| JettyGirl:
While faltering economies, political turmoil and
energy issues dominated most of the headlines
during the past year, much of 2008's good news
slipped through the cracks. What's the best thing
that happened to you in 2008 and what are you
most hopeful for in 2009?
Darlene Conolly:
My boyfriend bought me an amazing beauty of a
bicycle for Christmas! It's a baby blue, light
pink and white track bike and I can't wait to
work out my arse riding it around town! I'm hoping
to go to Bali next year for my first time.
JG: Tell us about the first
time you ever stood up on a surfboard. Where was
it and what were you riding?
DC: The first time
I ever stood up on a surfboard was at La Jolla
Shores. I was eight years old and didn't even
stand a chance at carrying the board I was riding...a
10-foot yellow BZ soft board that everyone called
the Big Banana.
JG: What is your current
favorite board? In 2009 do you have any plans
to experiment with different surfboard designs,
materials or fin configurations?
DC: Seaside's where
you'll find me if there's any swell. But I live
on the cliff at D St. so there's also a pretty
good chance you'll spot me floundering in the
lineup there. Oh, wait, you ask about my board,
not break. Too much holiday egg nog for me! My
favorite board is a 5'10" Merrick. It's just
one of those all-conditions boards. I never experiment
with different boards or equipment because I'm
boring like that. But I did try a new thing called
surfing in New Jersey during Christmas. The water
was in the low 40's and the air was literally
freezing so I had to wear 5mm booties, 5mm gloves
and a hood for my first time. I felt like a snowman.
JG: Do you have any heroes?
If so, who and why?
DC: My dad. He raised
me all on his own and gave me a tremendous appreciation
for traveling and nature, and especially the ocean.
JG: In 2009 we'll see the
best single maneuver ever done by a female surfer.
Who do you think will pull the move and what do
you think it will be?
DC: I'd bet that
either Coco Ho or Malia Manuel will pull some
weird move we've never seen a girl do. And anyone
who's watched either of those girls surf in a
heat knows exactly why I chose them.
For those of you who like to
jump around instead of going one by one, here's
the complete list of surfers...
Image
Caption: Through her work as Editor of Surfline
Women, Darlene Conolly had done a tremendous amount
for the progression of women's surfing. To me,
Surfline Women is the standard...covering everything
from the WCT to women's surf industry news to
incredible travel stories featuring female surfers.
Along with Surfline's Christina Scannapiego, Darlene
has always been very supportive of JettyGirl which
is something we're deeply thankful for. Photo:
Mike Conolly
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