Page 6 - MidWeek West - March 9, 2022

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MARCH 9, 2022
Aloha surfers and beachgoers,
On March 21, less than a few weeks away, it will officially be the spring of 2022. The time is flying by faster than you can say surf’s up!
BY GARY KEWLEY
Women’s Bodyboarding Contest Brings Big Smiles
(From left) Valentina Diaz, Ayaka Suzuki Crilley, Jessica Becker and Lilly Pollard took part in the Women’s Pipeline Bodyboarding Championship.
PHOTO COURTESY BETTY DEPOLITO
title. But wait, there’s more. The ladies hit the Pipeline with their favorite body- boards again on the last day of February. They rode the tail end of that extra large west-northwest beast that peaked 20 feet on Feb. 25. A few days later, the surf was solid4-6feet-plusandclean all day. What a blessing. You could see it on everyone’s
The waves are starting to reflect the new season. They’re now mostly at or just below advisory levels. Indeed, change is in the air and in the water. The win- ter caliber low pressures off Japan are not quite as big as the past few months. As time goes, on the lows will get smaller and less frequent. By the time July and August roll around, the northwest waves will be mostly quiet.
Plus, this incredible ath- lete is no youngster at age 41. Pollard is a profession- al bodyboarding coach. If you’re in the land down un- der and want to learn some- thing, hit her up at thebody- boardacademy.com.
Special thanks to Banzai Betty Depoli- to — a back-breaking, ground-breaker for decades for women’s surfing. De- polito has also been a pro- fessional Surf News Net- work reporter for TV, radio and 596-SURF for over 30 years. Carol Philips, who pioneered big wave body- boarding, is the founder of this great event in memo- ry of Don and Josie Over. She is the owner of North ShoreSurf Girls — grab a
Lastly, thanks to all the girls who go out and risk it for victory and the pure stoke of it! And certainly not last, thank you, Pipe- line, for never changing.
Bodyboarding Champion- ship started in 1990 and boasts the first women’s surf competition held at the in-
Anyway, your winner was Lilly Pollard of Australia. She won in 2014, too.
famous Banzai Pipeline. It was an international affair this year with the athletes representing Chile, Japan, Brazil, Australia, mainland United States and of course, the birthplace of surfing, Ha- wai‘i.
In second place was Bra- zil’s Jessica Becker, in third came Ayaka Suzuki Crilley
GQ, droppin’ in 4 U!
Obviously, this heavy reef break suits her. Plus, she clearly knows how to compete. Pollard is the five- time Australian bodyboard- ing champ, collecting many victories along the way to her many titles.
from Japan and in fourth was Valentina Diaz from Chile. Do they look happy to you?
lesson if you dare. Mahalo also to Jenn Marr, the own- er of North Shore Dream Vacation Services. Plus, she’s a great a chef! Also, thanks to Traci Effinger, a pro bodyboarder who won the 2019 Surf n Sea Pipeline Women’s Pro Bodyboard Division.
gary@surfnewsnetwork.com
Here’s the catch, this is Mother Nature we’re talking about. She usually has a few tricks up her sleeve. There arealwaysexceptions.Let’s wait and see, while we surf.
SPECIALS! While Supplies Last
In-store
The girls have been hav- ing an exceptional year. They’re officially in the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, and the Billabong Pro Pipeline, formerly the Pipe Masters, which is still my favorite
faces.
The Women’s Pipeline
On a side note, you know what’s fun to imagine in ancient surfing days? The near-certainty that Hawai- ians started out riding waves on their bellies before get- ting to their feet.
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