TEAM CALIFORNIA BEATS U.S.
When Tia Blanco paddled into the water for Sunday's final heat of the Super Girl Surf Pro competition, she figured even if she lost the round with teammate Sage Erickson, the worst they could do was finish tied in the Team California vs. Team United States event.
Blanco, it turns out, is much better at shredding waves than math. The teams were tied. The last heat was winner take all.
“I had no idea,” said Blanco. “That would have kind of elevated the pressure.”
Representing Team California, Blanco and Erickson outscored reigning world champion Carissa Moore and Vaihiti Inso 23-19.6 in the heat to give the Californians the victory, 25-21.
It was the 13th year in a row for the Super Girl Surf Pro, which normally features a field of more than 100 surfers from around the globe hitting waves just south of Oceanside Pier. It's the largest all-female surfing event in the world.
But because of COVID-19 precautions, this year's rendition was limited to 16 U.S. surfers. It was the first North America women's surfing event since March.
“It was about providing a positive experience for people in a world that needs it right now,” said Rick Bratman, CEO of Action Sports Association Entertainment, which puts on the event.
“The surfing community hasn't had an event for so long. I knew it could be done in a responsible way.”
As for the details it took to pull off the event, Bratman said, “It took kind of an act of Congress.”
An event that normally draws thousands of spectators was technically closed to the public with fencing barriers on the beach keeping fans away from the surfers. There were screens blocking the view from the nearby pier.
While the conditions were unusual, the surfers appreciated the opportunity to compete.
“It's amazing,” said Lakey Peterson, who lives in Santa
Barbara. “This year's been tough with COVID and not competing, having a bit of a pause. It's super fun to be back in the water.”
The surfers were treated to excellent conditions. A steady swell delivered consistent 3- to 5-foot left-hand breaking faces.
Said Peterson, “It was fun being in the water.”
Because the pool of surfers was limited to Americans, Bratman created the Team California vs. Team USA format. (California, of course, is part of the United States, but who's to quibble.) The U.S. surfers were from Florida and Hawaii.
Bottom line, the participants enjoyed the format.
Peterson was paired with Oceanside's 14-year-old phenom Caity Simmers.
“Caity is an amazing little surfer,” said Peterson. “She's an amazing natural talent. Her style is cool and easy. You never know what she's going to do on a wave. She could do an air, she could do a turn.
“Being with her is inspiring. Every time she got a score I was like, ‘I've got to carry my weight. I'm the older one.' ”
Simmers said she has been surfing south of the pier since she was 9 or 10, but admitted the long layoff from competitive surfing jangled the nerves.
“I think everyone felt nervous with that competitive vibe again,” she said.
The Californians won despite Team United States featuring the top two surfers in the world, Moore, a four-time world champion who lives in Hawaii, and Florida's Caroline Marks.
Moore and Marks have qualified to represent the United States when surfing is scheduled to make its debut in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“Obviously, surfing is such an individual sport,” said Marks. “But this was something super cool, super fun. I'm psyched. You had somebody to root on and share that energy.”
Norcross is a freelance writer.