14-year-old becomes prestigious event’s youngest champion

A glimpse into the future of women’s surfing was on display yesterday at Huntington Beach, Calif.

Thanks to 14-year-old Malia Manuel and 17-year-old Coco Ho, Hawai’i appears to be at the forefront.

Manuel won the Women’s Honda U.S. Open of Surfing contest yesterday, becoming the youngest champion in the 27-year history of the event.

Manuel, who will turn 15 next month, is a sophomore-to-be at Kapa’a High.

She beat Ho in the one-on-one final held yesterday in 1- to 3-foot waves. Ho is 17 and a senior-to-be at Elite Element Academy.

“I’m so stoked right now,” said Manuel, who is from Wailua, Kaua’i. “My sponsors gave me the wildcard into this event and I was just happy to be here. To get to surf against some of my heroes and to be in the final with my friend Coco is just something I would never have dreamed of.”

Just last month, Manuel and Ho were representing Hawai’i at the National Scholastic Surfing Association championships.

The U.S. Open is considered one of the largest events on surfing’s World Qualifying Series, and many of the top-ranked professional females participated.

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(Source: Honolulu Advertiser)

Related Stories:
Malia Manuel, 15 next month, wins U.S. Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach (Los Angeles Times)
Kauai surfer wins Women’s U.S. Open (The Maui News)
Wailua’s Manuel becomes youngest ever U.S. champion (Kauai Garden Island News)