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Megan Weiss wins Luxon Swell Competition
Dedicates victory to her late friend Heidi Richards
Luxon, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 22, 5742


Megan Weiss, winner overall of the Luxon Swell Competition remembers friend Heidi Richards

In an exciting coda to the saga of surfing phenom Heidi Richards, who was tragically killed in a car crash last fall, her close friend, sometimes rival, and surfing partner Megan Weiss claimed her first overall victory in the Luxon Swell Competition. Throughout the season, Weiss and several other competitors wore black arm bands in memory of Heidi Richards, whose meteoric career was one of the most promising in global surf in decades. Richards, dubbed "The Queen of Surf" during her life, won the Triple Crown in 5740, and many surfers will argue strongly that she revitalized and revolutionized the sport for a new generation.

"This win is for my dear friend, the late, the greatest of all time, Ms. Heidi Richards, who taught me so much, who pushed me so hard to even surf up to her standard... We love you Heidi, this one is for you," said a jubilant and victorious Weiss, who finished the Luxon Swell with 18.7 points, defeating the male winner Jake Branford, by 3 tenths. Observers and commentators said that Weiss surfed her most ambitious rounds of her career to take the win at the last and most challenging major contest of the season.

"Like when I was out there, I could almost hear her voice telling me, 'look, that wave is building, go for it, no fear' like she always did when she was with us," said Weiss in an interview after the contest. "So was riding with me, I could really feel it, and you know, I was able to pop up just at the right time and I was able to get out of tubes I have never surfed out of, and it was just amazing. Heidi was with me, and yeah, this one totally was for her anyway.

Weiss did not win the Triple Crown this year, even though she took the most prestigious contest title. "I did really well in Dana, I took 2nd overall, first in women's," she said, "but the pipeline just really wasn't my day. I was feeling kind of sick that day, but also I just wasn't, I mean, my head wasn't really in the contest, I did some stupid things out there and broke the fin off my deck... It really was almost a lot worse than that. But I mean, I regrouped by the time for the Swell, and I finished strong."

Weiss said she is looking forward to next season. "I still have some good years left in my career, so I am just gonna train as much as I can this winter... I rented a house down in Yoshimi so I can still practice a little. But mostly I'm gonna work out, eat a healthy diet, and keep my discipline up. Maybe the triple crown is doable? It took Heidi 70 years to get it after the Princess won it last. Who knows? Maybe I'll do it in just 3 years?"

Other competitors congratulated Weiss on her victory, and said they want to try to help her carry on Richards' legacy in the sport. "Heidi, besides being a truly amazing, truly kind person, was really interested in promoting the sport in Terra," said Weiss. "I have surfers, all these guys and girls saying to me, 'What can we do? Heidi did so much for me... I started surfing because of her...' and some of the guys were talking here about maybe organizing a surfing school, to help people learn the techniques, and get people on the water. Honestly, that's the best way, its what Heidi would say too. Just get out there and go for it. So this might be something the community needs to get together and work on."

For winning the competition, Weiss won a K$15,000 Imperial Peso cash prize, paid by sponsors Dah Surf Co. "This is of course enough to basically make it so I can just surf until next season starts. It's not a ton of money, but it makes life way easier." Weiss said she has accepted a Dah Sponsorship, but has declined to appear in Dah's annual swimsuit calendar. "Oh, well you look at the girls who are in there. Heidi was in that calendar... She looked like a model, so that was right for her. But, I think I would be too embarrassed to show that much skin. So I just want to focus on surfing..."

The sponsorship will include new gear for the next season, which will help Weiss offset costs, and all her entry fees will be fully paid by Dah. "I'll get to surf for free basically next year, which really helps. The entry fees aren't that high, but 250 Pesos at Luxon can get a little steep at the end of the season if you haven't won anything big earlier in the year. The only thing I have to do as part of the sponsorship is to appear at the Dah tent before the competition to meet people and sign autographs and take pictures and go to a few trade shows this winter. That of course gets people to come buy Dah stuff, so, they are making more than their money back on me. I'd make more if I was in the calendar, but money isn't everything, and its not what I am doing this for anyway."

Congratulations to Dana's Ms. Heidi Weiss, who closes out her most successful season with her overall victory at Luxon.

@LaModa