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Thursday, March 28, 2024

PHOTOS & RESULTS: Local surfer delivers ‘standout performance’ at Wahine Classic

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The Wrightsville Beach Wahine Classic last weekend allowed a rising local surf star to add more trophies to her collection after she took first-place finishes in three categories and second in another.

“We had a standout performance from Leah Thompson,” said Jo Pickett, tournament organizer.

Thompson, 15, of Wrightsville Beach, won first place in the open shortboard, the premier event during the annual female surf tournament that attracted more than 90 entrants this year. She also took first place in junior women’s shortboard and second place in pro longboard. In the tandem event, which doesn’t award a trophy but is a crowd favorite, she shared first place with her partner Madeline Eckel.

Thompson’s win comes after she was named Rookie of the Year in July’s National Scholastic Surfing Association championships in Huntington Beach, California, and won girls shortboard at the 2015 Wahine Classic. For Thompson, this year’s victories are another confidence booster before her next big tournament, the Eastern Surfing Association Championships in Nags Head, North Carolina, Sept. 18-24, where she will compete in the youth 16 and youth 18 shortboard and junior women’s longboard divisions against some of the top surfers from across the East Coast.

“I love competing, it pushes me to get better,” Thompson said. “The contests that have more competition make me want to practice more and get better.”

Several of the surfers said they were pleased with the wave size and quality, though they were breaking close to shore, for this year’s competition.

“They were better than I was expecting,” Thompson said of the waves. “I was really excited when I first saw them, they looked so fun.”

Leilani Pickett, the tournament organizer’s daughter and an entrant for every Wahine Classic since its 1997 debut, said the waves were better than most years.

“We were really blessed with the wave quality,” she said.

Leilani Pickett observed that while the Wahine Classic began mostly with adult women surfers, the tournament has gradually grown into one that features girls and young women.

On Saturday, the waves weren’t ideal at the 8 a.m. start, as calm conditions created glassy water with mostly small waves that broke close to the shore.

As the surf grew a little bigger into the afternoon, the younger surfers found they had a better opportunity to catch the waves and more time to make turns. For the pint-sized surfers in the 11-and-under Guppy division, the small waves were plenty of challenge for them.

“In the morning, you had to pop up really early because it would break fast, but now it’s easier,” said 11-year-old Madison Hruska of Kure Beach after her afternoon shortboard heat in her first Wahine Classic.

At 4 foot, 8 inches and 55 pounds, 11-year-old Julia Boos of Carolina Beach said the waves were just right for her.

“It was kind of tricky, the smaller waves were harder to catch,” Boos said, noting that she “kind of has an advantage” with her size.

“If there was barrel, it would be easier for me to fit,” she said.

Riding the waves close to shore meant skinned elbows and knees, harder falls and more danger for the surfers.

“We’ve had blood, we’ve had broken fins,” announcer Mike Beech said to the contestants. “You’re just making yourself tougher.”

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Photos and results below:

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Pro Longboard

1st Cat Sizemore – Folly Beach, SC

2nd Leah Thompson – Wrightsville Beach, NC

3rd Carly Carter – Wrightsville Beach, NC

4th Julia Eckel – Wrightsville Beach, NC

Stand Up Paddleboard

1st Carrie Copenhaver – Virginia Beach, VA

2nd Saylor Emmart – Wrightsville Beach, NC

3rd Jenna Blackburn – Wrightsville Beach, NC

4th Ella Newkirk – Wrightsville Beach, NC

Girls Longboard

1st Reece Blue – Wilmington, NC

2nd Katelyn Sewell – Wilmington, NC

3rd Olivia Wendell – Pauley’s Island, SC

4th Saylor Emmart – Wrightsville Beach

Open Shortboard

1st Leah Thompson – Wrightsville Beach

2nd Olivia Wendell – Pauley’s Island, SC

3rd Swain Curtin – Virginia Beach, VA

4th Terry Green – Garden City, SC

Junior Women Longboard

1st Bailey Kaiser – Charleston, SC

2nd Rose Steingold – Folly Beach, SC

3rd Ragan Curtin – Virginia Beach, VA

4th Hadie Winslow

Girls Shortboard

1st Katelyn Sewell – Wilmington, NC

2nd Saylor Emmart – Wrightsville Beach, NC

3rd Gabby Viorel – Wrightsville Beach, NC

4th Alyssa Parker – Wilmington, NC

Women Longboard

1st Samantha Newkirk – Wrightsville Beach, NC

2nd Swain Curtin – Virginia Beach, VA

3rd Carrie Copenhaver – Virginia Beach, NC

4th Trish Steingold – Folly Beach, SC

Junior Women Shortboard

1st Leah Thompson – Wrightsville Beach, NC

2nd Michaela Boone – Wilmington, NC

3rd Caitlin Biggs

4th Sarah Bimson – Folly Beach, SC

Guppy

1st Ella Champion

2nd Annie Mulligan

3rd Natalie Fox

4th Julia Boos – Carolina Beach, NC

Women Shortboard

1st Leilani Pickett – Wrightsville Beach, NC

2nd Samantha Newkirk – Wrightsville Beach, NC

3rd Swain Curtin – Virginia Beach, VA

4th Terry Green – Garden City, SC

Tandem

1st Leah Thompson / Madeline Eckel

2nd Sarah Brimson / Ragan Curtin

3rd Samantha Newkirk / Alyssa Parker

4th Mary Lamporte / Lexi Poindexter

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