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Can you blame her for missing the fam... Bartels and son in Malibu last year. 
Melanie Bartels devoured the competition Wednesday afternoon to win the $3,500 top prize in the inaugural $20,000 Gallaz Surf Jam claiming victory over Rebecca Woods 2nd, Caroline Sarran 3rd, and Leilani Gryde 4th.
The native of Makaha, Hawaii, ripped off waves of 6.67 and 7.50 with an assortment of smooth turns, cutbacks and even a tailside snap to grab such a big advantage in the four-woman heat that runner-up Rebecca Woods of Australia needed better than a 9.0 wave to catch her with nine minutes left.
"I'm just glad it's over," said Bartels, 23, who says she's been missing her family back home. The former World Qualifying Series champion, who struggled through an injury-plagued, last-place finish on the elite World Championship Tour (WCT)last season, admitted she "was lucky" catching the key waves during her 14.17-10.60 victory against Woods.
Woods, who won the WQS last season to re-qualify for the WCT, said she's enjoyed the rivalry with Bartels, one of her friends on the circuit. "She's a great competitor who also encourages many of the other surfers," said Woods, who collected $2,200. "It's just hard to beat her when I got so far behind. I needed the perfect wave to come through."
European champion Caroline Sarran, who had beaten Bartels in their semifinal heat, finished third. Hawaii's Leilani Gryde placed fourth, although she pocketed an extra $500 for winning the Long Doggers Big Dog/Biggest Heat award with a two-wave total of 15.50 earlier in the event.
"Considering the (small) waves, the girls did a good job," said celebrity guest Frieda Zamba of Flagler Beach, who won the last of her four world championships in 1990. "It was very entertaining."
In the semifinals, Gryde helped eliminate Atlantic Beach's Karina Petroni on a board she had borrowed from her best friend. "It was really funny," Petroni said. "We were yelling, trying to kill each other out there. As soon as she heard I needed a 4.6 to catch her, she parked herself right next to me. She just looked at me and said, 'What do you want me to do? It's a heat.'
"She's a little witch in the water. I think I'll remember this for the rest of my life. She beat me on my own board."
Results of the Gallaz Surf Jam
Final
1, Bartels,Melanie HAW
2, Woods,Rebecca AUS
3, Sarran,Caroline FRA
4, Gryde,Leilani USA
Semi final # 1
1, Woods,Rebecca AUS
2, Gryde,Leilani USA
3, Petroni,Karina USA
4, Shields,Sheridan AUS
Semi final # 2
1, Sarran,Caroline FRA
2, Bartels,Melanie HAW
3, Hodge,Rosanne ZAF
4, Baldwin,Lindsey USA
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