|
|
| |
NORCAL WOMEN'S SURF FEST SHOWCASES TOP WOMEN'S SURFING;
Contest Also Includes Kids With Parents Division and Men Competing in Drag
|
| |
|
SAN FRANCISCO (September 19, 2003) -
The First Annual NorCal Women's Surf Fest, held last Saturday, September 13 at Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach, was a fantastic showcase and celebration of Northern California women's surfing. Hosted by the NorCal Women's Surf Club, the event drew over seventy contestants from Santa Cruz to Mendocino, whose ages ranged from 6 to 53 years old.
Additionally, with 75 surf clinic students taking lessons, 500-plus spectators in attendance, and 54 sponsors involved, the Surf Fest was quite a vibrant scene. Linda Mar was bestowed with 3-5 foot waves, infectious aloha, warm sunny weather, and families with kids abound. Men surfing in drag -which was inspired by San Francisco's annual Bay-to-Breakers costumed foot race - as well as surfer's yoga sessions, massages, and a hundred-plus raffle prizes were also all part of the day's activities.
Adding to the excitement was special guest emcee, Mary Osborne, professional longboarder and winner of MTV's 'Surf Girls', who was on hand to host and judge the day's events. "Pacifica is a special place for us, as it is home to some of the earliest female surfers in the state of California," noted Osborne. "With the great turnout for this first-ever Surf Fest, this is an exciting time in the growth of women's surfing."
Top winners in the surf contest included San Francisco's Diana Mattison in the Junior Wahine (age 24 & under) Shortboard division and Bodega Bay's Heather Hyde in the Junior Wahine Longboard. Santa Cruz surfers Gretchen Edwards and Liz Hess each took first place in the Wahine (age 25-34) Longboard and Shortboard contests respectively; Santa Cruz's Donna von Hoesslin and San Francisco's Sue Fish Tate each took home first prize in the Lady Kupuna (age 35 & over) Longboard and Shortboard divisions, respectively; and in the Menehune (age 14 & under) Boys and Girls age group, the winners were Scotts Valley's Lexi Wilson and Sausalito's Woody Robinson.
In the Menehune with Parents division, where parents assisted by pushing their youngsters into the waves, San Franciscan Summer Fenton (9-years old) took first place. Union City newcomer to competition, Tricia Buenbrazo edged out others to win the Novice Longboard. The top winners in the SF Style Costume Division, which featured men surfing in drag, included Kris Schuman of San Anselmo, who earned both first place and Best Costume for his "Rippin' Granny" costume; Izzy Szczepaniak of Pedro Point snared second place with a headstand maneuver while donning a "Blue Crush & Lace," ensemble; and Best Costume also went to Bodega Bay's John Hadley, who surf outstandingly in his well-endowed "Charo-in-Lingerie" outfit. This highly entertaining SF Style Division nearly stole the show from the women surfers.
"The NorCal Women's Surf Fest had the best vibe of any contest I've ever competed in," commented Diana Mattison, a San Francisco-based professional short boarder who is sponsored by surf-related companies Von Zipper and O'Neill. "The girls and women were even smiling during their heats , which is something you don't see often."
"There is a lot of strong female talent up here in Northern California and it was great to see them compete well in good Linda Mar conditions," said Aleks Petrovitch, owner of San Francisco's Aqua Surf Shop and Surf Fest event sponsor. "Overall, the Women's Surf Fest has been one of the most fun and amazingly organized contests that I have participated in."
Sponsors of the NorCal Women's Surf Fest include apparel companies Carve Designs, Dickies Girls, Surf Chick, and O'Neill; surfboard makers StickGirl Surfboards, Johnny Rice Custom Surfboards, Jon Wegener, Guy Takayama, and John Schultze of SF Surf Shop; surf shops Wise Surfboards, Paradise Surf Shop, and Aqua Surf Shop, as well as Niman Ranch, Newman's Own Organics, the Cold Water Surf Club and others.
A portion of the event proceeds were donated to the Surfrider Foundation's three local chapters, San Francisco, Marin County, and San Mateo County, to support their mission in protecting the world's oceans and beaches through conservation, activism, research and education.
The annual NorCal Women's Surf Fest is hosted by the NorCal Women's Surf Club, a volunteer-run organization dedicated to celebrating women's surfing in Northern California. Founded in September 2001, the club now supports over 200 women who range from surf experts to beginners. Regular club events include surf days, barbeques, camping trips, skill clinics and more. Men are welcome at many events. For more information, full Surf Fest results and contestant photos, visit www.ncwsc.com.
For additional event information and results, please also visit WildCard Group Events' site, www.wildcardgroup.com
###
|
|
Send Us E-mail
|
