Surfing: Aloha From Connecticut
Written by playerpress.com, Tuesday December 16 2008
When Megan Abubo was 8 years old, she left the Nutmeg State for the land of sun and endless surf. She was too young to make it a career move, but it certainly worked to her favor. It is unlikely she would be an ASP World Tour perennial if she had stuck around New England.
Once in the 50th State Abubo hit the surf like she was making up for lost time. She was not intimidated by the local beach boys and she was more than up to the challenge of deepwater and reef break waves. Abubo is accustomed to riding the big waves of the North Shore and staying on top.
In 1998 she cracked the Top 20 in the World Tour rankings and she has remained there since. In 2000 she reached her career high at #2. Additionally, she won the Vans Triple Crown in ’07 and has captured 8 Elite Tour victories, including the Rip Curl Pro Malibu in ’04, the Roxy Surf Jam Fiji in ’01 and TC/Bud Surf Tour Championships Hawaii in 1995. That year she made a medium wave crest in the Tour rankings by coming in at #19. Three years later she reached the level of consistency she still displays.
Megan has a regular stance and uses a variety of board sizes depending upon waves and breaks. Riding Sunset she goes as big as 7’9”. At 5’4”, that’s a lot of board, but she can handle it with the power she displays carving waves. She uses smaller boards when riding her favorite waves, the v-land to Haleiwa. Her favorite maneuver is a forehand hack and she claims her weakness is big, backhand barrels.
Megan Abubo has been a presence in women’s surfing and in 2004 she was part of an all female boat trip to Indonesia. There she competed with the top female surfers the world had to offer in the Transworld Surf competition.
Abubo is sponsored by Roxy and she works with them in their Keep A Breast Cancer Awareness Program. Megan became even more active in the program after her sister was diagnosed with the disease at age 27. Her sister is a survivor and Megan has continued to work including taking part in an auction that featured decorated casts of female athletes breasts. The “busts” were cast by artists for the event. She has also hosted a surf tour in Hawaii to sponsor the organization.
Megan Abubo’s photogenic qualities have shown through on various surf videos and action sport TV programs and she has also graced the silver screen as an actress in Blue Crush and as a stunt double. Her image has appeared in Rolling Stone, Fitness and every surf magazine on the rack.
Abubo turns 30 in January and shows no signs of slowing down. Living in Hawaii she has access to the waves everyday and she makes the most of the opportunity. She is currently ranked #12 and is still one of the most recognizable of the female surfers. The girl from Connecticut has become one of the best surfers in the world and she has displayed the style, power and grace that make her one of the best for three Top 10 finishes this year.
Megan didn’t make the cover of Fitness because she is a slouch. She works hard and she keeps improving. So, watch out, she may just be warming up in the Hawaiian sun and surf.
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