OCEANSIDE, Calif. – The Paul Mitchell Neon Supergirl Pro QS6,000 caped Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA) its 2017 winner after a marathon finals day at the Oceanside Pier. This marks Conlogue’s second Supergirl Pro victory, her first since 2009, after a hard-fought battle with fellow Championship Tour (CT) and Californian Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA).
The Final was an absolute battle as Erickson came out firing on her backhand with a 7.83 (out of a possible 10) and quickly backed it up on her forehand — earning a 4.66. But, Conlogue responded with a 6.83 of her own before pulling the event’s highest single-scoring wave on an incredible, single-maneuver and earning a near-perfect 9.77. The current CT No. 5 showcased her innovative and progressive skill with the massive air-reverse she spun out of in the whitewater.
Conlogue and Erickson have been hoping to face each other in a Final this year, each saying the other inspires them to perform at their best. Erickson took her support of her final opponent literally, as she helped carry Conlogue in her victory “chair up” from the surf.
“After being the runner-up a few times, I’m definitely stoked to get the cape back,” Conlogue said following her win. “The opportunity to surf against Sage in the Final was a big highlight of this event. I haven’t been able to compete against her in a Final in a long time and every time we surf against each other, she brings out the best of me. I just know it’s always going to be a fun heat and she always lays it down, so when she opened with that seven, I just knew it was going to be one of those heats. It was a great way to end this event.”
“I hold this contest high up on my priority list to do well, I feel a sense of comfort here and responsibility to perform well for all my friends and family,” Erickson said. “It was a dream to be in a Final with Courtney again, especially here in California. We have so many memories together and we’re at a point where we love and encourage each other, but I still wanted to beat her.”
Erickson went on a tear through finals day taking down Australian Holly Wawn (AUS) in Round Six before eliminating defending Supergirl Pro winner Coco Ho (HAW) in the Quarters and 15-year-old phenom Caroline Marks (USA) in the Semifinals. Her dominating backhand attack was on display throughout the day that helped propel her to a Finals appearance. Falling shy of her third Supergirl Pro title didn’t hinder the Ventura, California surfer’s spirits as she now sits at No. 1 on the QS rankings.
Marks’ Supergirl Pro dream run was ended by Erickson in the semi-finals, but she walked away with vital experience and 3,550 points. 2015 Supergirl Pro winner Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) unleashed her backhand once more en route to a Semifinal finish — falling to eventual winner Conlogue.
But, a huge bonus for Weston-Webb and Erickson was walking away with a brand new Nissan Rogue Sport and a $5,000 donation to charity for standing out as Supergirls — based on a combination of competition results and social media outreach. The program results came down to a tie between the two surfers, which was decided by a coin-flip that Weston-Webb won. To show their support for the surfers and the event, Nissan doubled down and presented Erickson with a car of her own.
“Nissan is excited to be the official automotive sponsor of the Neon Supergirl Pro, as well as presenter of the “Super Sport Award,” said Jason Stoicevich, Nissan Regional Vice President, who announced the winners on stage during the Awards Ceremony. “It was inspiring to see so many female athletes come together and support one another throughout the competition. Nissan is looking forward to building upon these key relationships in the lifestyle sports community.”
“It’s such an amazing thing for Nissan to do for women’s surfing, showing that they really believe in us,” Weston-Webb added. “It’s really awesome to be a part of this inspirational event with such an incredible prize.”
“This weekend is all about female empowerment,” said Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment, the event’s producer. “The Supergirl Pro was created with the mission of providing opportunities for young women in areas where they are traditionally under-represented. It’s incredibly heartening to see all the young women that come out to watch these phenomenal athletes compete and find inspiration for their own dreams.”
Beyond the surf competition, the free event also featured live concerts on the Supergirl Pro Entertainment Stage by Bea Miller, Drake Bell, Skylar Stecker, Aaron Carter, Spencer Sutherland and 15 more artists; the inaugural Supergirl Gamer Pro – the only female-driven multi-title esports tournament in the U.S.; meet-and-greets with top pros; a Celebrity Surf Invitational; and so much more.
For more detailed information on the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro, please visit www.supergirlpro.com
