PJ:
Speaking of the Linda Benson Pro, how did that
all come about?
LB: That's a long one! The
Linda Benson Pro. Hmm. Well, I have been asking
the state for a couple years, when I was running
the Hansen/Machado, if I could run a Women's Pro.
Which was actually before the World Championships
in Ocean beach. Anyway, they finally said "YES",
and this year, right in January. Actually, there
was world championship as everyone knows in Ocean
Beach in 2005. We did know that in 2006 Roxy was
planning on having a World Championship in Biarritz,
France. So after the World Championships in Ocean
beach, I started talking with Randy Hild, VP of
Quiksilver to see where we could go...to see what
the best thing would be to do for the future of
women's longboarding.
I didn't think that two world
championships would do anything to push it forward
so we started talking and he was very interested
in the permit for Cardiff, he said he would love
to have the contest there. So I basically agreed
that I wouldn't have a world championship for
3 years and that he (Randy) through Roxy
would make the Cardiff event an ASP event. They
promised to step up big time, that was definitely
the right thing to do. I think they will do right
by the World Championship, I think they will continue
that on and I know Randy has hopes and dreams
of a 2008 WWLC possibly being in Hawaii. I know
that is something he is going to try to get—the
contest in Hawaii.
PJ: You have a business
called Surfher Surf Schools and Camps. You started
doing this, I believe, before you jumped into
managing these women's events. What inspired you
to start a surf school and what plans do you have
for Surfher.
LB: Well, I was a flight
attendant for United Airlines for all my life
and my career was great. Then, three years ago
things were a little difficult with the airlines
and it was early retirement so to speak. That
worked out to be a better thing to go early, then
to stay later. So I wasn't quite ready to stop
working. So I am not qualified for anything else
and I thought, "what can I do?" So I
was looking at a Surfrider brochure and they had
done a write up on Surf Diva with Izzy. I said,
"I can do that." That is kind of how
that started. So I learned to teach. Kim Hamrock
really let me sit in on her classes and that was
very helpful. It started out all women's and probably
pretty much still is, but it is also guys that
want to take lessons with their girlfriends. There
are dads that want to take lessons with their
daughters. So it has really turned into a family
surf school. Now, we also have the Roxy
Camps in the summertime and you know I have
a very select group of instructors that are really
great.
Prue does the advanced coaching,
has a terrific program for people that want to
compete or really work on improvement. We are
also starting surf trips this winter. We will
be going to Mexico and Costa Rica. Not big groups,
just small groups all primarily women that want
to go surf and get some warm water during the
winter and they can improve their skills and have
a great time.
PJ: If you could enjoy a
fun Pipes session with five female surfers from
any era, who would they be and why?
LB: That is easy...five
that you know, wouldn't take off. (smiles). No,
just joking. Any of them, I can't say, I won't
say, who I would pick. Just five fun women surfers
I guess. One would be you, Prue.
PJ: Thanks. I might take
off though.
LB: That's ok. You and I
can take off.
PJ: If we could go back
to the 1960s with you, what part of the surfing
culture would surprise us most in contrast with
today's surf scene?
LB: I think the camaraderie
we had back in the 60's, is much different than
it is today. Although the longboarders I think,
you know, carry that tradition on a little bit
easier and I don't know why. I think we were so
small and it was like an artist colony that just
had different little cells up and down the coast.
We knew everyone pretty well. If we went to another
beach you pretty much knew everybody that was
there and vice versa, if they came to your beach,
you pretty much knew them. If you passed by them
on the highway, you knew them and you knew what
cars they drove and if there were surfboards on
a car top, you knew them. Of course that's not
possible today.
PJ: Of the local beaches
that you've surfed for the past 40 years, have
you noticed changes in the waves or beaches as
a result of pollution, erosion or other environmental
factors? Have any good surf spots disappeared
or dramatically worsened over time?
LB: Well, I think a lot
of the beaches have changed and I think that it
is due to our winter storms and our sand. Moonlight
Beach, I know, used to be not as hard breaking.
I think I can say that a lot of the beach breaks
up and down the coast, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa,
they seemed to be, well they were, longboard waves.
Moonlight Beach is pretty much a shortboard wave
now and I know Doheny because of the harbor there,
has changed, pollution is really bad. I know Cardiff
because of the lagoon has a permanent sign saying
that pollution is possible. That's one thing we're
really excited about with the Roxy Linda Benson
Pro in Cardiff. All the proceeds are going to
benefit the San Elijo lagoon conservancy and they
made them give a commitment that all this money
will be earmarked for testing for clean water
and trying to improve on that. It really is a
good thing. A good direction for the money to
go, it is how it should be.
Linda Benson
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