Surfing sisters Joy and Kristen Magelssen of 'Aina Haina are hoping to become world champions on their summer break.

The Magelssens will compete in the inaugural Roxy ASP Women's World Longboard Championship, which is scheduled to start next week at Biarritz, France.

The contest will run on the three best days between Monday and July 9.

Joy, 20, is a student at Brigham Young-Hawai'i; Kristen, 18, attends Brigham Young-Provo.

Liane Magelssen said her daughters have been practicing off California to prepare for the cold water and small waves off France.

"It's going to be hard because they're used to surfing in better waves," Liane said. "But they're going up there to have fun and try their best."

At least four other surfers from Hawai'i are entered: Kula Barbieto, Crystal Dzigas, Janna Irons and Miku Uemura.

The winner of the contest will receive $4,500 and be crowned the 2006 women's world longboard champion.

More than 70 surfers from around the world are entered.

From 1999 through 2005, a contest in Costa Rica proclaimed to be the women's world longboard championship contest. No surfer from Hawai'i ever won the contest in Costa Rica.

However, this is the first year that the Association of Surfing Professionals is officially recognizing a women's world longboard champion.

All surfers in the contest must ride surfboards at least 9 feet long.

BODYBOARDERS START 2006 TOUR IN AUSTRALIA

The world's best bodyboarders are in Australia this week for the Human Cronulla Shark Island Challenge.

It is the first of six events on the International Bodyboarding Association's 2006 world tour.

Shark Island — which is off the east coast of Australia — features a treacherous wave that can reach traditional heights of 10 feet.

Top contenders from Hawai'i in the field are former world champion Mike Stewart, Jeff Hubbard and his younger brother David Hubbard.

The winner of the contest will receive $20,000.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.