San Juan Capistrano student wins third straight U.S. kneeboard surfing title
San Juan Capistrano’s Kevin Skvarna won the open division at the 2025 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles and Festival, becoming the first to win three U.S. titles in a row.
The event was held at Oceanside Harbor’s South Jetty in head-high surf with occasional rain showers.
Huntington Beach’s Wayne Kopit won the AA division.
The 2025 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles and Festival served as an important qualifier for the next world titles event in Saquarema, Brazil, in 2026.
The Kneeboard Surfing USA event was originally scheduled for Feb. 14 at Huntington Beach, but it needed to be rescheduled due to stormy conditions. The event was last held in Oceanside in 2017, a contest won by Huntington Beach legend Tom Backer.
Kneeboard Surfing USA President Jack Beresford said the event is as much a gathering of friends as it is a competition.
“We compete hard, but in the end, this is a celebration of kneeboard surfing, which has a rich 60-year history,” Beresford said. “How many sports can you come out and see the best in the world going head-to-head with true legends?”
– Submitted by Kneeboard Surfing USA
Irvine native earns Interior Design Magazine award for his chair ‘Shmello’
An Orange County native is making headlines in the design world.
Bryce Moon of Irvine has been recognized as a top emerging furniture designer in Interior Design Magazine’s Best of Year Awards. He was one of five students globally to be honored in this prestigious selection for his innovative chair design “Shmello.”
Moon, who is pursuing an M.F.A. in Furniture Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), is making waves on the national stage with his innovative and eye-catching furniture design.
Interior Design Best of Year Awards are a definitive symbol of excellence, honoring today’s most remarkable design achievements while paving the way for the next generation of design innovation.
– Submitted by Savannah College of Art and Design
La Palma students win honorable mention in C-SPAN’s national documentary competition
Mollie Saddul, Giselle Guillermo and Arya Patel, students at Walker Junior High in La Palma, are 2025 honorable mention prize winners in C-SPAN’s 21st annual StudentCam competition and will receive $250 for the video “Beyond the Rainbow; Ban Synthetic Dyes.”
C-SPAN also recognized Tina Armijo, an educator at the school, who served as an adviser in the StudentCam competition.
C-SPAN, in cooperation with its cable and satellite television partners, asked middle and high school students to address the theme “Your Message to the President: What issue is most important to you or your community?”
Now in its 21st year, this project-based learning experience asked students to explore and analyze matters of personal, local or national importance.
In response, C-SPAN received more than 1,700 entries, and nearly 3,500 students participated from 42 states and Washington, D.C.
The most popular topics addressed were:
• Climate, Environment, and Land Use (11%)
• K–12 Education Policies and the Cost of College (10%)
• Health Care and Mental Health (10%)
• Gun Violence, School Safety, and Firearm Policies (9%)
• Inflation, Taxes, Government Spending, and the Economy (9%)
– Submitted by C-SPAN
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