
For Jen Smith, world surfing championships have become habit. The 23-year-old Pacific Beach resident won the Roxy Jam in Biarritz, France in July – her second Association of Surfing Professionals Women’s World Longboard Title in three years. “It’s an honor to achieve something that great in my realm of surfing,” Smith said. “It’s something as a child that I worked for and really dreamt about – winning a world title in surfing.” Smith entered the competition having already won the title in 2007. She said the emotions surrounding her second title felt a little bit different. “To accomplish it once was huge. To accomplish it again, I don’t know how to feel because I’ve already fulfilled many of my dreams,” Smith said. “To get a second world title is just icing on the cake.” Despite her past success, Smith admitted that her confidence was not extremely high headed into the event. “I knew that with my surfing ability I had a chance to win, but my confidence level wasn’t too high,” Smith said. “Honestly, I had no expectations going in, I was just going in to do my best and see what happens.” Smith entered the four-day tournament as the third overall seed out of a field of 32. Enroute to the championship she scored a 9.25 ride in her semifinal heat – the highest score of the entire event. “I had priority and this big wave popped up. I took it, I took off and it was a nice drop. I got a couple of nosedives and a couple of turns and just milked it all the way in,” Smith said. “It was the only wave in that heat that connected the way that it did. I took off on the outside and it stood up all the way through, all the way to the beach.” In the finals, Smith defeated Frenchwoman Coline Menard by a score of 12.25-9.55. The win earned Smith 1,200 ratings points and $5,000, but more importantly in her eyes, the respect of the surfing community. “Doing it twice, people look at you a little differently – you just get a little more respect,” Smith said. “Having won it once, it could have been chance; it could have been having a good day. Winning it twice just backs up the first one.” Smith has lived in San Diego her entire life and moved to Pacific Beach 14 years ago. She began surfing around the age of seven and grew up surfing around Crystal Pier. “I don’t even remember catching my first wave, but I remember asking my parents to bring me to the beach,” Smith said. Smith’s favorite surf spot around town is at the end of Wilbur Avenue near Loring Street in north PB, which she said is a fun beach break. She also likes to surf PB Point when it breaks in the winter. “I try to get in the water every day,” Smith said. Smith’s father, Pablo Smith, owns Soul Grind Skate Shop on Mission Boulevard in Pacific Beach. Despite the fact that Pablo Smith’s shop primarily sells skateboards, Jen Smith insists her dad is really a surfer. “It’s funny because he’s a surfer, too. He’s not really a skateboarder. He used to work for G&S Skateboards in the ’70s and that’s what started him off selling skateboards,” Smith said. Following her title, Smith took a surf trip to the Maldives. Her next competition is the Point Loma Association’s longboard event in October in Ocean Beach.
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