The annual Wrightsville Beach Wahine Classic surf contest for girls and women held its first day, with at least 90 competitors surfing in a variety of events. Wave conditions weren’t ideal at the 8 a.m. start, as calm conditions created favorable glassy water, but mostly small waves that broke close to the shore.
As waves got a little bigger into the afternoon, the smaller 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 gave them the
“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
“It was kind of tricky, the smaller waves were harder to catch,” said Boos, noting that she “kind of has an advantage” with her size. “If there was barrel, it would be easier for me to fit.”
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,” said announcer Mike Beech to the contestants. “You’re just making yourself tougher.”
Haven Habret, 13, of Wilmington was in her first surf contest, after two years of surfing.
“I felt more pressure at first,” said “But then I thought about what they judge
Habret said judges are looking for how surfers drop in, how they go down the line, how many maneuvers they do and how they finish.
Habret joined her friend Saylor Emmart, 13, of Wilmington, in the tandem surf, the final event of the contest.  This event features a pair of surfers on the board, mostly longboards or paddleboards, and performed acrobatic tricks to impress the crowd. Their go-to move would be the wheelbarrow position, but were ready to try the “rodeo” move where one surfer mimics riding the other like a horse, waving their hand in the air like twirling a lasso.
The Wahine Classic continues Sunday at 8Â a.m. Access Nos. 37 and 38, south of Crystal Pier.
