The happiest surfer in Pacific Beach is Jennifer Smith after earning a second place finish in the Roxy Women’s World Longboard Championships in Biarritz, France, July 8.
In the first ever event of it’s kind sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the 20-year-old Pacific Beach native out-distanced the top 68 longboarding women in the world to reach the finals.
“It was beautiful there. The event lasted a whole week so that they could take the best conditions for the contest,” Smith said.
Biarritz is on the southwest coast of France near Spain. The beach, Cote des Basques, in Biarritz is known as the premier contest spot in Europe.
In a stunning performance, Smith upset top seed Bianca Valenti in the semifinals.
“I was in position and got the best waves ” a couple of long nose-rides,” Smith said. “I was really lucky that I surfed my best in that heat in order to reach the finals.”
Smith collected one of the top 10 high-scoring waves of the contest with an 8.75 out of a possible 10 during the semifinal heat.
“It all clicked in that heat ” it was a lot of fun,” she said.
In the final heat, Smith gave up the title to Schuyler McFerran of Encinitas, a Point Loma Nazarene University sophomore who was featured in the Aug. 3 Peninsula Beacon.
“I chose to line up in a spot where the waves had been breaking earlier,” Smith explained. “But the peak had shifted and she got the waves.”
Another local favorite, 2004 champion and No. 1 seed Summer Romero was eliminated halfway through the contest. Kaitlin Maguire of Del Mar finished 5th.
The surfing talent and relaxed petite wahine image Smith portrays earned her a corporate sponsorship agreement with hot clothing manufacturer Roxy.
“I had been talking to them just after I got there,” Smith said. “So when I was so successful, it was natural that they wanted me on their team ” It’s great. I’m lovin’ it.”
Smith grew up surfing with family in Pacific Beach, especially her father, Pablo, owner of Soul Grind skateboard shop at 4627 Mission Blvd.
About four years ago Smith “broke away” from Mission Bay High School and began earning home-school credits in between trips to surf in events around the world.
“I really wanted to surf professionally, so I began to focus on my career,” said the sun-bleached blond. “It was great. It really pushes your ability to surf with people better than you.”
A frequent winner of local surf contests, Smith has evolved into a world-class surfer, earning prize money from Fiji, Hawaii, Costa Rica and France.
Next month she will be wearing the Roxy heart at The Roxy Jam Cardiff pro/am contest Sept. 23 and 24.
“The contests which Roxy sponsors are a festival, with art and music ” a whole celebration of the women’s beach scene,” Smith said. “So the contest at Cardiff Reef next month will have bands and sponsor booths, women’s surf art. It’s really nice ” a lot of fun things besides the contest in the water.”
The Roxy Jam Cardiff is the U.S. qualifier for the 2007 women’s longboard world championships at Bairritz in June of 2007. Scoring well at Cardiff will earn the ladies good tournament seeds at the event in France.
The next major Pacific Beach contests will be the All Women’s World Famous contest, Saturday, Sept. 9, followed by the OMSURF at Crystal Pier, Saturday, Sept. 16.
Information and sigh-ups are available at local surf shops.