“I’m so stoked to be here! I’m in full mommy mode lately, but trying to keep my surfing shape, so it’s amazing to have the opportunity to be here today. There is also such great energy on the beach, everybody showing love.”
-Bethany
I had the opportunity to compete in the Billabong Pipeline Pro at the end of January/Early February and I was stoked out of my mind! I received the wildcard and got the call super last minute because someone dropped out due to being sick. So Adam and I quickly packed up and flew to Oahu for the event!
I had also just come off of surfing in the Da Hui back door shoot out which was also at Pipeline! We had crazy nuts waves! That event was as challenging as it gets! And I had had an amazing run during surfing big pipe with 3 other amazing ladies!! Cheers Moana Wong, Keala Kennelly and Biana Valettie!!!!
So this was the first year that WSL hosted a Pipeline Pro specifically for women. I was thrilled to join in the fun and be apart of making history! Go ladies! Thank you to WSL and the many people and women along the way making this happen! Thank you Betty Depolito, Keala Kennelly and many more!
After having Micah, my third son, I didn’t know what I really wanted with surfing. I was just so pumped to get back in the groove of surfing this winter and happy to spend time in the ocean. I’ve been training a bit, but not nearly as much as with my first two boys. It’s always such a balancing act to be mom while still also holding other roles. (Shout out to Adam! Couldn’t do it without your help, hun!) But by the end of December, 10 months after having Micah, I was starting to feel strong, confident and ready for bigger surf with more consequences!
For those of you who are curious, the Banzai Pipeline is one of the world’s most iconic and famous breaks. A large reef forms massive, dreamy barrels when the conditions are right. It can also be pretty dangerous. Many surfers wear helmets out there, including me! When the swell is up, the waves are usually between 10-20 feet, are super heavy and break right onto a gnarly, shallow reef. Your technique and wave choice has to be on point – otherwise you usually end up with a wild wipeout. Another big challenge out there is the swarms of surfers all wanting to get a piece of this insane wave! These are often the best of the best so it’s incredibly competitive…you could surf 3 hours and catch 1 wave.
Since I got called in to compete late, long story short, my first heat was in the elimination round. Not much time to warm up haha. Though it sure went well and I did advance!
I was up against Caroline Marks and Brisa Hennessy – two absolute shredders. But I was also up against what the ocean had to offer! The waves started pretty small and that can be tough. I caught some great waves; I was able to take a couple backside waves, make some nice turns, and get some mini tube time. I placed second in the heat after Brisa so I moved on to the next round! Whoo hoo!
For the next match I competed against my dear friend and some one I admire, 5x World Champ and Olympic Gold Medalist, Carissa Moore. The waves were just firing and Carissa definitely brought her A-game. She caught some insane waves, even scoring a 9.6 on one of them!
My waves were pretty fun – I was in the right position and tucked into the barrels – but they kept clamping down on me before I could exit, making my rides incomplete. (The judges don’t reward incomplete rides well.) Darn it! I had a couple good ones, but not quite enough to beat Carissa before the buzzer.
I was eliminated at this point in the competition. It is always a game against the ocean and I was not in tune that heat. But I sure had a blast and fell more in love with this wave Pipeline – so beautiful, challenging and inspiring.
The whole experience getting to have time surfing such a challenging and gorgeous wave was dream come true for me. Of course I am competitive and want to win, but surfing is my true passion. At the end of the day, for me it’s just about getting in the ocean and enjoying the beauty. And I definitely accomplished that!
God has given me both the passion and the ability to surf and so having the opportunity to live out my passion this way is truly a gift from Him.
If I put my best out there, had fun, and honored God in the process, I can feel proud of myself despite the scores or results. During the two events, I braved my fears at Pipeline, competed with my all, and I even got to work a new challenge I’ve been setting my mind on – backside barrels. Yew!
I received lots of messages and emails from you guys cheering me on! Thanks so much! I’m feeling the love 🙂
Want to playback my heats? Check them out here!
Aloha,
P.S. God gives everyone unique passions. What’s a passion that He’s given you? Check out my course Live Your Passion for help answering this question!
