Hawai'i longboarder captures national title

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Joy Magelssen's "semester off" from college paid off with a national championship in professional longboard surfing on Sunday.

Magelssen, a 2003 Kaiser High graduate from 'Aina Haina, won the women's division of the Converse California Classic at Malibu, Calif., defeating three California surfers in the final.

With the victory, Magelssen secured the No. 1 women's spot on the 2004 United States Professional Longboard Surfing Championships tour. The California Classic was the fourth, and final, event of the tour.

"It's the biggest longboarding series going on in the world right now, so this is huge for me," said Magelssen, 18. "I'm just starting in the professional scene, so I'm still shocked that I won it."

Magelssen completed her freshman year of college at Brigham Young-Provo in April, but said she decided to take the fall semester off to enter professional surfing contests.

"I figured I was still young, so I should try to do it now," she said. "And I really missed surfing and the ocean when I was away at school."

California's Colin McPhillips won the men's national championship.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.