Soul Surfer Page #6

then when you're feeling better,

come back and join us.

'Cause there's a lot to do. Okay?

Good.

Here you go.

Hello.

Here you go.

How come no one's in the water?

We brought all these boards.

Still petrified.

- Is it safe?

- Yeah.

Something's missing, yeah?

They said he wandered

up a few days after the tsunami.

- What's his name?

- They don't know.

He hasn't said a word, he won't even smile.

Hey, do you want to go in the water?

Do you want to go out to the ocean

and go swimming?

No?

- Hey, can I borrow your board?

- Yeah.

Thank you.

Thanks.

They say the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I say that's an understatement.

Who would have thought

that teaching a kid to surf

would teach me that surfing isn't

the most important thing in the world?

And that something else is.

Love.

Bigger than any tidal wave.

More powerful than any fear.

Hey, I'm home!

Hey, there she is.

- How was your trip?

- Great.

What's all this stuff?

Oh, you know, just a little fan mail.

Went ahead and sorted it out by country.

- Are you serious?

- Yup.

And apparently, you are very popular

in Madagascar.

No way.

"Dear Bethany.

My name is Stephanie Bolt,

"I'm 11 years old and I go to Northcross

Intermediate School in New Zealand. "

People are so amazing.

There's an eighth grader from North Carolina,

who lost his arm.

Logan, and he says he's gonna try out

for his school soccer team because of me.

And he's rooting for me

in my next competition.

I mean, I don't understand,

I totally blew it at regionals.

Why would they want me to compete?

You tried.

And apparently,

Dylan and Stephanie like that.

Hey, Dad. I need your help.

- Name it.

- I think I want to compete.

You sure?

You don't have to.

I'll take it heat by heat.

Okay.

So we need to figure out something.

Some way so when I duck dive,

I don't get pounded.

Yeah.

You mean something like this?

Yeah.

You sure she can use it in competition?

Sure. Judges don't score on how you get

out to the waves.

They only care what you do

when you catch one.

Go ahead, say it.

I'm a genius.

- You are...

- Come on, say it.

Tom, you're a genius!

- Genius.

- You're very smart.

Genius. Come on, you know it.

- You're cute. You're very cute.

- Genius. Genius.

- Hey.

- Hey.

- Remember me?

- No.

That's really nice.

Best friends since birth, nothing.

- No. Nothing.

- Good. Good sign.

Hey, thanks for coming.

Thanks for calling.

- I'm sorry I snapped at you at regionals.

- Me, too.

- I miss you.

- Me, too.

- Friends?

- Of course.

Hey, Bethany!

I saw you surfing out there this morning.

You were amazing.

- Maybe for a girl with one arm.

- By any standard.

As for one arm,

that just levels the playing field.

All right, all right. What do you want?

I want you to dominate at nationals.

Hey, Keoki, thanks.

For what?

Just for always showing up for me,

no matter what.

Well, it's because I care about you.

I mean, even if you did miss

my last competition and all.

- I was in the hospital you psycho.

- Excuses, excuses.

- Bethany, I'm sorry. I wasn't even...

- Gotcha.

Sucker!

Welcome to the Rip Curl Junior Nationals

Surfing Championship.

David Stanfield along with Bo Hodge.

And, Bo, we have an exciting day today.

We've got an excellent day

of surfing on hand.

We're going to see the best amateur surfers

from around the country today.

We have a panel of four international judges

watching this national championship.

High and low scores are thrown out,

but what are the judges exactly looking for?

Well, Dave, we have 25-minute heats.

Each rider is allowed to catch a maximum

of 10 waves per heat.

The best two waves

will be tallied up for the final score.

What the judges are looking for:

Style, flow and power

and control in radical maneuvers

in the most critical sections of the wave.

Well, we have surf in the six-to-eight-foot

range, it looks like out there.

What's key about this six person heat

is in fact that paddling

and positioning, right?

These girls are tough,

especially Malina, you know that.

The surf is big out there today,

so if you try to match them wave for wave,

you're just doing to wear yourself out

with all that paddling.

Yeah.

So don't take just any wave

that comes along.

The greatest surfers,

they all have this sixth sense.

They know when the best waves are coming.

They can feel it. It's a gift.

You have that gift, too.

I do?

Well, your mom's right, honey.

You are a little mermaid.

You know that moment

between the sets when it's quiet

and the waves haven't even formed yet,

it's just energy surging through the water.

Well, that's the time to be patient.

Listen to your instinct.

Trust it.

You'll know.

Go get 'em.

Malina! Malina!

Over the past few months, Malina Birch

has dominated every heat she's surfed

winning three contests in a row.

No one has come close.

She's by far the person to beat today.

Bethany! Bethany!

Don't worry, it's all part of being sponsored.

We love you, Bethany!

I'm going to go get the rash guards.

What are you doing here?

I'm surfing, same as you.

Well, I hope

you don't need to be rescued again.

Actually, Malina, I wanted to thank you.

For what?

Just for never taking it easy on me.

It means a lot.

You ready?

Okay.

Bethany Hamilton's appearance here

is truly a remarkable comeback.

Against all odds, she has earned her spot

into the National Championships.

Everyone in attendance is hopeful

that Bethany has a great contest.

But at the highest level of competition,

there are no free rides.

We begin with our first round of competition.

And there's the horn.

The first heat is underway.

Yes!

Yes!

Can you believe that?

Advancing into the finals by 2/10's of a point,

the big story is Bethany Hamilton.

She was looking for a 7.2

and scored a 7.4 on her last wave.

She'll be wearing blue out in the lineup

with her good friend, wearing pink,

Alana Blanchard.

And their competitors, black, Malina Birch.

Yellow, Leila Hurst. White, Nag Melamed,

and in orange Kelia Moniz.

And the judges are looking for

some progressive surfing today.

That's right, Dave.

They'll have a 25-minute heat,

be scored on 10 waves,

but they'll keep their best two waves

for the final score

on the zero to ten point range.

And there's the horn

and the heat is underway.

Yeah!

There's Nag Melamed.

She scores two vertical turns,

and the judges give her a 6. 75,

and what a great start to this heat.

Alana Blanchard picking up a set wave.

Works her way down the line.

Snaps a big turn off the top.

Runs around her competitor

with an aggressive reentry.

And pink cracks the lip one more time.

Great run, Alana!

Situation with fifteen minutes remaining

in the heat,

surfer in orange, Kelia Moniz, you have a 5.4.

Surfer in white, Nag Melamed,

you have a 6. 75.

Surfer in pink, Alana Blanchard,

you are in first place with a 7.0.

Way to go, Alana!

Go!

Bo, Hamilton goes down hard

in the impact zone, and she is struggling.

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