SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (October 14, 2001) - Julie Whitegon of Carlsbad, Calif., battled high waves and strong competition to win the final stop on the 2001 Margaritaville Longboard Open Series at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz on Sunday. With the win, Whitegon also won the Margaritaville Bonus Pool for the three-event Series. Whitegon takes home $1,500 for the event win and an additional $3,000 for capturing the Series Championship for a weekend total of $4,500.

"I sqeaked by in the first two heats and I was just stoked to make it to the final," said Whitegon, who also won the Series' Malibu event in July. "Winning $4,500 for a weekend of surfing is good stuff. I guess I'll be paying next year's entry fees in advance."
Local favorite Miranda Guzman pocketed $900 for her runner-up finish in the Open Division finals. Kim Hamrock of Huntington Beach, Calif., won $700 for her third place finish and Jayme Gee of San Clemente, Calif., earned $600 for fourth.

Rounding out the top eight in the Open Division are Mary Bagalso of Oceanside, Calif., and Julie Cox of Malibu, Calif., tied for 5th place ($400 each). Alayna Nathe and Karen Smith, both of Santa Cruz, each take home $250 for their 7th place finishes.

In addition to the on-site prize money at each event, the world's best women longboard surfers in both the Open and Masters Divisions competed for a share of the $10,000 Margaritaville Longboard Bonus which was also awarded today. In the Open Division Bonus Pool, Whitegon took home the $3,000 top prize, followed by Hamrock ($1,500), Deanne Ashmore of Sunshine Coast, Australia ($850); Guzman ($650); Gee ($500); Ashley Lloyd of Newbury Park, Calif. ($400); Cox ($325); and Bagalso ($275).