Santa Cruz’s Kaikora “KK” Nauenberg, 16, took third place in the Girls U16 final at the 2025 USA Surfing Championships at Lower Trestles in San Clemente on Friday.

Nauenberg, an incoming junior at Santa Cruz High, was the most active surfer in the 20-minute final by catching five waves in 2- to 4-foot conditions. Each surfer’s top two scores counted for their final score.

Nauenberg, who jumped out to the early lead before settling behind Huntington Beach’s Bailey Turner, finished with a 11.33 total and counted wave scores of 5.33 and 6.00.

“I was aiming for first, but I’m super stoked to make it to the final,” Nauenberg said. “Making the final was one of my goals at the start of the season,” in October.

San Clemente’s Eden Walla rallied late and won the title with a 16.37 total. Turner (14.33) took second place and San Clemente’s Happy Sager (10.87) was fourth.

Walla was in fourth place with 3:30 left in the heat and needed a 6.84 to take the lead. She capitalized on priority with a five-turn ride that scored 9.87.

“If kinda went flat for a few seconds when I was out there,” said Walla, in a post-heat interview with USA Surfing, before competing in the U18 final. “A little stressing, but I just tried to keep calm and grateful that wave came to me.”

Nauenberg took second place in her first three heats to make the finals. She posted a 12.33 total and finished behind Walla (17.60) in Heat 1 of the semifinals, took second to Turner (12.30) in Heat 4 of the quarterfinals with a 11.44 total, and finished behind Olivia Storrer (12.97) in the first round with a 7.70 total.

“I was a little stressed,” said Nauenberg, of her three second-place finishes. “But once I made the final, I figured I had nothing to lose because I made my goal. I could just go out and surf and have fun. … Those seconds gave me confidence, especially the semifinals. The semifinal was really stacked and felt like a final itself.”

Nauenberg said her celebration included a long drive back to Santa Cruz, possibly a good dinner, and getting to see her family. She won’t be home for long. She plans to kick her feet up on an upcoming surf vacation with her dad, Sander, and some friends in El Salvador. “I guess that’s the real celebration,” she said.

Santa Cruz’s Brody Price reached the U16 semifinals, where he placed third behind Carson Carr (12.56) and Brandon Bullock (10.87) with a 10.00 total.

Santa Cruz’s Isla Hardy reached the Girls U16 quarterfinals with a 10.13 total and finished behind Walla (14.34) and Storrer (11.50).

Santa Cruz’s Riviera Hunter took fourth in her Girls U14 quarterfinals heat with a 8.00 total and was eliminated.

All four girls champions are from San Clemente: Harper Olenik (U12), Ruby Stringfellow (U14), and Hana Bakker (U18) also earned wins.

Boys division winners were: Keahi Lee (U12) of Honolulu, Hawaii; Huntington Beach’s Wyatt Yount (U14), San Clemente’s Tanner Sandvig (U16), and Oceanside’s Timothy Simmers (U18).