UCSB’s surfing club team quit stalling and got its first win of the season in the last contest before the upcoming state championships.

The men’s shortboard team beat out about 15 other schools in a contest held Monday on Huntington Beach Pier’s south side. UC San Diego placed second, and the University of Southern California and California State University, Long Beach tied for third.

About 150 surfers competed on 4- to 7-foot waves that surfing team co-captain Isaac Little called “rippable.” Charlie McMahon was UCSB’s highest individual finisher, placing fifth. Nick Galati and Matt Kelly reached the semifinals.

“Matt Kelly had the hugest floater of the day,” Little said. “He broke his fin on it… it was sick.”

Little said the team’s next competition would be the state championships, to be held at Churches Beach in San Clemente on March 20 and 21. He said UCSD, Long Beach and MiraCosta would be their main rivals at the competition, which will pit the top 18 teams on the West Coast against one another.

Co-captain Carter Anderson said his team’s confidence is running high heading in to the state championships.

“We are going to whup the living shit out of UCSD and MiraCosta at state.”

Little said he likes the team’s chances, as well.

“This is the first time the entire team showed up for a contest, and it shows that we can dominate when we’re at full strength,” Little said.

UCSB’s Ted Travers had the highest scoring individual wave of the contest, a perfect 10.

“He got probably the best left all day and did two huge backside snaps,” Little said. “The announcer was going off for five minutes.”

UCSB’s women’s shortboarders also fared well, as Bianca Valenti placed third and Cat Durand placed sixth.