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American Morning

Surfing Increasingly Popular Among Women

Aired August 16, 2002 - 09:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: Back in day when beach movies were all the rage, surfing was a guy thing. Girls like Gidget waited their turn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey Gig, it's kind of waterlogged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but courtesy of the house, we throw in a free lesson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, come on now. Follow your coach.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, this is the ultimate!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEVILLE: That's the ultimate. Well, move over Sandra Dee, because that was then, and this is now. The new movie "Blue Crush" rolls into theaters today, riding a wave of girl power. Surfing is extremely popular among women, and female pro surfers are among those hoping the movie will have a ripple effect.

Now, from San Diego, are two real-life surfer girls Veronica Kay, and Belen Kimble-Connelly.

Good morning, ladies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

NEVILLE: Man, you know what, Veronica, you've got to tell move the bat, why is it that women are so into surfing these days?

VERONICA KAY, PRO SURFER: I think they are just -- they see how much fun it is, and it's possible for us, for girls to do it, and there is just that many more opportunities, and everyone wants to do it once you get a taste for it.

NEVILLE: Yeah give me idea if you can, what it is like toe when you are riding that wave?

KAY: Gosh, it's just -- I just have to say you take like the best you have ever felt, and times by 10, that's how I describe it, just because the whole -- everything is moving all around you, and it's just an incredible feeling of energy, I think that you get, from the water and from actually riding the waive and having it -- watch the wave go by you. Incredible

NEVILLE: Looks incredible. I have never done it. I have to say but does look incredible. You know what, it is not a big deal any more these days it to see women riding waves, right?

KAY: No, it's not. It is really -- women are just coming into their own, especially in surfing, and you see now you go to beach you see at least you know, two or three, four girls out in water, whereas before you wouldn't see anybody, and I think women are really pushing each other to really give guys a run for their money. So it's good.

NEVILLE: Belen, how do we pronounce your name?

BELEN KIMBLE-CONNELY, PRO SURFER: It's Belen.

NEVILLE: Belen. With a name like Arthel, I always want to correct that. OK, Belen, you know what, the movie "Blue Crush," this weekend people are going to see this movie. And for the first time, a lot of people are going to get to see girls surfing. Tell me, though, does this movie paint a real picture?

KIMBLE-CONNELY: I think this movie did such a good job for women surfing. I think John did an amazing job, getting together all the girls, to do all of the surfing, the acting. It was really good to see the athletes as actors themselves, and it just really portrayed the surfer's lifestyle as far as how hard it is to be a female and a male-dominated sport.

NEVILLE: How hard is it?

NEVILLE: It's one of the hardest sports to learn. You are using your balance, everything you could possibly think of, plus mental, physical and emotional. It's a good sport to learn, though.

KAY: Yes, to ride waves like that, like, it takes lot of experience, and I think a lot went into that as far as filming the movie and depicting that, what the north shore experience is, because that is like where we go. That is...

KIMBLE-CONNELY: That is surfing.

KAY: To see it on the big screen, and I think the movie did really good job to just get you really close to waves, and to the energy of the waves, and the whole feeling of like girls, like.

KIMBLE-CONNELY: Power.

KAY: Empowering themselves doing this, you know having a goal, and really living their dream. I think it's a good movie.

NEVILLE: are you living your dream, Veronica?

KAY: Yes, definitely, I have to say so.

NEVILLE: Because you are a professional surfer, so both of you are on tour. What does that entail? KIMBLE-CONNELY: Just a lot of traveling, living out of your bags, like I would say, 8 months, nine months, 10 months out of the year, never sleeping in your own bed, just airplanes, plains, trains, automobiles, boats, you name it. It's really a fun job. But it takes lot out of you.

NEVILLE: A lot of work.

KIMBLE-CONNELY: It is a lot of work.

NEVILLE: I'm running out of time here, but I want to ask each of you before I go, I want to ask you how many hours do you surf a day normally?

KIMBLE-CONNELY: I surfed for four yesterday, and I surfed for, 4 1/2 the day before.

NEVILLE: What about you, Veronica?

KAY: Yes, I try and just -- I'm in the water as much as I possibly can. If it's supergood, you know want to surf like hours and you don't even want to eat. It is really fun.

KIMBLE-CONNELY: As much as you can.

It depends on the surf.

NEVILLE: All right, Veronica Kay and Belen Kimble-Connely, you make it seem like it's a lot of fun, and thanks a lot for joining us here, and I'm going to check out the movie this weekend in your honor.

KAY: Thank you.

KIMBLE-CONNELY: Thank you.

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