Vista Bahia Little League Stadium and the building of the high school’s baseball dugouts. Springman initiated and coached Pop Warner football in San Clemente. He also coached Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball. Springman also funded, started and coached American Legion baseball. Springman is credited with inspiring several athletes in San Clemente, including Wall of Fame inductees McKnight and Sue Enquist, the winningest college softball coach ever and an inaugural inductee to the wall.

The Friends of San Clemente Foundation is a local charity that provides financial scholarships for children to participate in local recreational and parks programs. For more information on the Foundation or to preregister for the 11th annual Friends of San Clemente Golf Tournament on June 24, visit friendsofsanclemente.org or email office@cybercafe.com. SC

The San Clemente Sports Wall of Fame will welcome its 25th, 26th and 27th inductees on May 14 at the San Clemente Aquatics Center in Vista Hermosa Sports Park during the first ceremony since 2019. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

Gold Standard

SCHS boys volleyball grabs control of South Coast League title race in five-set thriller with Tesoro

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

On a night when the San Clemente boys volleyball program honored former coach Ken Goldstone, the Tritons outlasted Tesoro in a five-set thriller to maintain the Goldstone gold standard.

San Clemente stormed back to take the final two sets and beat Tesoro, 32-30, 21-25, 25-27, 25-14, 15-13, vaulting into first place in the South Coast League on Tuesday, April 19, at San Clemente High School.

San Clemente (16-10, 6-1) can win the South Coast League outright with a win at Trabuco Hills on Thursday, April 21. Tesoro (14-7, 6-2) was in the driver’s seat after a five-set win at home over San Clemente, but the Titans dropped a stunner to Aliso Niguel last week to open the door for the Tritons.

In the previous 22 seasons under Goldstone before the longtime coach’s retirement prior to this season, San Clemente had won the South Coast League 13 times and never finished lower than second. The Tritons ensured that streak continued on Tuesday.

The opening set was a match unto itself, as Tesoro looked as if it would grab the early advantage with runs of 7-2 and 5-1. Tesoro’s lead at 15-8 forced a San Clemente timeout, but the Tritons charged back with a 9-2 run, which tied the match at 17. The opening set went on to be tied 13 times total, as San Clemente fought off five set points by Tesoro. Tesoro fought off three set points by San Clemente, before Luke Shanafelt nailed the winning kill at 32-30.

Tesoro came back strong in the second set, and while the teams were close early, with eight ties to 9-9, Tesoro took hold and won the set, 25-21, to tie the match.

The third set saw San Clemente grab an early advantage, but the teams would be tied seven times through the middle points of the set. Tesoro negated two set points by San Clemente and grabbed the lead in the match on its second set point for the 27-25 win.

With victory in its sights, Tesoro got sloppy in the fourth set. San Clemente dominated with a 12-2 run and won the fourth set going away, 25-14, to force the decisive fifth set.

The Tritons grabbed control of the tiebreaker with a couple of early aces for a three-point lead, 6-3, and held Tesoro at bay. The Titans negated two San Clemente match points, but the Tritons proved stronger to hold on to the set, 15-13, and take the match.

Tesoro entered the week ranked No. 13 in the CIF-SS Division 1 and 2 combined poll, with San Clemente at No. 16. A maximum of 12 teams can be selected to the Division 1 playoffs, which begin on April 28. SC

Leave Nothing but Footprints in the Sand

How much does sustainability factor into your surf life?

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES I t was Chief Seattle, leader of the Pacific Northwest’s Suquamish and Duwamish people, who is credited with saying, “Take only memories; leave nothing but footprints.”

He purportedly said the words, which have since become an environmental war cry, during a speech delivered in 1854. Others, including iconic open-space advocate John Muir, have also been credited with the quote. Either way, as surfers, the message is abundantly clear.

But how often do you stop to think about the environmental impact of your surfing and what can be done to make it a more sustainable pursuit? Who doesn’t love a new gleaming, white board? Or that first session in a fresh wetsuit? It’s a dream.

But our actions and purchasing decisions do make a difference, and there are things we can all do to help the ocean out a little.

The Ecoboard Project by the nonprofit group Sustainable Surf is a fantastic example of innovation and pushing for positive change in surfboard construction materials and techniques.

“A standard polyester board weighing 5.75 pounds produces an additional 10 pounds of waste material nearly double the weight of the board. A 5.5 (pound) Ecoboard generates 5.9 pounds of waste material, which is still more material than the finished board itself,” reads a report on sustainablesurf.org. “This wasted resin and foam is a large factor in the total carbon footprint—40% for a ‘poly’ board and 22% for an Ecoboard.”

And when it comes to surfboards, make them last a little longer by fixing dings and keeping them watertight. Maybe you don’t quite “need” that new board just yet.

If you are looking for a different feeling, swing by a shop such as Used Surf

Dana Point’s Pat O’Connell gets an introduction to new sustainable surfboard packaging materials from A New Earth Project founder Wes Carter. Photo: Courtesy of Peter King

in San Clemente and see what they have on the rack. They’ve got an incredible selection of second-hand boards, fins and other surf gear.

In the wetsuit department, companies including Matuse and Patagonia are pushing the industry away from the use of petroleum-based neoprene in exchange for less environmentally damaging materials.

Matuse has led the way in neoprene created from limestone, while Patagonia uses a material called Yulex. Both companies have also focused their design efforts to make their suits last longer. If you can get two or three seasons out of a suit, that’s going to save you a lot of money and a lot of space in the landfill.

Last week, I had the good fortune of attending the launch of A New Earth Project, which is focusing on packaging

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY CAPISTRANO VALLEY TOYOTA

GROM OF THE WEEK EDEN WALLA

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Big ups to all the local groms who cruised up PCH for the NSSA Southwest event in Huntington Beach over Easter weekend, and a special congratulations to San Clemente’s Eden Walla, who just won her first-ever NSSA event.

Taking out the Open Super Girls division, she made the most of the windy, spring conditions and came out on top. Walla was joined on the podium by fellow San Clemente ripper Mia McLeish, who finished in the runner-up spot.

A supremely talented, hard-charging free-surfer who’s all about chasing empty waves and wide-open spaces with her family, Eden has been on a bit of a competitive tear as of late.

Prior to her breakout NSSA win, she made her presence known at the most recent WSA event, where she took first in the Under 14 and Under 16 divisions.

Eden and her brother, Zion, are also distinguished members of the San Clemente Board Riders and have contributed mightily to the club’s success both through their performances in the water and their stoke on the beach.

With Eden supported by incredible brands including Salty Crew, Electric Sunglasses, Surf Electric Bikes, Famous Surf Wax and Lost Surfboards, the sky truly is the limit for her. SC materials used to ship surfboards and other surf gear. Via environmental supply chain solutions, its goal is to be part of the solution to remove plastics from the world’s oceans.

Industry heavy hitters such as Pat O’Connell, president of Florence Marine X, and Vipe Desai, executive director of the Surf Industry Members Association, were in attendance.

Across the board, the reaction to the new sustainable packaging products was overwhelmingly positive. After seeing the cardboard systems they’ve developed for surfboards, it was immediately apparent that this is the way forward.

“We’ve been able to test and refine a lot of different materials and technologies, and not only is what we devised recyclable and sustainable, but it’s more convenient for everyone from the surfboard companies to the consumers. The waste can go right into your curbside bin, and it’s fully recyclable,” explained Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging and founder of A New Earth Project.

This week, the U.S. Board Riders National Championships are coming to Lower Trestles and will be presented by A New Earth Project and Quiksilver. Stepping into the future, it’s a new era in surf contests, as well as a new era in bringing sustainability to surfing.

The forecast looks as if there are some fun waves on tap for Friday and Saturday; see you down at the beach.

Jake Howard is local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for a number of publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation. SC

SURF FORECAST

Water Temperature: 59-61 Degrees F

Water Visibility and Conditions: 10-12

Thursday: Easing mix of Northwest swell and South/ southwest swell shows strongest in the morning, with waist to chest high surf, (3-4’). Winds are light/variable for the morning, then a moderate sea breeze develops during the afternoon.

Outlook: Building West/northwest swell joins in on Friday, setting up chest to head high waves, (4-5’), as it peaks in the afternoon. Unfortunately, moderate to gusty west winds will make for mainly poor surfing conditions much of Friday. Surf levels off in the waist to chest high range, (3-4’) for Saturday and Sunday. Winds are more favorable for the weekend, with light/ variable flow in the mornings, followed by light+ to moderate afternoon onshores.