Date of Birth: May 4, 1994

Best Known For: Never getting out

Local Spot: La Jolla Reefs

My Crew: Trevor, Skip, Sterling and all the "Rats"

Board of Choice: 5'8" Rusty EPS "Redline" squash tail

Dream Wave: Perfect Barra or similar right point barrel

Halstead heads up to Santa Cruz for the USA Surf Team training camp

This week me, my Dad, my Mom and my dog named "Rocky" piled into our SUV... and headed up to Santa Cruz to train with Ian "Kanga" Cairns and the USA Junior Team. I was super excited to get on the road to surf Steamer Lane and other Santa Cruz spots that get good this time of year. Yes, I knew it was going to be risky taking my 25lb French Bulldog along for the trip since he hates cold weather and likes to fart alot. Although he did fog up the car with a few nasty ones, he was really easy and fun to have along for the trip

The weather was as nice as can be with sunny, clear days and cold nights but the surf was really small. Our first session at "The Lane" was barely breaking at the high tide. We were the only people to paddle out at 7:00am in the fridgid knee high inconsistent surf. After a few waves, we decided to hit a more remote spot about 20 minuets up the coast. We found a beach break with fun peaks at a place the locals jokingly refer to as "Shark Park". At one point in the session a few dolphins popped up in the lineup and gave Cam Richards quite a scare when everyone on the beach yelled  "Come in"!

I would say the highlight of this surf trip was our afternoon session at a place that I will not name. Many of you will notice it from the pictures. But this place is a wedging, sand bottom bowling peak off the side of some cliffs. The cliffs provide shelter from the wind and the sand builds around the rocks making shallow sand bars. Even though the session did not last long, everyone had a blast in the 2-3ft perfect peaks with mini air sections.

So, the drive home was about 8 hours back to San Diego and Rocky had eaten some bad dog food, and we all paid for that the whole way home.

Shoots.....Jake

Jake Halstead....First WSA Prime of the season at DMJs

Yeah...it's good to get a win in the first WSA Prime event of the '09-'10 season. Glad to get the points right off the bat!

Mid morning I had a bad heat and I was pretty bummed when I lost in the QTR finals in the 18under division. That kinda fed the fire in the 16under division, and I was determined to get some good scores. The surf was really fun all day, with nice head high lefts peeling off the jetty pretty consistently all moring. By time the final rolled around, it was choppy and closed out with a few lefts still be had now and then. I knew that it would take finding the good waves to get the scores, and..... thank God,....I guess I found them. It was a pretty good showing for Hurley because Conner also won the 18under division.  Yeah, team! —Jake

Vah Beach on the rise in SD

Not only did Mike win the Pro/Am with a $1,000 first prize, but Jake Halstead won the Junior division and got $200 cash! The waves were like 2 to 3 feet and fun. Dunphy smashed everyone in the final. Vah Beach cleaned up in SD. Congrats, Michael. — Brandon Guilmette