Five from Hawaii in longboard title chase
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Five Hawai'i surfers are in the field of 48 for the second annual Roxy Women's World Longboarding Championship.
The contest is scheduled to run July 11 to 16 at Biarritz, France. The winner will be crowned the 2007 world champion of women's longboard surfing.
Representing Hawai'i are Janna Irons of Kaua'i, Miku Uemura from Wai'anae, and Ho-nolulu surfers Joy Magelssen, Crystal Dzigas and Kelia Moniz.
Irons and Magelssen are Hawai'i top seeds. They tied for ninth place at last year's world championship.
Moniz, 14, is the youngest competitor in the field.
Schuyler McFerran of California won the inaugural women's world longboard championship last year in France.
11 HAWAI'I SURFERS AMONG NSSA SWEET 16
After dominating the National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championships last week, Hawai'i surfers fittingly were rewarded with 11 of the 16 spots available for a specialty contest in October.
The Sweet 16 contest will be Oct. 6 in Ensenada, Mexico. The winner of the contest will receive $2,500 and entry into a World Qualifying Series professional contest later that week.
Hawai'i surfers among the invited 16 are: Tonino Benson, Carissa Moore, Alex Smith, Kai Barger, Kekoa Cazimero, Chas Chidester, Nathan Rex, Albee Layer, Kiron Jabour, Granger Larsen and Keanu Asing.
"The Sweet 16 is a great opportunity for the top NSSA surfers to compete with each other for a chance to surf against some of the big dogs on the (WQS)," Cazimero said.
Moore, who owns a record 11 NSSA individual championships, is the only female in the field.
SOUTH AFRICA UP NEXT FOR MEN'S PRO TOUR
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay men's contest is scheduled to run July 11 to 22 at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.
It is the fifth of 10 stops on the 2007 World Championship Tour.
Hawai'i surfers in the field are Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Fred Patacchia Jr. and Pancho Sullivan.
Andy Irons is currently ranked No. 3 in the WCT standings. Australia's Mick Fanning is No. 1, and Florida's Damien Hobgood is No. 2.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
