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SPORTS & OUTDOORS STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES AND MORE

CUSD athletics programs were able to move up to Phase 2 of their training last week, which includes larger group sizes, use of equipment and use of indoor facilities at limited capacity. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

CUSD Athletics Expands to Phase 2, Larger Groups, Equipment Use

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, DANA POINT TIMES

As Orange County incrementally lifts some coronavirus restrictions and slightly expands capacities, the Capistrano Unified School District athletics programs make their slow march toward full participation.

On Sept. 23, CUSD released guidelines for Phase 2 of the district’s return to training for athletics and physical activity, which is highlighted by small increases in group size, addition of equipment, opening of weight rooms and small allowances for indoor activity.

“The Capistrano Unified School District, in conjunction with the State CIF, believes education-based athletics is essential to the physical, mental and social well-being of students, and it is important for them to return to physical activity and athletic competition,” the district said in its guidelines statement. “However, the timing of such is subject to the Governor’s Office, the California Department of Education and State/Local Public Health Departments; variations may be tied to assessing risk levels of the sports offered.”

After an initial July startup was halted by reinforcements of state guidelines, CUSD was allowed to open Phase 1 of the return to athletics with small and limited conditioning camps on Aug. 18. On Sept. 8, the state moved Orange County down from the most restrictive COVID-19 monitoring tier down to the red “substantial” tier—the state’s second-highest, risk-level designation—which opened the way for the eventual physical reopening of school campuses.

Phase 2 workouts at Dana Hills High School began last week, as the school and district prepare for the reopening of high school campuses on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

“We believe that education-based athletics is vital to our mission, and we want to provide the best possible experience for those who matter most—our students,” the district statement said. “In doing so, we will continue to develop guidelines consistent with the directives from State/Local Public Health Departments.”

For Phase 2, health screenings and all other entrance and exit protocols remain intact, but the most noticeable change will be in the size of the groups.

The pods of athletes increase to 15 athletes from Phase 1’s group of nine, with still only one coach assigned to the pod. The group will still maintain consistent members to reduce exposure and allow for contact tracing should it be needed. In total, there can be only 64 people at one time on a football field, 32 on a baseball or softball field or pool deck.

With the movement to the red tier, indoor gyms and fitness centers were allowed to reopen at 10% capacity, and that guideline extends to school athletics programs. Masks also will be required indoors at all times. A total of 32 people will be allowed in a main gym and only the pod-sized 16 people in smaller facilities, such as a wrestling room or the weight room.

Weight room activities are limited to the 16-person pods, and physical distancing and various sanitizing of equipment will be enforced. Exercises and lifts will need to be done without a spotter, and all equipment is thoroughly wiped down before and after each use.

Various sports are now allowed to start using equipment, particularly each sport’s game ball, but there will still be no sharing of any equipment, which includes passing the ball.

Basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and water polo all emphasize individual ball skill drills, with each player having their own ball, but no passing is allowed among teammates. Soccer also emphasizes individual drills but lacks the note of passing among teammates. Soccer does limit drills to feet only—no heading or use of hands.

Baseball is limited to conditioning and tee work, as players cannot throw the ball around or catch during batting practice. Football is limited to conditioning and individual drills, as handing off or throwing the ball and contact are still not allowed. Contact is not allowed in any sport yet, including wrestling and cheerleading.

Tennis allows the hitting of balls with the racket between players, but each player must have their own can of balls to hit.

Cross country, track, swimming, golf and surfing only emphasize physical distancing. DP

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DP SURF SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

Trestles Saved; ‘Surfer’ Magazine Paused Newsom signs law protecting Trestles, while iconic magazine pauses operations

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES We’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news for you. First, the good news.

On Sept. 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom effectively “saved” Trestles and San Onofre State Beach for the foreseeable future. In signing Assembly Bill 1426, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) is now prohibited from developing a toll road that would adversely impact San Onofre State Beach. After years of fighting to protect this jewel of the California coast, this is a huge victory for surfers everywhere.

“Signing AB 1426 into law provides the permanent protection for San Onofre State Beach that this critical state park deserves,” Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, said in a press release. “In this current pandemic, the importance and need for access to state parks and outdoor recreation has become clear. AB 1426’s passage ensures that the much-needed recreation and coastal access that San Onofre State Beach provides will not be threatened again.”

Since the early 2000s, conservation groups, including the San Onofre Parks GROM OF THE WEEK CURREN D’ANDREA

BY JAKE HOWARD, DANA POINT TIMES

We’ve got our youngest-ever Grom of the Week. Dropping into the world on Oct. 2, welcome to the lineup, Curren Gray D’Andrea.

Son of proud parents Frankie and Tristin D’Andrea, the local San Clemente tribe is now one stronger. And we’re pretty sure, like his namesake, he’s going to have the best cutback in the business.

“You came in this world and filled our lives with love we didn’t know existed. Looking forward to learning, teaching and loving you,” wrote Frankie in his birth announcement.

Considered the most high-performance wave in California, Trestles will now be protected from threat of future development thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo: Courtesy of Sean Rolland/WSL

Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, have battled tirelessly to halt a TCA development that would extend the Foothill toll road south to Interstate 5.

While a myriad of plans has been on the table over the years, the ultimate concern was that the toll road extension would have come in through the San Mateo watershed and been detrimental to wildlife, Native American heritage sites, as well as some of surfing’s most prized breaks.

Because money talks in Orange County, as Surfrider found in a study from 2013, having Trestles in our backyard brings in $26 million annually to the local economy, making this more than just a potential environmental nightmare.

And now consider the surf boom that’s being driven by the pandemic. With more time on their hands and less options for entertainment, people are literally flocking to the sea.

“This year in the April-August time period, the number of surfers jumped to 5.6 million, up from 3 million,” reported

Typically, this section of the paper is reserved for groms who can already stand up on their surfboards, but the arrival of Curren has us all kinds of stoked. Frankie and Tristen are part of the heart and soul of our local surf community.

Frankie has been a key collaborator with the Gudauskas boys on their Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation initiatives over the years, and without his tireless work and ever-present stoke, the San Clemente Boardriders Club wouldn’t be what it is today.

Meanwhile, Tristin is an indispensable member of the team at Stance. They’re going to be amazing parents.

No doubt we’ll see Curren at Lowers splitting peaks with young Canyon Gudauskas sooner rather than later. The next Tiffany Montgomery of the surf industry news site shop-eat-surf.com.

The numbers are staggering when you consider that there are now 2.5 million new surfers in the water today versus at the start of 2020. If you’ve been wondering why it feels unusually more crowded lately, it’s because it is.

Unfortunately, last week, we also got some grim news. After 60 years of entertaining and informing surfers, the venerable Surfer magazine will pause all operations due to COVID-19 until a to-be-determined time.

The announcement came on Friday, Oct. 2, when the entire staff was reportedly placed on furlough, essentially putting the publication, website and social channels on pause until a later date.

“The whole staff got let go yesterday, but I feel like we’re ending on a high note with this one,” Todd Prodanovich, editorin-chief of Surfer, wrote on Instagram.

Surfer was founded in Dana Point by

John Severson in 1960 and served as

Curren D’Andrea. Photo: Courtesy of the D’Andrea Family

generation’s coming, and it’s awesome. Congrats to the entire D’Andrea ohana. DP the “Bible of the sport” for more than 60 years. Covering the evolution of sport and culture of wave-riding, it spanned generations and created some of surfing’s biggest icons.

It was also a hive of creativity for the photographers, artists and writers who were lucky enough to enjoy a stint in the office, myself included, as well as Picket Fence Media publisher Norb Garrett, who served as president of Adventure Sports Network and brands including Surfer.

“I was both inspired and slightly awed at being part of the sport’s oldest and best magazine,” remembered surf scribe Matt Warshaw on BeachGrit.com. “I never set foot on the Surfer premises without intending to make the new issue better than the previous one—because it was my byline on the articles and my name at the top of the masthead, yes, but also because it was . . . Surfer, Bible of the Sport, and I still hate that tagline, but if you got the gig, you honored and respected and were shaped by it nonetheless.”

In February 2019, American Media Inc., the owner of the tabloid The National Enquirer, acquired the Adventure Sports Network, the owner of Surfer. At this time, there’s no clear picture of what comes next for all the publications affected by these latest developments, other than there’s going to be a huge void on every surfer’s coffee table.

So, this week we have reason to celebrate and reason to mourn. One of our favorite surf spots has been saved “forever,” while one of our favorite surf mags may be gone “forever.”

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 the San Clemente Times, Dana Point Times, 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. DP

SURF FORECAST

Water Temperature: 67-69 Degrees F

Water Visibility and Conditions: 6-10 ’

Outlook: On Friday more Southwest swell fills in, with waist-shoulder high waves, (3-4’). Morning winds are light Friday, afternoon flow is light+ onshore. Surf slowly eases over the weekend. By Sunday, waves are waist-stomach-chest high, (2-3-4’). Light/variable morning winds, followed by a light+ afternoon sea breeze for the weekend.