T & C Surf Women's Pipe - Historic Day

Source: www.ibaworldtour.com

posted on 14th March 2005

Honolulu, HAWAII - (Friday, March 11, 2005) -- Thirty-four years after men's professional surfing first took to the perfect yet fearsome waves of the Banzai Pipeline, back in 1971, female surfers have finally found their position in the lineup. The T&C Surf Women's Pipeline Championship made its foray today with an overwhelming turnout of 96 surfers from nine countries partaking in this historic event. The T&C Surf Women's Pipeline Championship is the first ever stand-alone women's surfing and bodyboarding competition to be staged at Pipeline, and as a testament to the depth of talent available in the women's ranks, the age of competitors today ranged from 13 to 44.

Perfectly clear skies, an aqua sea and the largest field of female wave-riding athletes to hit the North Shore drew a strong crowd of over 1,000 today, but conditions were at once beautiful and brutal. Wave face heights of 6-12 feet provided a serious canvas for the women, while stiff Tradewinds of up to 25 miles per hour made for steeper than usual, dangerous take-offs. The women tackled both waves and wind to prove themselves worthy contenders.

"We proved we're worthy of such an event today," said former and pioneering female professional surfer and event organizer Betty Depolito. "Everyone said I was crazy putting this event together, but now they can see I'm not.

"Female bodyboarders have been surfing professionally at Pipeline for 15 years. I started the first (women's bodyboarding) event back in 1990, and the bodyboarding women have proven year after year that they are worthy of a place at Pipeline. Now it's time for the women shortboarders and longboarders to have a shot too.

"For the past couple of years I've seriously been watching Pipeline to see how the girls were doing and whether or not it was really feasible to hold a women's surfing and bodyboarding event here. It's a hard spot to surf at any time. But they've really proven themselves. I'm so proud of all the girls today."

World No.8 ranked professional surfer Melanie Bartels, of Waianae, returned from A.S.P. world tour competition in Australia to head the shortboard lineup today and was ecstatic to be a part of the first ever women's surfing competition at Pipeline.

"I hardly ever even get to surf out here, because it's always so crowded," said Bartels of the heavily male-dominated lineup that usually fills Pipeline to the brim on any day worth surfing. "So to be out here alone with just five other women in the water is unbelievable. It's so cool. There definitely needed to be a competition for girls out here."

Bartels is one of 12 women left at semi-final stage of the shortboard competition. Also advancing to the semi-finals with heat wins today are Taylor Bushman (Haleiwa), Paige Alms (Paia), and Alana Blanchard (Hanalei). Blanchard advanced on the strength of a single, near-perfect 9.0 point ride in the quarter finals. Competitors were being scored on their best two rides during 18 minute heats today, but just one score was good enough for Blanchard.

The youngest surfer to qualify for the semi-finals was Ashley Hunter (Punalu'u), aged 14. The oldest is Huntington Beach, California's Kim Hamrock, 44. Hamrock is a fearless big-wave rider and mother of four who spent the weekend warming up at Waimea Bay, surfing waves with faces up to 20 feet high. Emelia Perry, from Laie, is not only through to the shortboarding semi-finals, but also surfed her way through two rounds of the bodyboarding division to reach the quarter finals. She is the only surfer to compete in both disciplines.

With critical positioning and tight turns, bodyboarders found their way into the majority of the tube-rides today. The highest scorer of the bodyboard rounds was North Shore resident Claudia Ferrari, formerly of Brazil, and a stalwart of women's bodyboarding at Pipeline over the years. Much importance rests in this event for the bodyboarders, as it is the first event of the 2005 International Bodyboarders Association (IBA).

Depolito was quick to give credit to the bodyboarders today: "They are one of the biggest reasons that people know women can handle Pipeline. They've been doing it for over a decade and they've been doing it well. They've gained a lot of respect in the lineup at Pipe and in a sense, they paved the way for this contest to become a reality for all the girls.

"T&C have come in with a great level of support," continued Depolito.
"It's so inspiring for the women to have their own place out here. Even though it's a disappointment that we don't have the kind of prize money this event is worth this first year, it's more about showing what we're capable of and that this is a very viable event. We have proven without a doubt this is a viable event today."

The prize purse for the T&C Surf Women's Pipeline Championship is $4,000, to be divided up with $1,500 going to the short-board surfers, $1,500 to the bodyboarders, and $1,000 to the longboarders. First place in the bodyboard and shortboard divisions is $500.

Depolito expects the final day of competition to be run tomorrow. The forecast is for a decrease in swell to wave face heights of 4-8 feet tomorrow, along with a welcome change in wind conditions to light, variable breezes.

--- JODI YOUNG ---

RESULTS:
Shortboard:

Round 1 - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place advance

H1: Ashley Hunter (Punalu'u); Melissa Proud (Paia); Motoko Kumagai (Japan); Sumie Takahashi (Japan)
H2: Kim Hamrock (Huntington Beach, CA); Alana Blanchard (Hanalei); Kumiko Ishisuka (Japan); Caroline Mace (Honolulu)
H3: Lane Davey (Haleiwa); Melody Haas (Lawai); Mikaela Fregonese (Brazil); Andrea Moller (Paia)
H4: Helena Syehiro (Haiku); Paige Alms (Paia); Maria Lopez (Puerto Rico); Karen Gallagher (Haleiwa); Aki Nakazawa (Japan)
H5: Taylor Bushman (Haleiwa); Fesi Klink (Haleiwa); Emilia Perry (Laie); Dana Nichols (Honolulu)
H6: Mehealani Hauanio (Pahoa); Yuki Saito (Japan); Jamilah Star (Haleiwa); Cheryl Richards (Haleiwa)
H7: Melanie Bartels (Waianae); Brenda Fried (Haleiwa); Pake Salmon (Waianae); Bethany Hamilton (Hanalei)
H8: Lani Hunter (Punalu'u); Crystal Dzigas (Honolulu); Karen Helm (Haleiwa); Jennifer Useldinger (Haleiwa)

Quarter Finals - 1st, 2nd & 3rd advance

H1: Alana Blanchard (Hanalei); Kim Hamrock (Huntington Beach, CA); Ashley HUnter (Punalu'u); Melissa Proud (Paia); Kumiko Ishisuka (Japan); Motoko Kumagai (Japan)
H2: Paige Alms (Paia); Helena Syehiro (Haiku); Mikaela Fregonese (Brazil); Lane Davey (Haleiwa); Melody Haas (Lawai); Maria Lopez (Puerto Rico)
H3: Taylor Bushman (Haleiwa); Mehealani Hauanio (Pahoa); Emilia Perry (Laie); Jamilah Star (Haleiwa); Fesi Klink (Haleiwa); Yuri Saito (Japan)
H4: Melanie Bartels (Waianae); Crystal Dzigas (Honolulu); Brenda Fried (Haleiwa); Lani Hunter (Punalu'u); Karen Helm (Haleiwa); Pake Salmon (Waianae)

Bodyboard:
Round 1 - 1st & 2nd advance

H1: Tara Higgins (USA); Andrea Guimaraes (Hi); Yoko Sakei (Japan)
H2: Maira Guimares (Brz); Geraldine Gogin (Peru); Kayoko Takano (Japan); Claudia Lemos (Brz)
H3: Noriko Kawagoe (Jpn); Lucia Peterson (Hi); Monica Dell'Amore (USA); Ruth Parra (Vnz)
H4: Havrah Fasset (USA); Emma Roby (Aus); Mayumi Yamada (Japan); Jenn Marr (Hi)
H5: Adriana Harlan (Brz); Emiko Mizoguchi (Jpn); Delori Manus (Hi); Caylin Spear (Hi)
H6: Lilly Pollard (Aus); Emilia Perry (Hi); Megumi Tsunoda (Jpn); Mariana Rodrigues (Vnz)
H7: Claudia Ferrari (Hi); Carie Akina (Hi); Aimee Rice (Hi); Momoko Hasegawa (Jpn)
H8: Daniel Ronquillio (Brz); Michiko Mizoguchi (Jpn); Lindsey Yasui (Hi); Chie Sakamoto (Jpn)

Round 2 - 1st & 2nd advance to the quarter finals (the first 6 of 8 heats completed today)

H1: Mandy Zieren (Aus); Tara Higgins (USA); Lumar Guittar (Vnz); Andrea Guimaraes (Hi)
H2: Natashia Sagardia (PRico); Maira Guimares (Brz); Ayako Ide (Jpn); Geraldine Gogin (Peru)
H3: Marina Taylor (Canary); Noriko Kawagoe (Jpn); Lucia Peterson (Hi); Patricia Ramalho (Brz)
H4: Caroline Casemiro (Brz); Chigusa Nishiyama (Japan); Havrah Fasset (USA); Emma Roby (Aus)
H5: Kira Llewllyn (Aus); Adriana Harlan (Brz); Emiko Mizoguchi (Jpn); Lorraine Lima (Brz)
H6: Emilia Perry (HI); Clare McGowan (UK); Lilly Pollard (Aus); Luz Marie Perez (PRico)

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