Lauren Sweeney
Nickname: Sweenis
Stance: Regular
Goals: Win NSSA Nationals, Become a pro surfer. Live a simple and happy life
2nd Overall – NSSA Southwest Open Women
Achievements:
5th – NSSA Nationals 2002
4th - WQS Fosters Pro, Trestles
Media Coverage: interview in Surf Life for Women Magazine
Hobbies: Surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, biking and history
Sponsors: O'Neill, Rat Surfboards, Stay Covered, Gymamerica, Pipes Cafй, K-Five Futures Fins
Favorite Foods: Mexican
Favorite Movie: Shelter
Favorite Music: no particular type of music I listen to, there's a little bit of everything on my ipod so I just hit shuffle.
Favorite Moves: Barrels and gnarly turns
Favorite Motto: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
Craziest Injury: Nothing too gnarly, but last summer the nose of my board cut my face below my right eye, and it gave me a black eye for a week as well.
Best concert: This summer I went to a Ben Harper concert and Damien Marley opened for him. It was super sick because it was a small venue right on the san diego bay and my friends and I danced all night long, the music was awesome, and the atmosphere was irie.
Ever snowboard? I've been snowboarding for 5 seasons now and I love it. Laying down freshies in the powder is almost as good as getting barreled.
Ever sponge? Sponging is fun in a death beachbreak, but other than that, I'd rather surf.
Most Embarrassing Moment: I was at work and I said "you know what they say, when it pours it rains" well it's the other way around, it's obviously raining if it's pouring, so everyone at work laughed and till this day they still bring it up.
Traveled to: I've been to Tahiti, England, South Africa, Hawaii, Florida, and this summer I rode shotgun all the way down to the tip of baja with my friend Nick. I love surfing everywhere!!
Dream date: Celebs and pros are too hyped up on themselves for me, just a regular guy with a mellow personality and who likes the beach (hopefully surfing too) would be awesome.
Must Have O'Neill: My favorite product has to be the colorfull shortarm fullsuits, I love a nice new soft wetsuit with lots of color.
Dream session: Glassy overhead a-frames with nobody out except me and my friends and everytime you paddle back out after a wave, you see your buddy get barreled and you can't contain yourself, so you let out a hoot for them and they slide by under the curtain.
In 5 years: Wow, I'll be 25 years old, a UCSD graduate, and hopefully on the wct and close to winning a world title. Oh yeah, above all HAPPY!
Currently focusing on: I'm focused on graduating from UCSD in June of 2008 with a B.A. in History, also trying to travel and keep my seed on the wqs, so when I finish school I can qualify.
Can't live without: Ice cream
Malia Manuel Wins VQS Hillbilly Stomp
Ian Crane Gets 2nd
O'Neill Rider Malia Manuel takes top honors at the VQS Hill Billy Stomp held this past weekend at Newport's 54th street. She outshined the competition in the fun 3-5' surf by surfing fast, loose, and progressive. She was able to secure the victory in solid fashion by snapping, slicing, and demolishing every wave she rode.
"The event had fun waves and a great atmosphere. I am pretty stoked right now," says winner Malia Manuel.
She should be stoked because with her win she earned a boat load of prizes and $4,000.00 US dollars and the title as the Champion of Mountain Mommas! This is another big victory after last year's US Open win and will prove to be a nice confidence builder before the NSSA Nationals coming up in June.
Coming in second was Lauren Sweeny who also put on a solid display of power hacks and lip bashes that was good for $1,500.00, and following up was fellow team mate and Newport Beach resident and PacSun USASurf team member Kaleigh Gilchrist who finished 3rd. It was a powerful finish for O'Neill in the women's division, in fact it was Hill Billy domination.
Other big results were newest team member Ian Crane's 2nd place in the 16 and under division where he collected $2,000.00 big bucks and prizes equal to it. He was on point all event posting big scores in every heat and really applied some great rail surfing to achieve this big result.
In the honorable mention category Maui Surfer Matt Meola placed fourth in the Airshow and hucked the biggest backside air reverse and the crowd went nuts! Unfortunately the judges deemed that he didn't ride through it. But none-the-less he was still awarded the "Move of The Day" for an air he landed the prior day and he had the crowd stoked on his performance through out the event.
Congratulations to all competitors!
Mountain Mommas (Girls)
1. Malia Manuel
2. Lauren Sweeney
3. Kaleigh Gilchrist
4. Demi Boelsterli
Porch Babies (Groms)
1. Ezekiel Lau
2. Ian Crane
3. Ian Gentil
4. Kolohe Andino
Grasshoppers (Air Show)
1. Torrey Meister
2. Killian Garland
3. Gavin Beschen
4. Matt Meola
Electric Bolt Thrower Move Of The Day Award:
Matt Meola
Most embarrassing moment?
When I was a rainbow warrior at the 2008 O'Neill Team challenge.
Favorite quote?
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow and learn as if you were to live forever" Gandhi
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate!
Glass on fins or fin systems? Why?
Doesn't matter. Just as long as the board works.
Favorite surf destination and wave?
The wave in front of my house in Baja.
Favorite maneuver?
Little nuggy barrels.
Celebrity crush?
Celebrities are over rated.
What's in your traveling quiver?
A couple of 5'8 squashes
Favorite website?
Surfline, so I can check the surf.
Sounds?
All music is rad!
Biggest influence in your life?
My dad.
Favorite Surfers?
My friends Tarzan, E.T., Poppy, and Rob because surfing with them is a blast!
What traits in a boy do you find most attractive?
Compassion.
Worst wipeout?
Went left at gas chambers this season and got rolled onto the inside. When I tried paddling back out a big set came and I thought I was going to drown, so I had to ride some whitewater in.
Words to live by?
I truly believe that in order to fully appreciate something, you have to make a conscious decision to separate yourself from it