China Uemura's Wahine Surfing Classic will live on.

There's too much potential to fulfill, and too many wahine who wouldn't want it any other way.

"I actually thought about making this the last one," Uemura said at yesterday's 11th Annual Wahine Surfing Classic. "But when I talked to the girls, they all said 'Please continue this every year. We need this.' And then I see how good some of the girls are surfing, and it made me feel like I'm accomplishing something. So I gave my word that I will continue."

The final heats of the two-day contest were run yesterday in 1- to 3-foot waves at Kuhio Beach, Waikiki. Two hundred females of all ages participated in the event.

"I would be devastated if he ended this contest," Megan Godinez said. "I would break down and cry. I understand there are other contests out there, but this one is special. It's only for us girls."

Godinez had even more reason to cherish the contest after yesterday's action.

She won the longboard junior girls division, and then placed second in the pro-am division. During the awards ceremony, Uemura announced that Godinez would receive a $1,000 sponsorship so that she can travel to California for longboard contests later this year.

Godinez, 15 and a sophomore at Moanalua High, also received $800 for placing second in the pro-am division, so she walked away with $1,800 yesterday, as well as a bag full of surf-related prizes.

"I'm going to use the money to enter more contests," she said. "I will represent not only Hawai'i, but Uncle China himself for everything he's done for me and this sport."

Uemura said he would like to sponsor one deserving female every year. He said it is the same kind of support he received when he was a national champion longboard surfer in the 1970s.

"I want to give as many girls as I can a chance to experience the travel," he said. "Some of them are good enough to surf with the pros, but they can't afford it."

Crystal Dzigas of Kalihi won the pro-am division yesterday, receiving $1,200 for the victory. The Wahine Surfing Classic offers female longboard surfers a rare chance to earn prize money.

"I was practicing out here for the past three days," said Dzigas, 23. "We don't get too many opportunities like this, so I wanted to be ready. But I knew it would be hard because there are so many good girls."

Dzigas received scores of 9.0 (out of 10) and 7.0 for a total of 16.0 to win the four-person final. Godinez placed second with a two-wave total of 15.0.

Mimi Horiuchi was third and Kelia Moniz was fourth.

"The waves were actually really fun," Dzigas said. "There was lots of waves for everybody."

Uemura said one of his goals is to prepare the best Hawai'i females for international competition.

"We need more girls to represent Hawai'i around the world," he said. "Hopefully this contest can give them a start."

Dzigas is one example. She started entering the Wahine Classic as an amateur surfer seven years ago. Later this summer, she will enter the Women's World Championship of Longboarding at Biarritz, France.

"Every year, there's more and more girls," Uemura said. "I'm happy that a lot of them are making it to that top level."

When Uemura started running the Wahine Classic in 1997, he had a difficult time getting 100 females to enter. This year, he had to limit the entries to 200.

But Uemura's contests are not only about surfing. In keeping with an annual tradition, proceeds from the event were donated to The Sex Abuse Treatment Center of Kapi'olani Medical Center.

Uemura estimated that around $15,000 would be donated this year.

"The surfing is all good," he said. "But I don't want people to forget that this is a charity event. That's the most important thing."

FINAL RESULTS

LONGBOARD SURFING

Pro-am: 1, Crystal Dzigas, $1,200. 2, Megan Godinez, $800. 3, Mimi Horiuchi, $500. 4, Kelia Moniz, $500. 5 (tie), Moanakea Uemura and Kaitlin Maguire. 7 (tie), Lauren Ngan and Ashley Quintal. Pee-wee (10-younger): 1, Cayla Moore. 2, Honolua Blomfield. 3, Dax McGill. 4, Kelly Graf. 5, Gabriela Yester. 6, Nanea Alden. Menehune (11-14): 1, Tatiana Weston-Webb. 2, Kimi Sharpnack. 3, Jennifer Leon. 4, Mia Masuda. Junior girls (14-17): 1, Megan Godinez. 2, Kelia Moniz. 3, Kawehi Whitford. 4, Alyssa Wooten. 5, Alana Mock. 6, Marissa Graham. Girls (18-29): 1, Geodee Clark. 2, Ashley Quintal. 3, Candice Appleby. 4, Jennifer Koki. 5, Akoi Pada. 6, Stacia Ahina. Women (30-39): 1, Renee Harada. 2, Doreen Teramae. 3, Lynn Blomfield. 4, Mimi Horiuchi. 5, Chie Matsuoka. 6, Makiko Sakita. Senior women (40-49): 1, Pinoi Makalena. 2, Darlene Mamiya-O'Shea. 3, Midori Katayama. 4, Magumi Kimura. 5, Gail Murakami. 6, Christian Budroe. Grandmasters (50-59): 1, Maka Pua'a. 2, Elizabeth Bray. 3, Suzanne Walker. 4, Sweetie Mossman. 5, Gwen Mole. 6, Yolanda Valenti. Celebrities: 1, Maki Vernon. 2, Tammi Moniz. 3, Doreen Teramae. 4, Kanoe Uemura. 5, Ginai Curti. 6, Susan Nishida. Stand-up paddle: 1, Geodee Clark. 2, Kelia Moniz. 3, Candide Krieger. 4, Talia Nicolai. 5, Maka Pua'a. 6, Pinoi Makalena.

SHORTBOARD SURFING

Pee-wee (10-younger): 1, Kelly Graf. 2, Cayla Moore. 3, Malia Mizuno. 4, Kealohi Sabate. 5, Tiara Rios. 6, Gabriela Yester. Junior girls (11-16): 1, Alessa Quizon. 2, Alyssa Wooten. 3, Kawehi Whitford. 4, Tatiana Weston-Webb. 5, Maili Enos-Branigan. 6, Lauwan Stewart. Girls (17-29): 1, Helena Suehiro. 2, Alana Mock. 3, Virginia Fajardo. 4, Geodee Clark. 5, Yukiko Whiteside. 6, Kat Van Dyke. Women (30-59): 1, Darci Ernce. 2, Mimi Horiuchi. 3, Lynn Blomfield. 4, Chie Matsuoka. 5, Lindsay McGill. 6, Jodi Cole.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.