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The first day of the 16th annual China Uemura Wahine Surfing Classic was held in 1- to 2-foot waves Saturday at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, and local surfer Megan Godinez was there to take advantage of it.
This is the 10th time the 20-year-old from Kaneohe took part in this contest that’s a favorite among the wahine because it supports the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.
"I love doing this contest," Godinez said. "The thing I look the most forward to every summer is Uncle China’s Wahine Surfing Classic because it’s my favorite contest in the world."
Godinez won her heat Saturday in the girls longboard division by catching the best set wave and riding it with style.
"I was waiting for 8 minutes before I got that one set," Godinez said. "The first thing I did was hang 5, then hang 10 and after that I did a cutback."
The wave garnered Godinez a score of 8.0 out of a possible 10.
"Tomorrow, I am in the pro-am, team and girls division," she said. " I am really looking forward to the team event because it’s me, Jodie Clark, Jennifer Lee and Joy Monahan. It’s the old-school Waikiki girls."
Another wahine advancing was 15-year-old Vanina Walsh from Kapolei. She won her heat in the junior girls longboard division on Saturday, advancing into the final.
"My heat went really good because it was at low tide and there were a lot of waves," Walsh said. "Everyone surfed really well and the waves were so fun. This is the first contest that I have ever entered. I really love all the people and just being down here. I love that it’s an all-girls contest because so many are just guys and in this one we get to hang out with other girls all day."
The Wahine Surfing Classic is a special event run by Uemura, a Hawaii surfing legend.
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