Wailua’s Manuel finishes 2nd to Conlogue at Supergirl Pro Junior

LIHU‘E — Courtney Conlogue, 16, took down the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Grade-4 Supergirl Pro Junior on Sunday, defeating an All-Star final in challenging one-to-two foot surf in Oceanside, Calif., states an ASP press release.

Conlogue, who just last month took down the ASP World Qualifying Series 6-Star Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing, wasted no time in the final, racking up the day’s high single-wave score (a 7.40 of a possible 10) on her opening wave with two calculated and explosive backhand maneuvers.

“The conditions were really challenging out there today and it was difficult to find scoring waves,” Conlogue said. “My first wave had a pretty good line on it and I tried to make the most of it.”

With a final that included the likes of 2008 U.S. Open winner Malia Manuel, 16, of Kaua‘i, top regional junior Sage Erickson, 18, and international sensation Nikita Robb, 20, Conlogue’s win was no easy feat. The Californian was rewarded with the biggest junior women’s purse in ASP North American history of $5,000.

“All the girls in the final are really close and we’re all pushing each other to surf better,” Conlogue said. “It’s great that Supergirl would back junior women’s surfing with such a big prize purse and hopefully it’s the first of many.”

While Conlogue came away with the win, the young Hawaiian Manuel put in a strong effort throughout the final, coming up just a half-point shy of the win.

Manuel won her first round heat with a score of 14.00, easily besting Rachel Harris, who advanced in second with a 7.90, Bo Stanley, 7.65, and Erika Cook, 6.75. In her semifinal heat, Manuel advanced alongside Conlogue by putting up another 14.00. Conlogue scored 14.75. Taylor Pitz, 8.80, and Rachel Harris, 5.85, were each eliminated.

“I was a bit out of rhythm this afternoon so hopefully I can surf a bit better in tomorrow’s final,” Manuel said after her first two heats. “It’s such an awesome event and the prize money is really good.”

Erickson, the current No. 2 on the ASP North American Pro Junior ratings, was pleased to be alongside such strong competitors.

“I’m really excited to be in the final,” she said. “Courtney (Conlogue) is surfing amazing. The new generation is coming on really fast and everyone really pushed one another. We’re all really close.”

The Garden Island

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico — Clay Marzo, 19, of Maui, claimed the Association of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Series 3-Star Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido in impressive fashion Tuesday when he put fellow finalists Junior Faria, 22, Angelo Lozano, 22 and Cory Arrambide, 19, in a combination situation to take out his first ASP WQS victory.

Although the finalists faced inconsistent conditions at Puerto Escondido, Marzo managed to capitalize on the two best waves and displayed a mind-blowing combination of barrel-riding, progressive tail-drifting turns and reverses to take out the victory, states a press release from ASP.

“I was a little worried because it was a little mixed up out there,” Marzo said. “I got that first score and was able to relax enough to get the other one.”

The talented goofy-footer posted an opening score of a solid 8.25 before closing the doors on his competitors when he logged a massive 9.25 for a committing reverse.

“I saw this section coming and knew I needed to do something big,” he said. “I did a little tack and luckily I did a big throw-tail and came out fins first and was able to spin it around.”

Lozano was the top local finisher and marched to a third-place result in front of his home crowd. The local talent won an ASP WQS 3-Star event last year at his home break of Playa Zicatela and the young ripper was happy to claim a podium finish two years in a row.

“I was just happy to make the final,” Lozano said. “It was hard to get to. You want to win, but you’ve got to just let things flow. If it happens, that’s great. If not, to make it all the way to the final is really good as well.”