Rochelle Ballard

Last updated
Rochelle Ballard
Personal information
Born (1971-02-13) February 13, 1971 (age 53)
Montebello, California
ResidenceKauai, Hawaii
Height5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Weight106 lb (48 kg)
Surfing career
Years active1990-present
Major achievementsRunner-up to World Title in 2004, still holds the world record for scoring two 10s in a single heat, winner of 3 Surfer Poll Awards (2000, 2001, and 2002), won World Qualifying Series in 1997
Surfing specifications
StanceRegular
Favorite wavesCloudbreak, Lance's Right, Backdoor, Lower Trestles
Favorite maneuversBarrel Riding
Website https://rochelleballard.com/

Rochelle Ballard (born February 13, 1971) is an American professional surfer and a veteran of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour. She co-founded International Women's Surfing (IWS) and has appeared in several movies and television shows, including, Blue Crush, Step Into Liquid, and Beyond the Break .

Contents

Early life

Ballard was born Rochelle Gordines in Montebello, California on February 13, 1971. Her parents moved to the island of Kauai in Hawaii when she was six months old. With the encouragement of Margo Oberg, another accomplished female surfer, Ballard started surfing at 11 years old. [1]

Career

Ballard began competing in local surfing competitions and soon advanced to state competitions, to nationals and finally to the world amateur titles, where she placed fourth in the World in 1988 and 1990. [2] She qualified to surf professionally on the World Championship Tour in 1991.

Ballard was a producer and stunt double for the movie Blue Crush in 2002. [3] She starred in A Girl's Surf Addiction, a surf film that O'Neill released in 2004, and helped produce a "yoga for surfers" video series. [4] In 2001, she starred in the surfing documentary 7 Girls. She co-founded International Women's Surfing (IWS) and, together with O'Neill, launched the Rochelle Ballard Surf Camp series which focuses on advanced surfing techniques, cross-training, and education. [5]

In 2012, she became the ISA World Masters World Champion. During her years on tour, Ballard won seven world championship events and was runner-up to the World Championship title in 2004. In 1997, she competed in the Billabong Pro at Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Australia and scored two perfect 10-barrel rides against Layne Beachley in the semi-finals; she went on to win the event after beating Lisa Anderson in the finals. Ballard continues to hold the women's world record for scoring two perfect 10s in a single heat.

Personal life

In 1991, Rochelle married cinematographer Bill Ballard; they divorced in 2004.

She currently resides on the island of Kauai, where she operates a surf, yoga, and wellness business called Surf Into Yoga. [6]

Contest highlights

2012

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1997

1996

1995

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References

  1. ↑ "WSL Heritage: Rochelle Ballard". World Surf League. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  2. ↑ Matt Warshaw, The Encyclopedia of Surfing. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "WSL Heritage: Rochelle Ballard". World Surf League. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  4. ↑ Intern, SURFER (2010-07-22). "Yoga for Surfers". Surfer. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  5. ↑ Intern, SURFER (2010-07-22). "Yoga for Surfers". Surfer. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  6. ↑ "About Rochelle | Surf into Yoga". Archived from the original on 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  7. ↑ SurferToday.com, Editor at. "Team Hawaii wins 2012 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship". Surfertoday. Retrieved 2022-08-31.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
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