She Tames the Waves Her Way

When bodysurfer Virginia Cartwright of Encinitas rides a wave, she applies a little aerospace engineering, a subject in which she has a degree from San Diego State.

Sound strange? It works fine for Cartwright, who will participate in the World Bodysurfing Championships today through Sunday at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside.

Last year, Cartwright, 30, finished first in the women’s 18-and-over division, as she did in 1980, ‘83, ‘84, ’85 and ’87. In 1983, she was the tournament’s grand champion.

“Most people think of bodysurfing as flopping in the wave on their bellies,” Cartwright said. “I’ve developed a style that’s completely original.”

Original and carefully planned. Cartwright has become a student of the ocean, and her engineering knowledge serves her well. She knows the angles and the body positions that help her achieve maximum efficiency in the water.

Cartwright’s biggest innovation is her two-handed style. Most bodysurfers ride waves with one hand extended and one at their side. Cartwright has found that extending two hands in front of her helps her glide down the front of the wave quicker, creating less friction and giving her a more balanced ride. It also makes her more visible to the judges.

Others are beginning to adopt Cartwright’s style.

“I’ve noticed a lot of people have started to use two arms now,” she said.

And she’s getting credit for it.

“We call it the Virginia Style,” said Tom Rutherford, a friend and fellow bodysurfer from Pacific Beach. “It’s especially good for her body. It makes her a little more sleek in the water.”

Hand and body position is only part of Cartwright’s success formula. She places a great deal of importance on knowing her surroundings and carefully picking waves. She varies her practice times each day to experience different tide levels, wave sizes and sun positions.

“She excels in wave knowledge,” said Larry Bye, a San Diego bodysurfer. “She can pick out the spot on the wave. Her positioning is just outstanding.”

Cartwright figures to put all of her ability and her nine years of experience to good use at this weekend’s championships, which has 336 entrants. Participants from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hawaii and all over the United States will be divided into seven men’s and three women’s divisions. Tournament coordinator Joe Bingham said the contest is the biggest of its kind in the world.

Competition will begin at 7 a.m today and 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Contestants have 12 minutes to showcase their skills and are judged on ability to ride on the shoulder of the wave (rather than the white water), the length of the ride and the difficulty of their maneuvers. The winner of each division qualifies for Sunday’s grand championships, which determine the tournament’s overall winner. Last year, Cartwright was edged by Tim Casinelli of Leucadia.

This year, Cartwright is surfing for two; she and her husband, Jay Swope, are expecting a baby in five months. She recently quit her engineering job at Sundstrand Turbomach, but continues to practice nearly every day. Cartwright hasn’t noticed much difference in her bodysurfing, except she’s riding a little higher in the water. And she gets tired more easily.

“I think I was in better shape last year,” she said. “I weigh 10 pounds more, but I don’t look pregnant. I just look fat.”

Knowing Cartwright, Bye and Rutherford don’t expect her to be anything less than magnificent this weekend.

“She approaches the ocean in a very competitive manner,” Bye said. “She’s very aggressive in the water. I’ve seen Virginia stay in the water literally hours at a time.

“I don’t know anyone who enjoys it more than she does.”

Except on occasions when her territory is invaded by inconsiderate “stand up” surfers.

Cartwright is very protective of her right as a bodysurfer to be in the water. And she’s not afraid to let it be known. When a surfer cuts her off on a wave, look out.

“I’ve seen her grab leashes, and pinch (surfers) and offer some very astute suggestions as to where a surfer can go,” Bye said. “If we don’t protect our territory we lose it.”

Cartwright’s primary concern is risk of injury.

“(Surfers) are not very familiar with bodysurfing maneuvers,” she said. “A lot of (the maneuvers) are done underwater. All it takes is a board hitting you in the head once, and you could lose your life.”

There’s another thing that bothers Cartwright. Seals. Porpoises are OK. So are dolphins. But she’s leery of seals.

“I just don’t trust them,” she said. “I usually get kind of scared.”

The drawbacks aren’t likely to prompt her to give up the sport, though. And she’s somewhat rare; in this weekend’s tournament, just 27 of the entrants are female. Cartwright isn’t sure why.

“I really can’t think of a good reason,” she said. “Maybe they don’t want to have muscular arms.”