Girls’ surfers rise up at Santa Monica High

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

There’s a new girls’ surf team at Santa Monica High, and the Vikings took first place in long boarding and short boarding in the Western Surfing Assn. competition against 10 other Los Angeles and Santa Barbara schools.

According to Marion Clark, beach programs director for the Surf Academy, Santa Monica went some 15 years without a surf team.

Clark said he taught the girls on boogie boards as beach kids, then as summer campers and as middle school students. They created a surf club, ‘Swell Service.’

The team includes Audrey Benacerraf, Ines Benomar, Natalie Hubbard, Chloe Kleinman, Bebe Lari and Maddie Lomonaco.

-- Eric Sondheimer