TARANAKI, New Plymouth/NZL (Saturday, April 6, 2013) – Courtney Conlogue (USA), 20, has claimed the 2013 TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival featuring the Dow AgroSciences Pro today over Coco Ho (HAW), 21, in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Taranki’s Fitzroy Beach.
Event No. 4 of 7 on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT), the TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival delivered clean and rippable waves for the world’s best female surfers to perform on and culminated in dramatic fashion this morning between two of surfing’s rising stars.
“I put in a lot of hard work between last year and this year and I’m stoked to have it paying off with a win,” Conlogue said. “I’ve felt like I’ve been surfing well all year and have been building momentum up until this point. Really happy about today.”
Conlogue’s win today bumps the young Californian from 5th to 3rd on the 2013 ASP Women’s WCT rankings, within striking distance of the world surfing crown throughout the back half of the season.
“We’re halfway through so there is still opportunity ahead,” Conlogue said. “Carissa (Moore) and Tyler (Wright) have had such strong starts to the season and didn’t have as strong performances here to it’s opened up the race a bit. I’m feeling confident in my surfing and I’m going to give it a good run in Brazil.”
Today’s Runner-Up finish marked a season best for Ho today, vaulting the young Hawaiian from 9th to 7th on the ASP Women’s WCT rankings.
“Bummed I couldn’t keep it going into the Final but Runner-Up is a great result for me and taking down some big names is a great confidence boost for me,” Ho said. “Best result in a long while and we’re heading into Brazil where I have done well in the past. I feel like I have been surfing well all year and it’s a relief to finally get a solid result. Boards are going really well and I’m looking forward to the next stop.”
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 22, continued her impressive 2013 run in Taranaki, posting big wins before going down to Ho in this morning’s Semifinals. The young Australian’s Equal 3rd today, however, was not enough to stave off a rankings charge from Conlogue and Fitzgibbons was bumped down to 4th on the ASP Women’s WCT Rankings.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 25, reigning five-time ASP World Champion, was another favorite who looked strong this morning, posting a strong 13.97 out of a possible 20 for a bevy for forehand and backhand maneuvers. The Australian’s performance was no match, however, for an in-form Conlogue who halted the champ’s run in the Semifinals.
“Fun little waves out at Fitzroy this morning and a shame I couldn’t get through,” Gilmore said. “Congrats to Courtney (Conlogue) though – she is surfing really well. Next stop for us is Brazil and the waves can be similar there and hopefully not too small this year. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us this week in New Zealand.”
Highlights from the TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival featuring the Dow AgroSciences Pro are available via http://www.nzsurffestival.co.nz/
The next stop on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Billabong Rio Pro from May 8 – 14, 2013.
TSB BANK NZ SURF FESTIVAL FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.00 2 – Coco Ho (HAW) 9.27
TSB BANK NZ SURF FESTIVAL SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.47 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.97 SF 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 15.33 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.24
CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WCT TOP 5 (Following Completion of TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival):
1. Carissa Moore (HAW) 31,700 pts 2. Tyler Wright (AUS) 30,000 pts 3. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 26,900 pts 4. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 26,200 pts 5. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 24,700 pts
BIG Mahalo to Odina Surf for the donation of the amazing sustainable bathing suits for Ocean Girl Project!!
Odina is a clothing company that focuses on making fashionable and functional swimsuits that are also friendly to the environment. The Odina lifestyle is at one with the earth, the ocean and the future. Our company strives to be 100% eco-conscious in all of our decisions yet we place equal value in performance and fashion. Odina means divine creative inspiration and our inspiration lies in creating fashionable, functional and high quality swimwear from recycled plastic fabrics and reclaimed fabrics.
The idea began a few years ago when a designer of swimwear for many years, came together with a young eco-enthusiast. Their mission was to make swimsuits that not only complimented a woman’s figure but also her passions. They worked with surfers, not models, to get feed back on fit and function; with women that are exploring the world, surfing jaw-dropping waves and helping the planet that they love, to test their product. Through the process the Odina team tested a number of sustainable fabrics and a variety of recycled fibers before finding one that met their demands. The various styles underwent the same testing, with many success stories. The result was a suit that not only looked great, but rose to any challenge and Odina was born.
Typical of the blend of function and style is the In the Curl bottom. The Brazilian style bottom with banded sides and T-strap top is a favorite with the surfers for its great Island style and exceptionally good fit, whether In the Curl or on the land.
Setting the standard in eco-swimwear, Odina has put thought into every aspect of production. From the thread to the tags, every step involves rethinking the standard practices of the garment business. All suits are manufactured in the U.S.A..
An Odina girl lives her life to the fullest but respects the earth and all its inhabitants. An Odina girl loves adventure but also loves her home. Above all, an Odina girl just loves living life and looking great doing it!
Hang Tags:
Printed on recycled paper from FCS certified sources.
Banners and other Marketing Materials:
We have done prints ranging from Wood to recycled Polyester made from water bottles. Are efforts are to be environmentally conscious with every footprint.
Others hear it even when living more than 100 miles from shore.
Even when growing up in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Colleen Kudo still heard the ocean. And she listened.
It was a message of surfing and sustainability, of green living on the Blue Planet known as Earth. It led to the creation of “Because We Surf” and the “Ocean Girl Project,” which includes surf camps for girls 14 and under.
“It just all came together,” said Kudo, who moved permanently to Hawaii in 2004. “I was the manager of Diamond Head Market & Grill, working with a lot of young women, a lot of them ‘ocean girls.’ We had time on our hands after work so we’d all go out and surf.”
But it wasn’t enough. When Kudo heard about critically ill neighbor island children in Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children whose families couldn’t afford airline tickets to visit during the holidays, “that became one of our first fundraisers,” she said. “We gave them tickets to be with their kids. Then someone told me about this high school coach who was cleaning out the channel in Ewa Beach by himself. So we decided to go help the guy.”
And so it has continued with the official launching of “Because We Surf” in 2008. Much like a wave builds, the organization continued to evolve, picking up momentum and adding the “Ocean Girl Project” to help meet the need for affordable and sustainable surf camps for young girls.
The lesson learned is that it does take a village to raise a surfer. The all-volunteer organization gives to the community and the community has given back.
Among the volunteers are pro surfers Nancy Emerson and Jeannie Chesser, and photographer Donna Welch. Emerson donates surfboards from her Nancy Emerson School of Surfing, Chesser passes along her expertise and Welch gives surf camp participants photos of their experiences.
The 52-year-old Kudo, the manager and an instructor for Emerson’s surf school, didn’t learn to surf until she was 30 and still living in California.
“I grew up in the desert but my family had ties to Hawaii,” she said. “During my teenage years, we spent time here. I never thought about surfing, but I always wanted to be in the water. The ocean is so healing. It is such a blessing.”
Kudo spent 17 years working with at-risk youth. That’s not the target group for the Ocean Girl surf camps.
“It’s for girls whose families are struggling but they’re in that gap where they aren’t considered at-risk,” she said. “A lot of them don’t have bathing suits, towels or can bring snacks. We’ve had people donate those, especially healthy snacks.
But honestly, I think all kids are at-risk without the love and support of all of us.
“But the camp is not about bikinis and playing. We start with a beach cleanup. Sometimes we have marine biologists speak, sometimes people from other non-profits do presentations. We teach CPR, ocean safety and respect for the ocean and reefs.
“We believe the ocean and surfing to be the ultimate classroom. What is very rewarding is when the girls who have gone through our program come back and help.”
The five-day camps are limited to 10 to 12 participants. The minimum requested donation is $100 but Kudo says financial aid is available.
The camps have been limited to summer months but there has been a discussion about adding one this winter.
“I think that sometimes the ocean just calls us,” Kudo said. “I teach surfing to people who are from everywhere, from Canada, Germany, Missouri. They could be 20, 30 or 60 (years old). What in the world would be their connection? It’s that strong desire to be in the water, just like I had.”
First day of Ocean Girl Project camp we do small beach clean-ups and learn about sustainability.
The girls are often curious as to why we do not use plastic bags or bottles or forks, spoons, or cups, do you get the idea??
After our first quick beach clean up, it becomes very clear and meaningful to all of us who love the ocean!
Hawaii & Sustainable Solutions Doing your part in Hawaii
What is sustainability? Simply, the responsible treatment of natural resources.
NO littering Be respectful and leave nothing but footprints on the beach and valleys. We are on small islands with finite resources, never ever litter.
Store Bags-plastic bags are the worst and most unnecessary plastic polluter of the ocean and easiest to replace.
Carry and shop with reusable sustainable bags. A single reusable bag can eliminate hundreds to thousands of disposable bags over its lifetime. Look for reusable bags that are made of strong sustainable material (not plastic), if the seller doesn’t know what the material is, go somewhere else, local health food stores, farmers markets and craft fairs are a good source or make your own. Bonus-many stores give discounts for bringing your own bag.
Plastic bottles- Plastic bottles along with plastic bags are the most common sources of plastic pollution found on our beaches and in the ocean. In the US alone, eight out of 10 (22 billion) plastic bottles will end up in a landfill-Container Recycling Institute.
The easiest solution is to carry reusable stainless steel water bottles and flasks and drink tap water!! It’s clean, safe and you already paid for it!! The Hawaii Board of Supply (hbws.org) states on their site: “The municipal water supply served to Oahu’s residents is safe to drink and use, and does not require treatment by a home filtration unit.” If you are still concerned you may want to purchase filtration systems. Buying soda and juice containers made from glass helps also.
Mahalo Nalu Hawaiian Spirit for providing reusable bags for the girls to use!
