THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408200120
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
EVERY TIME Nicole Palmieri thought she was getting closer to respect, she got cut off.
Literally.
The waters have been pretty choppy for this 17-year-old Virginia Beach surfer.
``There are a lot of jerks out there,'' she said of some of her earlier surfing experiences. ``Sometimes, guys see me out there and they just cut me off. They think I don't know what I'm doing.
``I guess it's harder for women to get respect out there.''
But Palmieri has earned it.
Twice she has qualified for the national championships - last year in California and this November at Sebastian Inlet, Fla. She couldn't afford to attend last year's affair, but she plans on being there this time around.
She will get a tune-up next month in the Eastern Surfing Association championship in Hatteras.
While she has gained some measure of respect from her mostly-male peers, she still doesn't always get the treatment she says she deserves.
``The guys at school are cool about it and they talk to me when I'm out there,'' she said. ``And most of the time now, the guys in the water see that I know what I'm doing.
``It's been hard.''
Palmieri is hoping to gain even more respect next weekend when she competes in the East Coast Surfing Championships.
Palmieri's first ECSC was two years ago and she didn't do too well. But last year, she advanced into the finals before finishing fourth.
``So I'm thinking of a first or second this year,'' she said.
Palmieri started surfing on a whim five years ago and has since won firsts in two major competitions and finished second in another. Last year, the Eastern Surfing Association ranked her second among girls 18 and under.
While she realizes that becoming a professional is probably nothing more than a dream, it's more the thrill of the rides that keeps her in the water.
``When I was 12, me and a girlfriend were just starting to go down to the beach,'' she said. ``We used to watch the guys surf, and I thought that I could do that.
``I just started trying. I never really got any lessons or help or anything. I guess I've done pretty well. I could do better if I spent more time in the water.''
That would be hard to imagine. Palmieri surfs from March to November and rarely misses a summer day at the beach.
``I don't surf during the winter because it's cold,'' she said. ``I know that's when the best surf is usually, but it's just too cold.''
Palmieri doesn't sit idle through the cold months. She spends the winter in daily aerobics classes and weight-lifting sessions.
``It's fun and it keeps me in shape,'' said the former Glamour Ltd. model. ``I used to model, but I'm too short (5-foot-2) and wasn't getting enough jobs.''
Palmieri now works as a hostess at Outback Steakhouse, saving money for her senior year at First Colonial and planning for college.
She wants to attend a ``school near the beach.''
``I really love surfing,'' she said. ``And even though I've been harassed sometimes by weird guys, I love being out there on the waves. If I could afford to travel more and get more surfing in on bigger waves, I'd like to think about being a pro.
``Right now, I want to improve at the ECSC. I've improved a lot since last summer, so I think I can move up.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
``There are a lot of jerks out there. Sometimes, guys see me out
there and they just cut me off. They think I don't know what I'm
doing,'' says Nicole Palmieri, 17.
by CNB