Bryce Mattox
News mentions
It was another weekend, another NSSA final round, for Westcliff star surfer Silke Martinez last Saturday and Sunday in Santa Cruz. “Silke destroyed the quarters and semifinals, both with big scores, to make her third NSSA final,” Westcliff assistant coach Chelsea Ehlen said. “She faced a stacked heat and would have finished higher with better waves. But we are very happy with the result.” Martinez finished third overall in the women’s competition, just 6.78 points from the win.
Westcliff’s Spanish surfing sensation, freshman Silke Martinez, called them the worst conditions in which she’d ever surfed a contest. Huntington Beach was tidal, windy, swell-less mess over the weekend for the NSSA’s Southwestern Conference contest, and it brought major headaches — especially for the Warriors’ men’s teams — as Westcliff finished a disappointing fourth overall. But for Martinez, who has been a heavy-hitter for the Warriors since stepping off the plane from Spain and taking second overall at Black’s in La Jolla, Surf City USA was just another beach to tame, and she did just that, making history as Westcliff’s first-ever female NSSA first-place finisher.
Heading into the 2021-22 season, Westcliff Surf head coach Kyle Rouse and assistant coach Chelsea Ehlan weren’t quite sure what to expect. It was Westcliff’s first full season of NSSA competition, the team was full of fresh faces and the road was wide open, come what may. Turns out the Warriors would end their journey the No. 5 team in America.