Meet the girls of the Hurley Pro, Trestles

Navigating the VIP structure at the Hurley Pro requires one to slide off the sunscreen lathered shoulders of attractive women. The bottom floor of the two-tier makeshift building is peppered with circular tables around which women and some men stand and drink complimentary Pacifico beer with their backs to Mick Fanning’s round four heat. Many more watch him destroy the five-foot Trestles’ rights on his way to defeating Kieran Perrow and Chris Davidson. It was a predictable result, so your Stab correspondent and a photographer, who prefers to remain nameless, perused the contest site photographing and speaking to the revered California Girls.

Name?

Carmen

Age?

N/A

Hood?

Laguna Niguel (inland of Laguna).

What brings you to the VIP structure at the Hurley Pro?

My friends. Travis Logie, first of all.

How do you know him?

He’s a friend…of a friend (laughter). And I’m friends with his wife. And I know Jordy Smith and Damian Fahrenfoort. They both live in Newport, which is 25 minutes from me. I’m friends with Adriano’s friend, Ricardo too.

What are the South Africans like to party with?

They’re very, very nice. Very funny. We have a lot of laughs. They have a lot of South African slang like, “Hey bru” and “lika, lika” (Author’s note: I think she means, “lakka, lakka”) and “howzabout a chow?”, which is “You want something to eat?” They’re really nice and well mannered.

Single or married?

Married.

What does your husband think of you partying with these strapping young men?

He’s South African and he’s the one who introduced me to them.

And your father is actually Palestinian. Yet America is very pro Israel. How has that been for you?

Oh, (she pulls a face suggesting tension then laughs).

Name?

Sarah

Hood?

Jacksonville Florida.

Are you a cheerleader (The Jacksonville Jaguars were taking on the San Diego Chargers that weekend, not far from the contest site)?

No, I was never that coordinated. I was in band.

You’re creative and attractive?

Yeah.

What brings you here?

Gabe (Kling a fellow Jaguars fan and from close to her hometown). We’re watching him surf against Kelly. And I like the surfers.

What do you mean by that?

What do you think I mean?

You could mean a number of things.

I like their butts in their wetsuits.

Perfect.

You ever dated or been with one before?

No.

Is it an ambition of yours?

No.

But you just said –

My boyfriend surfs but he’s not a pro or anything.

I see.

Name?

Nikki Nix (American Idol fans may remember her as a finalist)

Hood?

LA.

What part of the social structure do you fit into in LA?

I’m at the very top of the food chain. I’m a new artist called Nikki Nix. I open for the Black Eyed Peas.

And what’s that scene like – do you get groupies?

I actually get a lot of chick groupies. They think I’m like… but I’m just not a catty girl.

How do you deal with that?

I high five and say, “let’s get some more vodka.”

Are you conscious of sweaty dew on their palms?

No, we have good security. They make sure they sanitise.

What brings you here?

I’m actually from Oklahoma and Hawaii. I’m Polynesian, Italian and Chinese, so, Makua Rothman is my homie. Robbie Garcia is like a brother to me, wooo! And Uncle Eddie (she leans into my voice recorder) I’M DOING A SHOUT OUT FOR HIM. We do big waves where we’re from. But not me. I Barbie surf.

Favourite surfers?

Well. Kelly is a good friend but I’m not sure what heat he did. I actually just got back from Europe and four months overseas touring.

What’s with the broken arm?

I punched a guy in the face. He was at my house and getting physical with my girlfriend and I hit him. But I hurt myself.

Name?

Davia Gomez (daughter of industry legend and Hurley senior vice president of marketing, Paul Gomez).

Age?

16

What do you do?

Model. I work full time now and it’s crazy. I’ve been casting and in the last week I’ve got five jobs.

What are some of the better jobs you’ve done?

I’ve done Nordstrom and Dior Make-up.

What brings you here?

My dad. But I actually do like surfing and I surf.

You were in Tavarua during the law changeover. How was that?

Anyone can go to Restaurants now. It wasn’t too bad. There were maybe two or three boats with only one person on them. Everyone was still unsure about it. We had one guy from Australia who fell and cut his whole face open and we had to take him on the island and our doctor had to take care of him. We had some random guy bleeding everywhere. Other than that, it wasn’t bad at all.

Can you give a female perspective on surf culture?

I like it and I can watch it sometimes but I prefer surfing on my own. I longboard but I’m not that good.

How do you compare surf culture to New York (where she spends a lot of her time) and the modelling scene?

I like the beach better. But it depends on where you go. I went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina recently. That was my favourite because everyone was down to earth. In Socal there is a lot of ego from the younger ones. I’m talking about the surfers that go to my school. The pros are all so nice. I’ve known Rob (Machado) my whole life and all the Hurley guys I’ve known forever. I like Rob because we listen to the same music. I introduced him to a band called Good Old War and he watched them play on the beach at the US Open with me. And now Hurley is gonna do some stuff with that band.

Name?

Jess

Job?

Actress. I’m starting acting school next month. I actually sing.

So you’re aiming for…

Davia: Hannah Montana (laughter).

Noooooo. I’m actually trying for everything. I want to be an actor, a model and a singer.

Hood?

I’m from Phillip’s ranch, which is down there toward Chino.

What brings you here?

I came to hang with Davia. I love it. I wanna move. I love the guys. The boys are so cute. I’m in love. All of them. They’re so cute in their own way. I love how they’re so grungey and they have that whole beach look to them. I’m not used to that. So unkept. Rugged. I think it’s so attractive. – Jed Smith