"Whoa, my mom just did a hang five! That was the best wave I've ever seen her on," exclaimed Lauren Ngan as she watched her mother, Cheryl MacGregor, compete in the Masters Division final round at the Roxy Wahine Classic. Mothers and daughters alike (dads and brothers too) gathered at San Clemente, California's San Onofre State Beach on Saturday, October 9, to watch women ages 15 and older compete in day one of this Roxy-sponsored annual contest.

The Roxy Wahine Classic is a good place to begin if you want to compete but aren't sure how to get started. MacGregor, of Dana Point, registered because her daughter Lauren was participating, despite never before having entered a contest. (Well, that and her husband and son were on a weekend vacation to the desert.) Little did MacGregor know that, hours later, she would be competing in the Masters final. Performances such as these come as a pleasant surprise to those who've never surfed competitively and are interested in seeing how they might do.

With more than 300 girls participating in the event over its two-day span, the Roxy Wahine Classic also provides the opportunity for wahines to showcase their surfing skills. The contest is open to girls and women of all ages who pay the $75 registration fee, and many justify this fee as being nominal for the yummy Hawaiian lunch and Roxy goodie bag included in the package. And it doesn't hurt to be given the opportunity to surf a peak at San Onofre with yourself and only five other competitors.

Contestants were given favorable conditions to work with, as a northwest swell brought consistent, three- to five-foot waves rolling into the beach -- ideal for noseriding. The morning began cold and foggy; most spectators were seen wearing sweatpants, hooded sweatshirts tied tight and coffee cups in hand. But the waves were pumping, and while there was a light onshore wind, conditions stayed glassy for most of the day.

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