Jen Smith Wins A World Championship; Keeps the Title in San Diego

Jen Smith Wins A World Championship; Keeps the Title in San Diego

The 2007 ASP Women’s World Longboard Championship concluded July 15 in Biarritz France, with a jubilant Jennifer Smith taking the win with an impressive and well-balanced performance wire to wire. The Yankee rider came up just short a year ago in the final, edged out by fellow American Schuyler McFerran, the 2006 Roxy ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion. With her win, Smith became the second American – no, scratch that – San Diegan to win the WWLC title since the event was ASP sanctioned for the first time in 2006.
Smith, saying she felt blessed, noted that her board selection this year probably boosted her performance to the winner’s circle.
"I rode my heavier board in these offshore conditions," Smith said. "It allowed me to get into the waves way earlier than my lighter board. It glides so well, and longboarding is all about the glide."
Smith conceded that her final opponent, France’s Justine Dupont, surfed well enough to keep her competitive drive in high gear throughout the heat. To Dupont’s credit, it was only her first professional competition.
"I was really on edge throughout the final," Smith said. "Justine is such a good surfer and has been getting really high scores throughout the whole event. She's only 15 and I have six years on her. She's not going anywhere. In six year's time, she is going to be absolutely annihilating it."
Dupont was less than impressed with her personal performance.
"I didn't surf well in the final and didn't deserve to win," Dupont said. "But this whole week still feels like a dream. I can't really believe what I've achieved."
One Dupont achievement: ousting Aussie Chelsea Williams in the semifinal thanks to an unusually strong start. Williams noted that although she placed third this year, compared with fifth place last year, she considered her own performance fairly lackluster.
Smith also beat out Janna Irons of Hawaii in a semifinal round that Irons called “a really bad surf” in terms of her own performance. Still, contest purse money will ensure that these surf divas can continue honing their craft for at least the remainder of the summer.
 
Roxy ASP WWLC Final Results
Jennifer Smith (USA) 11.00 def. Justine Dupont (FRA) 11.50
 
Roxy ASP WWLC Semifinal Results – 1st to Final, 2nd eliminated
Semifinal 1: Justine Dupont (FRA) 11.50 def. Chelsea Williams (AUS) 7.95
Semifinal 2: Jennifer Smith (USA) 11.00 def. Janna Irons (HAW) 9.00