Kyla Langen recently got a taste of the good life.
The Carlsbad High grad has spent the past two years travellingthe globe with nothing but a surfboard and a dream, trying toqualify for the prestigious women’s World Championship Tour.Hundreds try, but only six surfers per year move up to compete withthe best.
But last week, Langen got a chance to surf with the big girls.The 24-year old received a wild card entry into the O’Neill SunsetChallenge on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, a contest that is part ofthe Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and featured the best femalesurfers in the world.
The invitation came at the last minute, but Langen didn’t care.She took the first available flight to Hawaii and began practicingfor her big day. Langen, who grew up surfing the relatively smallwaves produced by North County beaches, had to prepare for themonster surf that is commonplace at Sunset Beach.
“I was surfing Sunset the whole week before the contest to getaccustomed to the bigger surf,” Langen said. “I had time to campout and try to acclimate myself to the conditions. Growing up inCarlsbad, I wasn’t around powerful waves like this. So I wanted toget out there as much as possible before the contest.”
Langen was a near-permanent fixture in the water leading up toWednesday’s contest. The surf was big, ranging from 6 to 8 feetduring the contest. Langen gave it her best shot but did notadvance past the first round. Australian Melanie Redman-Carreventually won the contest with a 15.33 in the final round.
Langen didn’t perform as well as she wanted to, but theexperience she gained was invaluable.
“This week’s been so exciting, by far one of the coolest surfingexperiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “To be invited to surfa*gainst the best 16 women in the world was quite an honor. It wasamazing during the event, seeing the experienced girls charge rightinto the big surf. I’d never seen anything like it. They werefearless.”
Langen wasn’t intimidated by the competition and believes thatshe can surf with the best.
“Surfing in this contest definitely made me realize that I canmake it at this level,” Langen said. “I didn’t do as well as Iwanted to, but I felt pretty comfortable in the water. I feel likeI can compete with girls like that.”
Langen always dreamed about surfing on the WCT, but she onlyplanned to pursue it for a year. She set out on the WorldQualifying Series tour right after graduating from UC Santa Cruzwith a degree in environmental science. If she didn’t qualify thatfirst year, Langen was going to give it up and get a real job.
While Langen didn’t make it, she wasn’t ready to quit. She triedagain this season and continued to move up the standings. She’s nowranked No. 25 and has sponsors that pay all of her travel expenses.Despite her recent success Langen knows that qualifying for the WCTcan be an arduous, often frustrating process.
“There are so few spots on the ‘CT that making one mistake earlyin a contest can really set you back,” Langen said. “For a day ortwo after something like that I think, ‘What am I doing? Why am Itrying?’ But then I get my head on straight and focus on doingbetter the next time.”
After a week with the WCT surfers, Langen’s more motivated thanever. Her heart’s set on qualifying and she won’t stop until shedoes.
“I’m getting better and better every year,” Langen said. “I justhave to stick with it and learn from my mistakes. If I can do that,I’m confident that I can make it.”
North County surfers sweep
The second Interscholastic Surfing Federation event of the year washeld Nov. 20 at Ponto in Carlsbad and surfers from the North Countywon every division. San Dieguito Academy’s Evan Luth (shortboard),Carlsbad’s Chris Zanetti (longboard) and Oceanside’s Colin Chambers(bodyboard) won boys titles while Michelle Loveland (shortboard)and Taylor Gonzalez (longboard) won the girls events.
Georgeson wins again
Australian Chelsea Georgeson won the Roxy Pro World ChampionshipTour contest on Nov. 24 in Hawaii, her third victory of the season.The win moved Georgeson into first place in the women’s WCTstandings with just one event left on the schedule. SofiaMulanovich isn’t too far behind, meaning Georgeson still will haveto give a strong performance at the Billabong Pro in Hawaii to winher first world title.
On the tube
No events scheduled.
Local events
- Today: Camp Pendleton Varsity Surf Contest, Del Mar Beach, CampPendleton
- Today: National Scholastic Surfing Association Juniors, SanClemente Pier
- Today-Sunday: Matix/Sun Diego Pro-Am No. 3, Scripps Pier, LaJolla
- Today-Sunday: Interscholastic Surfing Federation Inland HighSchool Event No. 3, La Jolla Shores
- Today-Sunday: NSSA SW Conference Open, Seaside Reef,Cardiff
- Sunday: Western Surfing Association Championship Tour Series,Salt Creek, Dana Point
- Dec. 11: ISF Middle School Event No. 2, Moonlight Beach,Encinitas
—— Scott Bair
The Action Sports Column runs every other Saturday. To suggeststory ideas, report local events or offer general comments, contactstaff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 orsbair@nctimes.com.
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