A Change in Pace

Below are the winners of the Men's and Women's US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California Sunday July 28, 2013. On the left is Alejo Muniz from Brazil and on the right is Carrissa Moore who is, as a result of today's win, ranked in the lead for the Women's World Champion of Surfing for 2013 with two more surfing events to go.  She won the World Championship of Surfing in 2011 for the first time at age 18.  Carrissa lives in Hawaii on the island of Oahu, in Honolulu.  She is really a sweet kid and very humble about her surfing ability, giving due credit to all the other girls she faces in competition.  She is inspired by the courage of her friend and fellow surfer from Hawaii, Bethany Hamilton, who lost an arm to a shark while surfing but still competes in surfing meets.  She once gave her winnings, in a meet in New Zealand, to a surfing club of young girls training to be surfers, just to help them out.  I'm proud of her as a good and friendly person and I am very pleased to count her as my grandniece.