CARDIFF, Calif. — Day 2 of the Roxy Jam Cardiff featuring the Linda Benson World Longboard Pro saw the event’s top seeds take to the water against Friday’s standouts in 2-to-4 foot waves at Cardiff Reef yesterday. Defending Roxy Jam
CARDIFF, Calif. — Day 2 of the Roxy Jam Cardiff featuring the Linda Benson World Longboard Pro saw the event’s top seeds take to the water against Friday’s standouts in 2-to-4 foot waves at Cardiff Reef yesterday.
Defending Roxy Jam Cardiff Champion Jen Smith (Pacific Beach, Calif.), 22, advanced into the quarterfinals while Cory Schumacher (Cardiff, Calif.), 31 continued to flare at her local break. Megan Godinez (Kane‘ohe, HI), 17, issued the day’s upset by defeating 2006 event champion and last year’s runner-up Lindsay Steinriede (Dana Point, Calif.), 23.
The Roxy Jam Cardiff is an Association of Surfing Professionals Longboard Qualifying Series 6-Star event, with the winner of the contest claiming both the ASP North America Women’s Longboarding and Roxy Jam Cardiff titles.
This year’s champion will be decided today.
Smith, reigning ASP North America Women’s Longboarding and Roxy Jam Cardiff champion, convincingly won her Round 4 heat with a 14.50 heat total over her fellow competitors. The San Diegan combined a variety of beautiful maneuvers to earn the win over the talented competition of Janna Irons (Hanalei, HI), 24, who advanced in second, Kaitlin Maguire (Del Mar, Calif.), 20, and Rachel Spear (North Shore, HI), 26.
“That was a stacked heat,” Smith said. “I was super nervous going into it because all of those girls surf amazing. I guess I got two good ones and that was it.”
The Round 4 win moves Smith a step closer to a repeat Roxy Jam Cardiff and ASP North America Women’s Longboarding title, but Smith is just taking it one heat at a time.
“I’m just trying to get through every heat as it comes,” Smith said. “All of these heats are so stacked and the caliber of surfing is just insane. Every heat could be a final like that one I just had. I’m just looking at the next heat.”
Schumacher picked up where she left off Friday, winning a stacked Round 3 heat against top longboarding competitors Julie Whitgon (Encinitas, Calif.), 43, who advanced in second, and Mary Osborne (Ventura, Calif.), 26. Schumacher followed by advancing through her Round 4 heat as well, earning a Quarterfinals berth.
“That definitely was a stacked heat,” Schumacher said. “I surfed with Julie a couple of years back and with Mary, it was like paddling out in a final. It was a tough heat.”
The Cardiff native used her local knowledge to dominate her Round 3 heat despite the drastic change in conditions from Friday’s event.
“It’s definitely peaky,” Schumacher said. “It feels like it’s all over the place, but we were sitting there and peaks were just popping up. I was just right there at the right time.”
Schumacher still holds the event’s top single wave score of a 9.75 out of a possible 10 in Friday’s early rounds and posted a solid heat total of a 14.75 out of a possible 20 point score in her Round 3 heat this morning. The veteran longboarder continues to combine stylish nose-rides and sweeping cutbacks to earn the big scores.
“I jumped up to the nose right at the very beginning and cut back right at that critical section that pushed,” Schumacher said. “This board is working really well for me.”
Godinez proved to be the day’s dark horse, eliminating 2006 Roxy Jam Cardiff champion and last year’s runner-up Lindsay Steinriede (Dana Point, Calif.), 23, in her Round 4 heat. The young Hawai‘i surfer will use the upset caused yesterday as a confidence builder for her quarterfinals heat.
“This totally builds my confidence,” Godinez said. “It’s so much fun though. I’m surfing with all of my idols and it just felt super good to come through it.”
Godinez combined a flurry of carving turns and off the lips to earn the heat victory over her idols.
“My second wave set up perfectly for me,” Godinez said. “I just did a really nice roundhouse which led to a nice hit and a comeback hit again.”
Roxy Jam Cardiff action will continue today at 7 a.m. local time beginning with the quarterfinals and will crown the 2008 Roxy Jam Cardiff and ASP North America Women’s Longboarding Champion by day’s end.
Roxy Jam
Saturday, Cardiff, Calif.
Round 3 Results; Round of 48: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Summer Romero (USA) 11.15, Geodee Clark (HAW) 8.75, Hanunani Kane (HAW) 7.00, Malia Kaleopaa (HAW) 4.10
Heat 2: Kelia Moniz (HAW) 12.30, Bianca Valenti (USA) 11.50, Jayme Gee (USA) 8.85, Ryoko Maruyama (JPN) 5.70
Heat 3: Ashley Lloyd (USA) 9.50, Rosie Locke (AUS) 8.25, Juli Warisaya (JPN) 7.95, Britlyn Coleman (USA) 5.85
Heat 4: Molly Ware (USA) 9.50, Hayley Nemeroff (USA) 6.60, Angela Maki (HAW) 5.60, Kelly Coward (USA) 4.85
Heat 5: Janna Irons (HAW) 12.50, Chelsea Zaniboni (HAW) 9.75, Erin Lewis (USA) 6.50, Marissa Graham (USA) 6.05
Heat 6: Ashley Quintal (USA) 13.75, Rachel Evan Spear (HAW) 12.90, Kamalehua Keohokapu (HAW) 11.05, Tory Gilkerson (USA) 9.15
Heat 7: Cori Schumacher (USA) 14.75, Julie Whitgon (USA) 9.10, Mary Osborne (USA) 9.00, Jenny Quam (USA) 5.25
Heat 8: Andrea Alfiler (USA) 13.75, Megan Godinez (USA) 11.75, Diina Horo (USA) 6.00, Malia Fuertes (USA) 5.80
Round 4, Round of 48: (1st and 2nd advance)
Heat 1: Summer Romero (USA) 15.35, Bianca Valenti (USA) 14.00, Isabelle Braly (USA) 11.00, Julie Cox (USA) 10.65
Heat 2: Crystal Dzigas (HAW) 11.15, Kelia Moniz (HAW) 10.25, Geodee Clark (HAW) 10.00
Heat 3: Ashley Lloyd (USA) 9.75, Jennifer Flanigan (USA) 7.20, Hayley Nemeroff (USA) 4.50
Heat 4: Chelsea Williams (AUS) 10.50, Rosie Locke (AUS) 9.20, Christina Pires (BRA) 6.95, Molly Ware (USA) 5.75
Heat 5: Jen Smith (USA) 14.50, Janna Irons (HAW) 11.25, Kaitlin Maguire (USA) 10.10, Rachel Spear (HAW) 5.50
Heat 6: Ashley Quintal (HAW) 9.25, Rachel Barry (USA) 6.70, Chelsea Zaniboni (HAW) 5.25, Yuko Shimajiri (JPN) 3.90
Heat 7: Megan Godinez (HAW) 12.65, Cori Schumacher (USA) 12.00, Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 8.00, Leah Dawson (HAW) 6.55
Heat 8: Kassia Meador (USA) 11.50, Kelly Nicely (USA) 11.00, Andrea Alfiler (USA) 10.20, Julie Whitgon (USA) 7.45
