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Banzai Betty will host First Ever Women's Stand Up Surfing Event at the Banzai Pipeline!

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 29/12 December 2004: - - After several years of controversy, contemplation and contempt women will finally get their day at the Pipeline. For years by-standers have wondered why women weren't included in the ASP event at Pipe, but surfers would always say it was because the world famous surf break was too dangerous for the women.

Even the women themselves have been divided about whether or not they would want to compete at Pipeline. For the past several years permits for Pipeline have been so tight that a women's event at Pipeline or any new surfing event seemed out of the question.

Ironically, local women surfers who have been getting edged out of the Northshore contests for the past several years may have been the catalyst which sealed the deal. Around the turn of the century, women lost their honorary event at Sunset, first to the WCT girls, then all together. As unfortunate as it was that the WQS at Haleiwa was once again limited to WCT girls it may have been the push the women needed to get their Pipe permit from the city.

The city saw that there were no professional surfing events in Hawaii all year for local women surfers and granted Banzai her plea for the Pipe. Not only will the contest do justice to local surfers, but it will also give all women surfers a new opportunity. Unlike the men's tour, speciality or extreme women are not offered a day of trials heats at breaks such as Teaupoo, Fiji, and Honolua and the WQS tour is composed of beach breaks and small surf. The Pipe event has the potential to breed a whole new generation of women surfers and women's events.

You couldn't find a better person than Banzai Betty to host the first ever women's surfing event at the Banzai Pipeline. With a nickname like Banzai, you shouldn't have to ask if she surfed the Pipeline; she also pioneered places like Waimea, and Sunset Beach back in the late 70s and early 80s. What brought Betty to the Northshore back then was a ticket which she had won as California WISA champion to compete in the Smirnoff Sunset Pro where she placed third. Since then Betty has been a strong force behind what has pushed women's surfing to a whole new level.

In the early 90s she began her career as a videographer, being one of the first women to film from the water and the first media personnel to really focus on the women, producing all women videos. It is from this perspective perhaps that most inspired Betty to have a women's contest at Pipe. "It is the most photographed wave" says Betty who explains how the variety of water angles and close proximity to the Beach will allow for great coverage which will "show off women's surfing"

On the other hand she explains that "Pipeline is not a wave for everyone, but the girls who do go out and appreciate a steep take off should have an opportunity to see where they stand against all the other women" and though many complain that women don't have the ability to surf Pipe Betty feels very passionately that "women should get the opportunity to try",

When shes not filming or surfing, Betty works at channel 2 with several tasks such as news production, audio, graphics, assistant director and of course the surf report. Other than being a competitive surfer rated in the top 10, Betty has a history of experience with directing, commentating and promoting surf contests. She helped to organize the WISA circuit back in the 70s and put together the first women's bodyboarding event at Pipeline in 1986. She has worked for companies such as XCEL, ASP and ESPN. When it comes to women's surfing; you might just call her the Queen B.

The first women's Pipe event will be held between the holding period of March 11-16 in conjunction with the women's bodyboarding championships to kick off their tour. Having women surfers and bodyboarders together is a whole new platform as well. It should be an interesting experience for the women to compete with other waterwomen instead of with the men. It should build new bridges in the world of womens sports.

www.BanzaiBetty.com

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