The scene was festive; the sun was shining, and the waves were firing in perfect conditions for last weekend’s annual Women on Waves Surf Fest longboarding contest at CapitolaBeach. LocalSan LorenzoValley surfers, April Martin-Hansen and Susie Deutsch couldn’t stop smiling after dominating their preliminary and final heats in the Juniors and Grand Masters age divisions, respectively.
Martin-Hansen, a senior at San LorenzoValleyHigh School, took first place in her preliminary heat in the Juniors Division (ages 13-17), thus directly advancing to the finals. In her final heat against the five other top finishers, she cross-stepped gracefully to nose ride after nose ride to take a first place finish overall. Deutsch, a Felton resident and avid surfer, placed first in her morning round against five others and second overall in her final heat, by catching some of the largest waves of the heat and riding them with style that wowed the judges.
Another local standout was Scotts Valley High student, Maddie Barton, who placed fourth overall in the Juniors Division with some long, skillful rides. And Casey Walsh, who lives in Los Altos Hills, but is on a local high school team called the Santa Cruz Mountains Surf Team, took second place overall in the Juniors Division, joining her Santa Cruz Mountains teammate, Martin-Hansen, at the winner’s podium.
The Women on Waves Surf Fest, founded in 1996, takes place every fall. Over the years it has raised $50,000 for the Santa CruzCounty community. Proceeds have benefited WomenCARE, a non-profit that supports women with cancer and their families, and Monarch Services (formerly, Women’s Crisis Support — Defensa de Mujeres), a non-profit that helps women and children subjected to domestic violence. According to organizer Sally Smith-Weymouth, “This year’s event was the biggest turnout in the 18 years that this event has been held — with 115 contestants, including 20 menehunes in the 12 and under category, and a 76-year old woman who surfed with the aid of a tandem partner.”
