The party moved on to Haleiwa Joe's down the street, where the girls celebrated a banner year, boasting Sofia's new crown, Chelsea Georgeson's hard-fought finish as the 2004 WQS champion, and Honolulu wonder girl Carissa Moore's NSSA title sweep.

Roxy executive Danny Kwock, who doubled-down the finalists' prize money halfway through the final heat, making this $86,500 the highest purse in women's surfing history, underscored the significance of the day's events. "What these girls are doing is amazing. They're talented, they're beautiful, and they're role models for core surfers and non-surfers alike. Today is a new day in women's surfing. Roxy -- the company that put women's pro surfing on the map -- is going to up the ante, so that everyone else will step up," he said, giving special credit to Roxy team manager Rachel Greff, who engaged him in what was going on at the beach with the pro women and what they're accomplishing.

"It's a Cinderella story," he continued, recounting the days when Lisa Anderson and Layne Beachley were paving the Roxy girls' way to fame.

During her victory speech, Sofia honored Lisa and Layne as her longtime heroes, telling Lisa that years ago she had wanted her autograph but she was too shy to ask, and emphasizing to Layne in all sincerity, "You are such a good surfer." Sofia was clearly ecstatic to be living the moment, as the girls raised their glasses, hooting and chanting, "Sofi, Sofi!"

Veteran Lisa Anderson pointed out how far women's surfing has advanced, saying, "Whereas before girls might have settled for a big floater and then kicked out, now they're pulling into huge barrels, charging the lip, and going for the big close-out re-entries." She asked rising stars Coco Ho and Leilani Gryde, "Does that make you want to charge harder?" and they said, "Yeah, we want to go harder."

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Outgoing champion Layne Beachley summed it all up with a promising statement: "The future of women's surfing is in very safe hands."

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