by Ed Solt
Photos by Ryan Versfelt
Manhattan Beach big wave surfers Cody Purcell and Nic Lamb took first and second place at the inaugural Todos Santos Island Thriller at Killers big wave contest on Sunday, February 18.
Todos Santos is an island 12 miles off of Ensenada. The deep wave spot only breaks a few times a year. The Thriller at Killers contest was organized by Todos Santos’ godfather, and San Diego big wave legend and surfboard shaper Gary Linden. A decade ago, Linden partnered with Dive N’ Surf for a big wave contest at Todos Santos, but a lackluster winter that year didn’t produce large enough waves for a contest.
Purcell, a 2018 Mira Costa High graduate, was a standout on the Mustang surf team, and in South Boardriders Club contests. In 2014 he won the SBBC boy’s division title. While airs and lip maneuvers seem to be what his generation gravitated to, Purcell stood out with his rail game and ability in the tube. He cut his teeth as a grom at the local heavy spots. Before he was legally able to order a drink, he was paddling into 30 foot sets at the treacherous big wave spot Mavericks, in northern California.
Lamb is a Santa Cruz native, now living in Manhattan Beach. He won last year’s Mavericks Invitational big wave contest.
The Thriller at Killers” marks the return of a big wave contest to Todos Santos since the dud of a big wave season Dive N’ Surf got dealt. (Dive N’ Surf did okay. That same year Dive N’ Surf sponsored the Mavericks Invitational, and the Prescott Reef, Oregon contests.)
Purcell rode his first waves at Todos last winter. His video submission from that session, on the first wave he caught, earned him an invitation to this year’s Thriller at Killer’s.
Purcell was one of 12 competitors selected by Linden and his committee. Others included well known big wave riders Nathan Florence, from Hawaii, Jamie Mitchell, from Australia, and Greg Long, from San Clemente, as well as Lamb, who is originally from Santa Cruz, and Axel Sandoval, from the Dominican Republic.
Lamb and Abreojos shared a panga at the contest, along with Manhattan Beach surf photographer Ryan Versfelt, who also graduated from Mira Costa (2005).
“Nic and Cody were neck and neck throughout the contest. Nic probably caught more big waves than anyone out there. But Cody’s airdrop on one of the day’s biggest waves had everything he needed to win. He stuck it perfectly,” Versfelt said.
Katie McConnell, of Encinitas, won the women’s division at the Thriller at Killers contest. McConell was the Rookie of the Year at the 2022 Red Bull Magnitude big wave contest in Hawaii. Like Purcell she was a standout surfer on her high school team, at San Diego High. ER
