Young local talent takes center stage at Oceanside's marquee women's surf event
OCEANSIDE — The Super Girl Surf Festival returned to Oceanside this weekend for its 20th edition, and the event concluded with a landmark performance by a hometown-area rising star. Fourteen-year-old Ruby Stringfellow won her first career Qualifying Series (QS) event Sunday, becoming the youngest competitor ever to lift the Super Girl title.
Stringfellow, who is approaching her 15th birthday in just under two weeks, posted the highest-scoring rides in the final to outpace fellow American Mia McLeish. She opened the decisive heat with a 6.67 and followed with a 5.00, scores that held through the buzzer despite McLeish's last‑second challenge.
“This is insane that it's the 20th year, and I'm the youngest to ever win, it's just the cherry on top of the cherry. Just to anyone watching, you can pursue your dreams because they can come true,”
Stringfellow's victory represents a milestone for the festival and for women's competitive surfing in Oceanside. The win also produced a major shift in the QS leaderboard: she rose from No. 16 to No. 1 in the ratings, positioning her as a contender for Challenger Series qualification moving forward.
Her path to the final included a semifinal matchup with Eden Walla — a notable moment because Stringfellow unseated Walla to secure her berth. The result confirmed the 14-year-old’s rapid ascent; she first drew regional attention in 2024 when, at age 13, she made an unexpected run to the semifinals at the same event in Oceanside.
Stringfellow's background echoes a trans-Pacific upbringing: born in Costa Rica, raised in Maui, Hawaiʻi and currently residing in Ladera Ranch, California. The combination of early exposure to varied surf breaks and tournament experience has translated into poise under pressure during this year's festival.
Event context and local implications
The Super Girl Surf Festival is a staple of Oceanside’s summer sports calendar, bringing women’s QS competition alongside action sports, gaming and music. Organizers marked the festival’s 20th anniversary this year, and the celebration concluded with what many will recall as a historic final.
For local surfers, coaches and parents, Stringfellow’s breakthrough underscores the depth of youth talent surfacing in Southern California. For Oceanside’s beach community and businesses that rely on event visitors, the festival’s high-profile finish helps sustain the city’s reputation as a hub for competitive surfing.
- Winner: Ruby Stringfellow, 14
- Runner-up: Mia McLeish
- Key wave scores: 6.67 and 5.00 (Stringfellow)
- Ranking change: moved from No. 16 to No. 1
- Festival milestone: 20th year of the Super Girl Surf Festival in Oceanside
| Competitor | Age | Notable detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby Stringfellow | 14 | First career QS victory; rose to No. 1 in rankings |
| Mia McLeish | — | Runner-up in her first QS Final appearance |
Festival organizers and local officials have said in past years that the event is intended to highlight women's advancement in action sports; this year’s youthful champion reinforces that focus. Stringfellow herself framed the win as motivation for other young athletes, telling spectators that dreams are attainable when pursued seriously.
As Stringfellow and other competitors move on to the next stops on the QS circuit, Oceanside’s surf community will watch closely to see whether the local stage becomes a springboard to higher-level tours. For now, the 20th Super Girl Surf Festival will be remembered here for launching a new chapter in the event’s history — one defined by a 14-year-old who held her nerve and delivered when it mattered most.
