FINAL PRO DIVISION RESULTS
1. Melanie Bartels (Hawaii) 10.75 -- $3,500
2. Keala Kennelly (Hawaii) 9.75 -- $2,200
3. Heather Clark (South Africa) 7.75 -- $1,800
4. Jessi Miley-Dyer (Australia) 6.50 -- $1,300
SEE AMATEUR RESULTS
Go To Photo Gallery.

by Darlene Conolly

One of Southern California's most eclectic communities was host to one unique surf contest, SG's Third-Annual Queen of Surf, over the weekend of June 12-13, 2004. The event, in partnership with Boarding for Breast Cancer and Op Girls Learn to Ride, was an all-girls, four-star rated WQS pro event worth $20,000, also offering four amateur divisions for girls of all ages and abilities, and novice surf instruction. Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, California, was the perfect location for Queen of Surf, as it attracted tons of media coverage and spectators who were all eager to watch some of the world's best female surfers compete and the local ladies show off their surfing talent in the two- to five-foot surf under the sunny SoCal sky.

Marie Pierre Abgrall surfed well, but couldn't get past the quarter-finals.

The two-day event was wrapped up on Sunday with outstanding performances by all the finalists competing in the Open Shortboard (16 and older), Open Longboard, Princess (13 to 15), and Mermaid (12 and younger) divisions. Then, as the horn sounded the start of the highly anticipated WQS final, everyone stopped in their tracks to watch. During the 30-minute heat, spectators roared with cheers for Oahu, Hawaii's Melanie Bartels as she consistently carved wave after wave. In the end, Bartels was rightfully crowned as the 2004 Queen of Surf, edging out fellow Hawaiian Keala Kennelly, Australia's Jessi Miley-Dyer, and South Africa's Heather Clark. "It was sick how much really good talent there is here," Bartels commented, "all these good surfers really push my surfing."

For more details on this event and Boarding for Breast Cancer, look out for the upcoming "Queen of Surf" feature in the October 2004 issue of SG Magazine.

Leilani Gryde.