Courtney Conlogue wins 2009 Supergirl Pro Junior

In a hotly contested battle that was decided in the final seconds by only a half point, Courtney Conlogue ripped through the waves in Oceanside, California, this afternoon and bested her competitors to claim the honor of being the 2009 Supergirl Pro Junior Champion and take home the $5,000 top prize.

Boasting a $15,000 total prize purse, the 2^nd Annual Supergirl Pro Junior is the first event in this year’s Supergirl Jam, the action sports industry’s only large-scale, all-female competition and lifestyle events designed to promote female empowerment, strength and independence.

Conlogue, who recently won this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing women’s event and a USA team and individual gold medal in the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games, battled Malia Manuel (Kauai, HI), Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA) and Nikita Robb (East London, South Africa) for the Supergirl title.  Manuel, Erickson and Robb placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

“Last year I took fourth in this event and saw Coco Ho take home the Supergirl cape when she won it,” said Conlogue.  “I really wanted the win—and to take home the cape to be this year’s Supergirl champion.  It’s an honor to win an event like this that focuses on, and supports, the girls.”

Competing in smaller surf conditions than day one of the event weekend, the finals got started with a bang.  Conlogue grabbed the highest score of the final out of the gate, when she posted a 7.50 on her opening wave.  Manuel answered with her second and third waves, posting a 5.75 and 6.65 to take the lead.  With Manuel in the lead, Conlogue hunted the horizon for an answer, but fell short until her fifth wave, when she posted a 5.40.  With only minutes remaining in the final, Conlogue continued to catch waves while employing a defensive strategy to Manuel by shadowing her in the line-up.  As the clock ticked down, Conlogue hung on to win by a nail-biting half point.

“I knew it was going to be a battle with Courtney right to the end—and it was.  We were both fighting hard for the win,” said Manuel. “This is my first time competing in the Supergirl Pro Junior and I’m happy with the result.”

Final Results—Supergirl Pro Junior 2009

1) Courtney Conlogue 12.90 points

2) Malia Manuel 12.40 points

3) Sage Erickson 8.15 points

4) Nikita Robb 6.45 points

Supergirl Pro Junior finalists announced

The action-packed, preliminary rounds of the 2nd Annual Supergirl Pro Junior surfing contest, the first stop of the 2009 Supergirl Jam action sports series, yielded four finalists who bested the waves and the competitive skills of their 16 fellow contestants to advance to the finals on Sunday, August 16.

Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA), Malia Manuel (Kauai, HI) and Nikita Robb (East London, South Africa) will return to Oceanside Beach Pier in Southern California tomorrow afternoon in pursuit of the $15,000 prize purse and the honor of taking their place atop the 2009 ASP junior rankings.

The Supergirl Pro Junior, an ASP sanctioned Grade-4 surfing contest, recognizes the sport’s top female athletes who are 20-and-under.

Conlogue, who recently won this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing women’s event and was the USA gold medalist in the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games, remained strong in the competition with the day-high score of 9.0, advancing her to the finals. “I was incredibly stoked when I heard I got a 9.0 from the judges,” said Conlogue. “This is the next generation of competitors, and Supergirl’s support has been amazing.”

Powering the waves, Erickson earned a 7.75 and a 7.25 to secure her spot in the finals. “I am excited to be in the finals, but it will be a tough competition against Courtney,” said Erickson. “I caught myself clapping for her when I was watching her heat. Competing against her will push us both to do well.”

Also securing a berth in the finals is Manuel, with her assortment of strong tail turns and speed. “It feels awesome to be out there,” added Manuel. “I hope the waves hold up for tomorrow.”

Nikita Robb once again proved that her strong surf style scores well with the judges, receiving marks to place her in the finals. “The competition was tough today,” said Robb. “I felt I had to bring it to the table if I wanted to make the finals. Events like this push the girls.”

The Supergirl Jam, the action sports industry’s only large-scale, all-female competition and lifestyle festival, is designed to promote female empowerment, strength and independence.

(via press release)

Hawaiian teens take U.S. Open of Surfing

July, 26, 2008 - When we arrived at Huntington Beach for the women’s final event at the U.S. Open of Surfing, the place was packed. Not unusual for a Saturday in Surf City but something historic was taking place on the south side of the pier that made the day truly special.

Fourteen year old Malia Manuel defeated seventeen year old Coco Ho and the duo became the youngest finalists ever at the U.S. Open of Surfing.  In addition, both surfers hail from Hawaii, also a first for the final.

Manuel’s victory was surprising, even to her. She had never competed at the U.S. Open and never in a two-person heat. Manuel, who lives on the eastern side of Kauai, entered the event as a wild card because she had not competed in enough events this year to be seeded. She ended up as the youngest champion in ASP history.

When asked “What’s next?” after accepting her award, Manuel replied with excitment “10th grade!”

Manuel, who will turn 15 next month, claimed an early edge in the 30-minute final and made it stand up, winning with a best-two-wave score of 14.34 points. The wind kicked up in the finals and Ho struggled to find a groove in the deteriorating conditions finishing with a score of 7.90.

Ho’s father, Michael, and uncle, Derek, both legendary Hawaiian surfers, must have been proud. Even with her second-place finish, it was a day of accomplishments for the teenager, who also won the women’s junior championship making her the first competitor to be in both the women’s final and women’s junior final.

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star event saw some incredible performances, but really none as impressive as the Hawaiian up and comers taking down some of the biggest names in professional surfing.

In an earlier quarterfinal, Manuel defeated defending U.S. Open Champion Sofia Mulanovich of Peru. Mulanovich, the 2004 world champion, had posted perfect tens in a prior heat. Ho then knocked off defending world champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia in a semifinal. In the other seminfinal, Manual posted a dominant heat win over current ASP WQS ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons en route to becoming the youngest U.S. Open Winner ever. 

The youth movment is alive and well.

Results:Final:
1 – Malia Manuel (HAW) 14.342 – Coco Ho (HAW) 7.90
Semifinals Results (1st advances)
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.10 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.67 
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 10.83 def Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 6.83
Quarterfinals (1st advances)
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 15.83 def. Sofia Mulanovich (USA) 13.10
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.00 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1.60
Heat 3: Coco Ho (HAW) 12.00 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 8.23
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.67 def. Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 9.17