An unbelievable performance by Summer Romero (San Diego, CA) in the Longboard Finals landed her first place and $750 in prize money on Saturday at Day 2 of the Hello Kitty Boardfest in Huntington Beach. Though clouds were present in the morning, the afternoon low tide brought sun and glassy conditions to the two- to four-foot waves in the finals. The deciding heat pitted Romero against Jen Smith, Ashley Lloyd, and Mary Grace Bagalso, solid competitors who surfed strongly in their previous heats, making the win a tough one to clamp down.

"In every heat there were two lefts that came through, and I lucked out," said Romero of the solid wave she caught halfway into the 30-minute heat. She dropped in smooth, launched forward to the tip for a nice noseride, and then retreated into a forehand re-entry, ending right before the pier. This exciting ride scored Romero a whopping 9.25, the highest wave score of the event so far. Combined with her opening wave of 7.5, Romero led with a total score of 16.75.

San Diego's Jen Smith also surfed impressively, with her strong and powerful style scoring her a 16.75 out of a possible 20 points on Friday (matching Romero for the top two-wave total of the event) and consistent scores of 7.0 and higher on Saturday. Smith ended the final heat with a nice backside left, shooting the pier and achieving a final score of 14.25. "I'm so stoked to see her doing well," Romero said of Smith's performance.

While the surfing was the most exciting event of the day, the other beach activities helped keep the energy levels high. Saturday's surf clinic had 40 girls in it, making the tag-team event complete chaos. Face painting, balloon-making, hula-hoop contests, and a moon bounce also made the day exciting for the little ones. Hello Kitty herself was in the house, taking Polaroid pictures with fans, and Moments in Grace rocked the Hello Kitty Stage with a midday performance. Stay tuned for Sunday, when the Boardfest concludes with the women's shortboard division. The surfing begins at 8 a.m. sharp.

Results
Longboard Division
1. Summer Romero
2. Jen Smith
3. Ashley Lloyd
4. Mary Grace Bagalso

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