Menczer’s Success Is Coming in Waves

Pauline Menczer might not be a crowd favorite in Huntington Beach, but the thousands of spectators who watched her defend the women’s title Saturday at the Philips U.S. Open of Surfing provided a wealth of inspiration.

Menczer took the lead from fellow Australian Trudy Todd late in the 30-minute final, which also included Sofia Mulanovich of Peru and Jacqueline Silva of Brazil. Menczer totaled 18.96 points for her three best wave scores, followed by Todd with 16.80.

It was the seventh career World Qualifying Series victory for Menczer, who earned $6,000 for the victory.

“I do thrive off the crowd here,” said Menczer, 32, who came into the event ranked 15th in the WQS. “They say surfers are the biggest showoffs, which is true.”

Todd took an early lead in the final and maintained it until Menczer scored a 7.10 on a right-hand wave with about six minutes remaining.

Todd, who scored a last-minute victory in the semifinals to advance, rushed from the beach after the final to make an 8 p.m. flight to France, where she is scheduled to compete in the next WQS event beginning Monday.

Todd said the quick exit added to an already frenetic week of promotional appearances, but did little to affect her surfing.

“The more I do, the better I do at things,” Todd said.

Mulanovich, the top-ranked woman in the WQS before the event, finished third with 15.33 points. Silva, ranked seventh and loudly supported by a small Brazilian contingent during the final, finished last with 13.94 points.

Joel Tudor of Del Mar won the longboard title for the seventh time and fifth in the last six years.

Tudor, the 1999 longboard world champion, took the lead from Huntington Beach’s Josh Mohr with about seven minutes remaining after receiving a score of 8.17. Tudor punctuated the ride by standing on the nose of the board and arching his back, a move he learned from former U.S. champion David Nuuhiwa, who watched from the stands.

“He was so influential in my surfing,” said Tudor, who earned $2,500 for the victory. “I always try to go out and do what he did.”

The men’s shortboard contest was trimmed to 32 surfers after the morning round of 64. Many of the top professionals made their first appearance Saturday, including Pat O’Connell of Laguna Beach, who won the 12th heat.

O’Connell said he felt a little shaky in the beginning because he hadn’t surfed Huntington Beach in preparation, opting to remain at Salt Creek, his home break approximately 25 miles to the south.

“The waves are a lot different at Salt Creek,” said O’Connell, 30, who was married last month. “Luckily, I’ve been competing here long enough to know there are a few constants from year to year, and I found some of them.”

O’Connell will be paired with Ben Bourgeois of Wilmington, N.C., and Australians Trent Munro and Troy Brooks when the round of 32 begins this morning at 8.

Other heat winners included Oxnard’s Tim Curran and San Clemente’s Shane Beschen and Chris Ward. Former world champions Sunny Garcia of Hawaii and Tom Curren of Ventura advanced from the same heat. Garcia won with 15.16 points and Curren finished second with 10.66.

Rob Machado of Cardiff, Kalani Robb of Hawaii and Damien Hobgood of Florida were among the other heat winners.