Joy Monahan of 'Aina Haina will defend her title at the ASP Women's World Longboard Championships, which is scheduled to start this weekend at Biarritz, France.

Monahan, 23, won her first world championship last year at Biarritz.

"I am very excited coming back to Biarritz as the defending champion," she said. "I feel a little pressure, but only from myself as I want to surf at my very best."

Monahan is a 2003 graduate of Kaiser High, and is now a full-time student at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. During the past spring semester, she trained in the gym.

She did not start her surf training until late May, when she returned to Hawai'i for her summer break from college.

She won the pro-am division of China Uemura's 13th Annual Wahine Surf Classic last month at Waikiki.

"This was definitely a good warmup," she said. "It gives me some good confidence."

Only 32 surfers from around the world were invited to compete this year (down from 48 last year). Because of that, the contest will use a single-elimination format, leaving no margin for error.

Monahan is the No. 1 seed. Other top contenders include 2007 world champion Jennifer Smith of California, Australian champion Chelsea Williams, European champion Candice O'Donnell from Great Britain, and hometown French surfers Justine Dupont and Claire Karabastos.

Monahan is scheduled to face California's Summer Romero in the first round.

"Every girl who qualifies for this event is a threat," Monahan said. "The caliber of women's longboarding is just phenomenal. Each year I have participated in the event, the talent level has increased."

Four other surfers from Hawai'i are in the contest: Geodee Clark, Crystal Dzigas, Kelia Moniz and Miku Uemura.

There is no world tour for women's longboard surfing, so the winner of the contest will be crowned the 2009 world champion.

All surfers in the contest must ride boards at least nine feet long.

The event will run only on days when conditions are best between today and Tuesday.

HUBBARDS CLAIM SANDY BEACH EVENT

Jeff Hubbard of Kaua'i won the men's pro division of the Ocean Current Sandy Beach Pro bodyboarding contest last weekend.

The two-day contest was run in 2- to 5-foot waves at Sandy Beach.

David Hubbard — Jeff's younger brother — won the drop-knee pro division.

Karla Taylor of South Africa won the women's pro division.

More than 150 bodyboarders participated in the contest, which also featured amateur divisions.

Other division winners were: Rocket Klein (12-younger), Alex Brown (13 to 18), Keahi Parker (open amateur), Christina Delima (female amateur) and Kekoa Cazimero (standup).

It was the third of four events on the United States Bodyboarding Association's 2009 national tour.

LIFEGUARD WINS PADDLEBOARD RACE

North Shore lifeguard Aaron Ungerleider won the Hui O He'e Nalu Independence Day Paddleboard Race last Saturday.

Ungerleider completed the 3 1/2-mile course from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay in 29 minutes, 1 second.

Brian Rocheleau of Hawai'i Kai finished second in 29:15.

Aaron Napoleon of Pearl City won the popular stand-up paddle (SUP) division with a time of 29:12 Pete Johnson was second in 30:43.

Female winners were Rachel Bruntsch for paddleboard, and Candice Appleby for SUP.

More than 350 competitors participated, most of them in the SUP division.