Article by Hillard Grossman

COCOA BEACH — Colton Tracy didn’t score a lot of points in his semifinal heat Sunday. Nor did he win one of the nice awards handed out to the top four finishers at the 41st National Kidney Foundation Rich Salick Surfing Festival.
 
What he did win, however, is the admiration of hundreds of spectators along the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier and several more hundred during the Taste of Brevard gala Sunday night, where he read an emotional statement about his courageous comeback.
 
“I just wanted to feel like a kid again, doing what kids do,” said Colton, 14, describing the ocean as his comfort zone, away from surgeons, needles and hospital food.
 
It was just 13 months ago that Colton received a kidney transplant from his mom, Christa, who said Monday that by the “grace of God” everything has gone well.
 
Colton not only swam the sprint freestyle races for Satellite High this season, where he is a sophomore, but he competed in his first surfing contest this weekend since those frightening days of feeling weak, a diagnosis of being anemic, and then a stunning revelation of a Stage 5 genetic disorder that resulted in a new kidney from his mom at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Competing against a “good” group of surfers Saturday, Colton surfed five waves in the U16 Boys Shortboard division, using a protective plastic pad around his waist.
 
“Just remarkable,” said Phil Salick, 77, who once gave one of his kidneys to his twin brother, Rich, who required three of those transplants before passing away in 2012 at the age of 62. “He has a pad like Rich used to wear, created by the people at Cypress Gardens. Doctors had told him he could never surf again, but Rich wasn’t having any of that.”
 
Colton’s story is what the NKF of Florida is built on, and it’s truly one of the most inspirational outcomes in five decades, when Phil and Rich first began to raise funds for kidney patients in a contest at 3rd Street North in 1976, when $1,600 was collected.
 
This weekend’s efforts have raised upwards of $40,000 with some non-auctioned items still up for sale on the NKF website. Overall, the surfing event (along with the Taste of Brevard and Silent Auction, and a large golf tournament in Lakeland) has raised more than $10 million for kidney research and organ transplant patients.
 
Christa, now 42, was at the upper age limit when doctors said she could donate one of her healthy kidneys. The fact she found out about the Salick brothers’ longtime quest to aid such patients has been a miracle in itself.
 
This weekend, Colton surfed as many waves as he could with his friends in the 2- to 3-foot surf.
 
“It was like God saying, ‘Here’s how it’s supposed to happen’,” said Christa, whose son learned to surf about eight years ago on the New Jersey coast. “He always knew the ocean is what makes him happy.”
 
While there’s a happy ending presently in the Tracy family, Colton’s sister, McKenna, 12, has a similar disorder and is in Stage 3.
 
“Fortunately, we have a large family who is willing to help,” Christa said.
 
In the main events of the three-day contest, two familiar faces, Indialantic’s Daya McCart and Vero Beach’s Tommy Coleman, took top honors in Pro Shortboard events. McCart cruised to victory in all three of her heats, while Coleman fended off Corey Howell 13.50-11.36 in an evenly-contested men’s final.
 
Merritt Island High senior DC Lewis, 17, claimed his first Junior Pro Shortboard title, enjoying a couple of nice waves at his home break.
 
“I’ve surfed here as small as they come,” said the 6-foot-1 Lewis, who received a victorious “chair ride” into the beach. The Core Surf-sponsored rider, ranked 11th among East Coast juniors, thanked his dad, Buddy, for his encouragement.
 
 

 

 

New Smyrna Beach’s Lily May Whatley, 28, won the Women’s Pro Longboard and also finished third in the Women’s Pro Shortboard, collecting a couple of thousand dollars in the process. The Red Dog Surf Shop-sponsored surfer (where she works) last won here when she was 16 and now surfs at the iconic “Shark Capital of the World,” where she sees up to five each session.
 
Monday, her strategy was to stay close to the Pier, and her stylish maneuvers resulted in 7.50 and 6.90 high scores to defeat defending champion Madison Bennett of Viera 14.40-10.24.
 
 
 
 
 
In the Men’s Pro Longboard finals, Costa Rica native Anthony Flores, 35, affectionately known as “El Senor,” captured the same title he had won when he was 15. He shook everyone of his competitors’ hands after his celebratory “chair ride.”
 
“You’ve got to be a nice human, not only in the water,” said Flores, a six-time Costa Rican and Central American champion who now lives in Cape Canaveral and who will take part in this week’s ISA Games representing his native country in El Salvador.
 
 
 
 
One of the bright spots this weekend was the surfing prowess of Savanna Lanza, the CEO of the NKF of Florida, who dominated the Women’s (18-39) Shortboard and the Women’s Longboard (18-39) divisions.
 
“This was my very first contest, when I was 11,” said Savanna, whose father, Alden Pitard, was one of the original volunteers and was sharing announcing duties this weekend with Mason Sapp.
 
Coincidentally, Philip Salick, Rich’s son, shaped Savanna’s surfboard.
 
 
 
 
 
Of note, a surfboard with artwork done by “Ink Master” Mark Longenecker went for $2,200 Sunday night at the auction, and Koko Japanese Pub in Cocoa Beach won the “Best Restaurant” honor at Taste of Brevard … Longenecker won the SUP division …. Team Kahuna won the team surfing title.
 
 
Weekend top finishers
 
Pro divisions
 
Ron Jon’s Men’s Pro: 1. Tommy Coleman 13.60; Corey Howell 11.36; Benji Lange 9.90; William Hedleston 8.30
Women’s Pro: 1. Daya McCart  12.47; 2. Callie Hertz 10.27; 3. Lily May Whatley 8.97; 4. Lauren McLean 5.97
Luke Mackin Jr. Men’s Pro: 1. DC Lewis 11.83; 2. Ian Honda 7.67; 3. Kaipo Minks 6.43; 4. Kor Minks 5.83
Women’s Pro Longboard: 1. Lily May Whatley 14.40; 2. Madison Bennett 10.24; 3. Mackenzie Broughton 8.17; 4. Lauren McLean 8.00
Men’s Pro Longboard: 1. Anthony Flores 11.50; 2. Dennis Griffin 10.56; 3. Fred Fritz 7.70; 4. Chaz Geurnsey 5.23
 
Amateur divisions
 
Foamie Classic: 1. Gino Tommasello 9.83; Justin Eckhoff 8.83
Stand Up Paddle (Open): 1. Mark Longenecker 9.30; 2. Jennifer Meacham 7.90
Bodyboard (Open): 1. Luis Bounds 10.03; 2. Craig Bounds 9.44
Men’s Longboard (18-49): 1. Kailer Krueger 12.00; 2. Lake Meadows 10.00
Jr. Men’s Longbard (17-under): 1. Ivan Iorgulescu 13.00; 2. Jacob Laska 12.87
Men’s Legends Longboard (50-over): 1. GinoTommasello 7.94; 2. Al Ellison 7.30
Legends Men’s Shortboard (50-over): 1. Stephan Nipple 10.34; 2. Kent Compayre 10.10
Sr. Men’s Shortboard (36-49): 1. Youngblood 8.16; Mike Rhoades 7.10
Ladies Longboard (40-over): 1. Ashley Firchow 7.27; 2. Morgan Richie 5.17
Women’s Longboard (18-39): 1. Savanna Lanza 8.27; 2. Emma Galeana 5.56
Jr. Women’s Longboard (17-under): 1. Gabby Wright 11.27; 2. Kaitlyn Hodak 9.10
Men’s Shortboard (18-35): 1. Aiden Monge 9.60; 2. Kailer Krueger 7.50
Women’s Shortboard (18-39): 1. Savanna Lanza 9.83; 2. Joleen March 4.70
Jr. Men U18: 1. Ivan Iorgulescu 9.66; 2. Jacob Laska 8.37
Jr. Women’s U18: 1. Zoey Honda 7.03; 2. Samantha Harris 5.57
Boys U16: 1. Atticus Stark 12.84; 2. Baron Gillespie 11.77
Girls U16: 1. Khadijah Moscoso 8.26; 2. Leah Cooke 7.50
Boys U14: 1. Baron Gillespie 11.64; 2. Atticus Stark 10.67
Girls U14: 1. Kenzie Brown 5.93; 2. Khadijah Moscoso 5.50
Boys U12: 1. Atticus Stark 11.74; 2. Rooney Hendrix Rogers 7.56
Girls U12: 1. Leah Cooke 6.63; 2. Camdyn Wallace 4.50
Boys Pollywog Push-in (9-under): 1. Charlie Horst 16.00; Beckett Behrens 13.00
Girls Pollywog Push-in (9-under): 1. Skylar Lindsey 8.07; 2. Harper Thompson 7.83