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INSIDE SCOOP
Sage Erickson dishes on the key players for NSSA Nationals Open Women
By:
Sage Erickson
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June 24, 2007
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Nationals: For so many kids up and down the West Coast, East Coast and Hawaii, 10 days at the end of June signifies the pinnacle of 12 long months of hard work in and out of the water -- training, passing tests, doing homework, sharpening claws during grueling regional contests.
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This year the format's been changed from six-man heats to four-man heats, with 20 minutes for each heat, starting with the quarterfuinals (instead of 15). "That gives you a better chance to be selective and get the right one," says Ventura's Sage Erickson, a 16-year-old Governor's Cup contender. "Plus it prepares you for the 'QS since that's how they do it." So who's Sage up against for that Open Women Title? We let her suss out her competition in her own words and talk about a few different scenarios that could possibly go down. --Ed The competition is stacked this year. The level's gone way up in the past couple of years and you've got to be the best of the best to make the Open Women's Final. The Hawaiians have stepped it up another notch and it's been cool surfing with girls like Coco Ho and Alessa Quizon at Salt Creek all week. They push me. And then of course, there's Carissa; she's already set the standard for all the girls. I can see a few different things happening for the final: 1. The team scenario: Say it's Carissa and Coco and Courtney Conlogue and me. That final would become sort of a face-off between Hawaiians and Californians. Well, we're each naturally going to feel camaraderie towards our fellow Californian or Hawaiian. I could see surfers starting to tactically block waves for each other. Plus, that would be an all-regularfoot heat. 2. It very well could be an all-Hawaiian final, though: Carissa, Coco and Malia Manuel. And for the fourth -- you never know. Last year, Kekoa Cazimero won Open Men's and the year before that he lost in his first heat. You can't underestimate anyone. Bethany Hamilton could surprise people; she didn't do that great throughout the season, but she always steps it up. Or Alana Mock from Oahu and Nage Melamed from Kauai. Like I said, the Hawaiians are super strong. "Last year, Kekoa Cazimero won Open Men's and the year before that he lost in his first heat. You can't underestimate anyone."
-- Sage Erickson
4. If it's big: Carissa. Period. But on the other hand, Bethany's tall and has impressed me since we were little -- she's always been the first one to paddle out in good size and not hesitate. Alana Blanchard won the women's Pipe WQS two years in a row so she'd be a good bet. I saw Florida's Amy Nicholl in Portugal at the ISA World Juniors and she looks like she's surfing a lot better. And me -- I'm bigger than a lot of people. MORE WOMENS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |
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