Honda U.S. Open of Surfing
Presented by O'Neill

Men's 6 Star WQS Event #22
Women's 6 Star WQS Event #22
Grade 2 Men's ASP Junior Event
Grade 2 Women's ASP Junior Event
Huntington Beach California
18 - 27 July 2008

Hawaii’s Coco Ho Soars to New Heights and Wins the Supergirl Junior Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 26 July, 2008 : - - In front of record crowds, Coco Ho (Oahu, HI) ripped through the waves in Huntington Beach, Calif. this afternoon to win the 2008 Supergirl Junior Pro surfing competition.  With just five minutes left on the clock, Ho battled through the tough surf with aggressive style and form that impressed the judges and the crowd to claim the victory.

Besting competitors Nikita Robb (East London, South Africa), Sage Erickson (Ventura, Calif.) and Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, Calif.), Ho accepted her $3,000 check presented by S3 Supergirl Jam surfing host committee member Kassia Meador.

“Since I was given the wild card for this event, I’m over the moon with excitement,” said Ho as she donned the symbolic Supergirl Junior Pro winning cape.  “I have fulfilled my goal of making the quarters of the women’s WQS and the finals, as well as the [Supergirl] Junior Pro, so it feels great.”

Second place finisher Nikita Robb was equally as excited.  “This is my best result this year.  I’m happy that the Junior Pro is being put back on the schedule.”

While the surfers were battling it out in the water, the skateboarding ‘actionistas’ were riding the ramps in the Skateboard Vert and Inline Rail Jam Best Trick contests.  Throngs of fans swarmed the stands to watch the women push the limits of the courses and their own personal flair. 

After a 30-minute, best trick session, Soul Bowl winner Mimi Knoop nearly claimed her second S3 Supergirl Jam victory this weekend with a “frontside-invert” but was rocked to second place when Sao Paulo Brazil’s Karen Jones landed a “pop-shoveit” to capture first place.  Rounding out the top four were Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins (Cardiff, Calif.) and Cara-Beth Burnside (Encinitas, Calif.).

The girls pulled out all the stops in the Inline Rail Jam, wowing the spectators with their creativity and daring tricks.  They cheered on each other, supporting their fellow competitors in true Supergirl style.  Crowd favorite Fallon Hefferman (San Francisco, Calif.) performed an impressive “backside top acid backside royale” to secure third place, conceding second to Slovakia’s Martina Svobodova whose “true spin topside royale” brought loud cheers. 

However, it was the coolness and style of 16-year-old Chynna Weierstall’s “unity step acid” that brought the most rousing reaction from the crowd and the highest scores.  In her first pro event, Weierstall decisively took first place as Brazil’s Crissi “G” Graselli hoisted her high above the crowd in celebration.

In Skateboard Street Prelim action, Huntington Beach’s Lauren Perkins advanced to Sunday’s finals with the highest qualifying score, followed by Tamara Drybrough (Port Coquitlam, Canada), Evelien Bouilliart (Aalter, Belgium), Sophie Poppe (Gent, Belgium), Eliana Sosco (São Paulo, Brazil), Brooke Durgin (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Rebecca Syrcopoulos (Long Beach, Calif.). 

These young ladies will be joined by five of last year’s S3 Supergirl Jam top finalists Vanessa Torres (Anaheim, Calif.), Amy Caron (San Francisco, Calif.), Leticia Bufoni (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Lorena Lima (Sayreville, NJ), and Rachel Reinhard (Colorado Springs, Colo.).  With 2007’s S3 Supergirl Jam Skateboard Street winner Lacey Baker (Covina, Calif.), pulling out of the competition due to injury in the days just prior to the start of this year’s event, the door has opened for a new talent to claim the top podium.

The final day of the S3 Supergirl Jam starts tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. with the snowboard rail jam preliminary rounds that will include some of the best snowboard rail riders and 15 tons of snow on the beach, followed by skateboard street finals at 12:00 p.m. 

S3 Supergirl Jam is designed to promote and celebrate female strength, independence and empowerment by creating a platform for today’s athletes to compete in multiple action sports disciplines.  The event features top female athletes in surf, skate and snow, as well as female bands and a variety of other activities. 

This year’s S3 Supergirl Jam features elevated levels of competition, increased prize purse, and broadened appeal for spectators. The S3 Supergirl Jam will air as part of event producer ASA Entertainment’s TV programming on CBS Sports and cable television.  Please stay tuned to s3supergirljam.com or check your local listings for more broadcast details.

ASA Entertainment, the largest action sports event, TV and content production company in the U.S., owns and manages the S3 Supergirl Jam with its partner, Warner Bros Consumer Products. For complete Day One results of the S3 Supergirl Jam please visit s3supergirljam.com 

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