Cocktails and Stories at the Wahine Reunion of Spirit
August 18, 2006
On a Monday in late July, 2006, at the famed Willow's restaurant in Honolulu, 18 pioneer women pro surfers from the 1960s and '70s arrived from around the Pacific for the Wahine Reunion of
the Spirit.
These were the women who surfed throughout the Hawaiian Islands and rode the big waves and paved the path for womens pro surfing as we know it today. Ninety-eight percent are still surfing.
These women gathered to celebrate women's surfing world wide, but more importantly to honor and surprise the first-ever women's world champion: Australia's Phyllis O'Donell. At 69, Phyillis is still surfing, boarding and swimming in Australia and Hawaii.
In attendance were former professionals Jericho Poppler Bartlow (California); Mauii's Nancy Emerson former (global surf school icon), and Laura Blears (the first woman to win competing against the men in 1974 at Sunset Beach); Oahu's Lynne Boyer, Becky Benson, Jeannie Chesser, Linda Sugihara, Toni Stickler and Susan Walker; Kauai World champion Sharron Weber, Leola Lake, Brenda Scott Rogers, Liz Benavidez (1984 WCT top finisher; and Big Island's Sherri Carney.
Also present were longtime supporters and promoters of women's surfing: Aunty Moku & Uncle Wally Froiseth, Randy Rarick, Bernie Baker, Jack Shipley, Town and Country's director Craig Sugihara, and Mrs. Bebe Benson.
The Reunion of Spirit was sponored by Surfclinics.com, Town and Country Hawaii, Dakine Hawaii and Nancy Emerson School of Surfing on Oahu.
Other World champions sadly unable to attend were World champions Joyce Hoffman, Margo Oberg, Debbie Beacham, Joey Hamaski, Josette Lagardere, Lani Gay, Blanche Benson, Sally Prange, Patti Panicia, Luana Froiseth, Evie Black and MaryLou Drummy.
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