The 16th annual Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro, powered by Celsius, wrapped its three-day WSL North America and Hawaii/Tahiti Nui QS 3000 surf contest and festival with 17-year-old San Clemente native Sawyer Lindblad defeating defending Super Girl Surf Oceanside champ and US Olympian Caroline Marks in a closing spectacle. Lindblad, the current North American No. 1, is now the youngest competitor to take the Super Girl Pro Surf cape, topping 2019 champ and fellow San Clemente surfer Samantha Sibley by a few months.
“I’ve had so many seconds recently, and in that final, I just knew that I needed this. It was my time to win and I was so grateful for those waves to come in,” said Lindblad. “I knew she (Marks) would come back and that combo wouldn’t last that long. Caroline is such an amazing surfer and has always inspired me, so it was really cool to share that final with her.”
From the start, Lindblad impressed with two strong runs to earn a 14.33 (out of a possible 20) heat total by the 20-minute mark with her dynamic forehand attack. Marks, in a combination situation, needed two scoring rides to catch Lindblad. Always a superstar on the surf, Marks tried to catch up, pulling out an impressive backhand and freefall action to land a 7.17. Then, in the final moments, she took one last stab to defend her title with a major maneuver. The score was 6.77, allowing Lindblad to beat her by just .4 points.
The road to the finals also saw a clash of Super Girls between Marks and Encinitas’ Alyssa Spencer, who took home the 2021 Super Girl title from the East Coast competition in Jacksonville, Fla. Spencer, who has won every heat at QS regional events since her Jacksonville victory, fell short this time to stop her winning streak. Marks took control right away, catching two incredible waves to earn her an 8.17 and near-perfect 9.00 – the best score of the competition.
On the north side of the pier, Super Girl’s Longboarding Competition ran side-by-side with the shortboard. Rachael Tilly, also from San Clemente, was victorious in winning her first Super Girl cape, besting three-time WSL Longboard champion, Honolua Blomfield, who nabbed second.
Female empowerment is always the theme at Super Girl Pro festivities. Sunday’s event included an Adaptive Surf Heat as well as an inspiring female leadership panel with actress Jodie Sweetin (Full House, Fuller House); Allyson Witherspoon, CMO of Nissan USA; US Air Force fighter pilot, Mace Curren; Team USA track and field athlete, Chari Hawkins; professional gamer, Stephanie “missharvey” Harvey; and music artist, Kira Kosarin.
Weekend highlights also included the Super Girl Sound Session, an All-Female DJ Competition with DJ Dopamine spinning her way to the top. Esports took over the Festival Village with two events: an open Valorant Tournament and the Super Girl Gamer Pro Summer Championships with Misfits Black dominating for the win. Plus, the event offered free classes on the #GOALS Stage, a female comedy showcase, a women’s art exhibition, and sponsor activations throughout the south and north side of the Oceanside Pier.
