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CALIFORNIA'S COMEBACK
Courtney Conlogue and Sage Erickson put their rivalry aside to produce a one-two finish at NSSA Nationals
By: Evan Fontaine
Photos: All photos: Tom Cozad
WOMEN CALIFORNIA'S COMEBACK
June 30, 2008
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An Open Women's Final without Carrissa Moore and Coco Ho -- the heat sheet confirmed it but you still didn't believe it.
 
But the odds on favorites were out with Carissa passing on the event altogether and Coco ousted early so proud parents of could be contenders dug their feet in and braced themselves for a wide open run to The Cup.

Going into the morning semifinal, two Californians -- Courtney Conlogue and Sage Erickson -- put their healthy rivalry on hold to show a little gamesmanship, making a backroom pact: A promise to help the other when necessary to ensure that both advanced and, most importantly, that the Californian side wasn't shutout at a venue they hold close to their heart (after all, you'll see either girls out surfing Lowers on any given day, summer or winter). Their strategy came in handy as Courtney found herself blocking for Sage on a left toward the end of the heat and that wave
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CALIFORNIA'S COMEBACK
A second place in Explorer Women isn't a shabby way to finish the year for Byrne-Wickey. Photo: Tom Cozad
ended up getting her into the final. "Courtney kind of helped me," Sage said. "She gave me a left when she saw that I needed a backup score."
"I've been working since I was 10 years old to get in this spot so I'm really happy right now."
-- Courtney Conlogue
"Hopefully we can work together a bit and just get the best waves we can," she continued before the final. "I'm actually pretty excited that Courtney's in the final too because we're both from California, and it's like two Californians against two Hawaiians." She was talking, of course, about Leila Hurst and Malia Manuel who had been ripping all week and should have made for a serious nail biter, but the final was, well, slow. Wave starved and lull ridden, midway through the heat there had only been three waves scored. Sage distanced herself from the pack with an explosive backside chop that was the biggest of the day -- and maybe the contest. She led going into the latter half of the heat until Courtney racked up high scores on two solid waves. "I was waiting for 15 minutes," Courtney said. "All the girls started getting exchanges and I was still waiting on the outside. I was just like, 'I gotta get a wave. I gotta get a wave. Come to me.' I was just trying to stay relaxed. I was panicking inside, but I was trying to stay relaxed, so once a wave came I wasn't all jittery and wouldn't blow it." And she didn't.

As for the Hawaiians, Leila and Malia, they never really found their stride and were non-factors. In the end, the strategy that saw the Californians through never surfaced in the final. Courtney separated herself with a graceful power and seamless transitions. Her efforts earned her the Open Women's title while Sage finished a strong second. "There's not even words for it right now," Courtney said as she stood shell shocked at the water's edge. "I've been working since I was 10 years-old to get in this spot so I'm really happy right now."


Open Women
1. Courtney Conlogue $2,500 (courtesy of No Fear)
2. Sage Erickson
3. Leila Hurst
4. Malia Manuel

Explorer Women
1. Leila Hurst
2. Monyca Byrne-Wickey
3. Alessa Quizon
4. Demi Boelsterli
5. Lakey Peterson
6. Nage Melamed

Explorer Girls
1. Leila Hurst
2. Malia Manuel
3. Nage Melamed
4. Kelia Moniz
5. Alisha Gonsalves
6. Lakey Peterson

College Women
1. Lauren Sweeney
2. Lipoa Kahaleuahi
3. Allie Brown
4. Erika Cook
5. Lauren McLean
6. Lily Howard

High School Women
1. Kelia Moniz
2. Coco Ho
3. Sara Taylor
4. Taylor Pitz
5. Rachel Harris
6. Alexa Dilley

Middle School Girls
1. Melina Smith
2. Lulu Erkeneff
3. Paige Ortiz
4. Candi Patterson
5. Nicole Hines
6. Torrey Miethke
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