Koreans dominate women’s field

South Korea’s Sun Mee Kwak performs a trick in the women’s flowboard event of the 10th Annual Point Break Invitational Competition held over the weekend at PIC Saipan’s flowrider facility. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

South Korea’s Sun Mee Kwak topped three categories in the 10th Annual Point Break Invitational Competition held over the weekend at PIC Saipan’s flowrider facility.

Kwak won the women’s pro and open bodyboard and completed the hat trick when she ruled the masters bodyboard division. Joining Kwak on the champions list were fellow Koreans Bo Young Jun and Sophia Park, who prevailed in the novice bodyboard and flowboard categories, respectively.

In the open bodyboard division finals last Saturday, Kwak earned 44.6 points to beat Go Eun Woo (41.88 points) and Jjaya (40.5 points). Kwak also finished first in the ranking rides held last Friday after tallying 41 points and moved to the finals following her 41.5 points in the semis.

Woo was ranked third in the preliminaries with her 35 points, while Jjya placed second after recording 40 points and the two riders joined Kwak in the finale after getting 36.5 and 44.5 points, respectively, in the semis. Four other riders participated in the open bodyboard division. The list includes Japan’s Yasuko Nakamura (27.5 points), Jun (32.5), Park (32), and Eunok Choi (28.5).

In the pro bodyboard, Kwak bested four other participants after scoring 41.1 points in the finals. Jjya had a runner-up finish after posting 38.9 points in the championship ride, while Park rounded out the Top 3 with her 37.1 points. Woo and Junko Seto were the other entries in the division and were eliminated early after recording 37 and 29 points, respectively, in the ranking rides.

In the masters bodyboard, familiar faces also figured in the finals with Kwak again on the winning end. She got 44.4 points from the judges’ scorecards to down Jjya (39.2 points), Japan’s Yasuko Okuwaki (37.5), and Park (37.3).

The eventual champion reigned supreme, too in the preliminary rides with her 51.5 points, as she was the only rider to score 50-plus points. Okuwaki was second with her 46 markers, followed by Jjya (44), Park (42.5), Jun (31), Nakamura (29.5), and Choi (24).

After falling short in the bodyboard events, Park this time won in the flowboard against Kwak. Park, who ruled the preliminary rides with her 40 points, tallied 34.8 versus the 27. 5 of Kwak in the championship round. Choi completed the Top 3 with her 27 points in the finals.

In the novice bodyboard finals, Jun earned 32 points and defeated PIC’s Karry Pothier and Lalaine Santomin, who gained 26.4 and 26.1 points, respectively. Two other riders joined the novice bodyboard category: Eunmi Park (41.5 points) and Takako Suda (24).