Melanie From Waianae

The US 2007 X women's surfing team celebrated the Fourth of July the right way: by kicking some international ass.

Riding the treacherous high breaks at Zicatela Beach in Mexico, Hawaii's Melanie Bartels led the way for her team, which grabbed a 55-52 victory over a "World" squad, packed with (mostly Aussie)world surfing champions.

"If it wasn't for my teammates and the coaching staff cheering me on or directing me, I probably wouldn't have found those insane barrels," said Bartels, a world tour competitor who had a game-high overall score of 18.5.

Ballard scored a 7.0 on her opening ride, and Bartels disappeared long inside a right-handed barrel, then emerged still standing for an 8.5.

But this is bigger than a single victory.

X Games organizers had hesitated to even hold the event, fearing women might not be up to this level of challenge.

The chicks were having none of that crap.

Moments after the event began, Hawaii's Rochelle Ballard took off late, grabbed her rail, then stood erect inside a tube as if to issue a statement.

"It was like, 'What, you didn't think we could?' " said Brad Gerlach, sport organizer and designer of the format. "It was a moment for women's surfing that was just brilliant."

Melanie Bartels was definitive about the future of women's surfing:

"It’s going to be off the heezy, fo’ sheezy, my neezy. Off the f--kin’ hook ‘cuz you know what? All these chicks are killing it right now. Big waves, small waves, it doesn’t matter."

I couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I'm not sure I could have said it at all.



If you are interested in sports training, you might also be interested in baseball training and soccer training.