Schools

How the Hillers Won the Hurley: Team, Crew and the 'Power of One'

Routine resonated well with judges, says ASB adviser, who devised the fashion show's theme.

Casady Williams, an incoming senior, hyperextended her elbow and couldn’t tumble for a week. Varsity gymnast Dustin Reed sprained an ankle and didn’t practice for a week.

But when showtime arrived Thursday night at the Hurley “Walk the Walk” fashion contest in Huntington Beach, Grossmont High School’s 20-member team, backed by four adults and a nine-member student crew (attached), was ready to rock the house. 

The result: a $25,000 check they brought home the next day to cheering parents and district staffers.

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“The kids worked really hard and we had a few tense moments in practice,” said Jeremy Hersch, faculty adviser to the school’s Associated Student Body. “The focus was there from the start and the kids did a great job of coming together as a team.”

In rehearsal since June 21, they adopted the theme “Power of One.”

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“I came up with the theme,” Hersch said Monday after decompressing from the hectic weeks and celebrations. “However, as a group we developed it into what you saw. It was a team effort with everyone working together.”

Hersch said the main choreographers were adult volunteer Amity Ecker; crew members Sharyce Bailey, Jamie Marcus and Kelly Ragimova; and student performer Abby Lehto.

Besides Reed and Williams, featured performers included Sarah Sprague and Curt Owen (a soccer player) on unicycles.

Students got to keep their outfits, and they even had some leftover clothes.

“Hurley also gave away a lot of products while we were up there in addition to a goody bag for each kid,” Hersch said, and the surf/beach fashion company put the Foothillers up at the Newport Beach Hyatt Hotel for three nights.

Hersch estimated that 400-500 Grossmont supporters made the trek to the Huntington Beach Pier and the U.S. Open of Surfing where the outdoor contest was held.

The weather was “hot, hot, hot,” he said. “We forced our kids to drink water starting at 10 a.m. and through our performance (after 5 p.m.).”

According to Walk the Walk coordinator Jordan Dowty, “each school was judged on a predetermined set of criteria, and Grossmont’s overall score was the highest.”

The online vote was one of seven equally weighed scoring categories, said Dowty, who also directed the live-streamed show. She said names were drawn from a hat to decide the order of appearance. Grossmont went last.

Although she wasn’t sure how many people had viewed the webcast, she said 135,000 online votes were cast in “just a 30-minute time frame.”

Grossmont’s victory made it the third Southern California school to win the contest—after San Diego’s Lincoln High School in 2009 and Orange County’s Corona del Mar High in 2010.

What made Grossmont a winner?

“They knocked it out of the park in all categories,” Dowty said, “but their theme sealed the deal. Power of One resonates deeply with Hurley as a brand, empowering individuals to get their voices heard and make a difference in the world we live in.”

Hersch, who volunteered his time as coordinator, said he and Ecker chose the music for the 5-minute routine.

“We worked with a company called SOS Entertainment and their owner Derek Sage. He is a professional DJ who helped us mix the music,” Hersch said.  “Another DJ named Ron worked on the track to make us a custom mix.”

After the victory—following online voting and onsite judging—the troupe celebrated with Pat and Oscars meals “and had a party by the hotel pool. We laughed, hugged and shared stories of the event,” Hersch said. “It was an amazing night!”

Hersch says ASB will discuss what to do with the prize money once students are back in class. But the money could initially go to “mini grants for student organizations” and assemblies to campus “that will have a positive impact on our students.”

The online balloting—which Grossmont won by 389 votes—was pivotal, Hersch thinks, saying they “could not have won without it! The judges were also critical as our routine resonated well with them.”

The Hillers interacted with the four other teams—from New Jersey, Virginia, Toronto and Corona del Mar.

“We [met] some amazing people,” he said. “We bonded well with the Canadian team and had a blast with them! We also really got along with the team from Tom’s River in New Jersey. On the bus with the Canadians, we were all singing songs together on the way to the finals.”

Students from Toronto’s Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School sang the Canadian national anthem in French, he said.

“We were rooting for each other backstage, cheering for each other after we performed,” Hersch said. “They greeted us when we got off stage after winning with hugs and support. Super cool.”

How big was this national exposure to Grossmont High?

“Huge,” Hersch said. “I now have tons of connections with Nike and Hurley that can assist us with future needs. We also met loads of influential people who would love to support our upcoming endeavors.”

Although winning the money was amazing and “an unreal experience,” he said, “seeing this group of kids come together and leave this experience changed will always stick with them. Hurley made them feel so valued and empowered.

“All the students involved will always feel like they have the ability to make the world better.”


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