West Coast is Host for First Time Ever
Huntington Beach, CA– While America was watching the Olympic torch being passed to Los Angeles, another torch of sorts was also being passed from Carolina Beach to Huntington Beach. For eighteen years USA Beach Nationals has been an event hosted on the east coast. The event was first held in 2006 in Florida, then spent several years in Rochester, NY, and finally landed in Carolina Beach, NC for the past decade. The 2024 edition marked the first time in USA Wrestling’s history that the event has been hosted on the West Coast.
Judging from the tremendous support and turnout, it certainly won’t be the last. Over two hundred and fifty competitors from nearly twenty-five states turned out for what proved to be a perfect day for beach wrestling action.
There were lots of highlights from the day. They included reigning world champion Eliana Bommarito claiming double titles in the U20 and Senior women’s 70KG+ categories, as well as a showdown between world team members Kyle Ferriter of Colorado and Nick Stemmet of California in the 90kg+ men’s division. Stemmet came out on top in the best of three finals , with both men securing their slots for the upcoming 2025 World Series season. For a full recap from USA Wrestling of the senior competition CLICK HERE
The age group competitions were also hotly contested, with many local California wrestlers claiming national titles. CLICK HERE for a full recap of the age group competition.
2025 USA Beach Nationals will return to Carolina Beach May 10th, 2025 while the California Beach Nationals will serve as the World Team Qualifier for U17, U20, and Senior divisions. Beach Nationals is slated to return to California again in 2026.
