Betty Depolito
"Banzai" Betty Depolito is a surfing icon based on the North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii. With a nickname like "Banzai", you shouldn't have to ask if she surfed the Pipeline. She also pioneered places like Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach back in the late 70s and early 80s and still charges to this day. Betty was invited to be photographed with the top male big wave riders of the Eddie Aikau honoring her prowess in the line up at Waimea. She is one of the few Women even today said to have caught 18-20 foot waves. What brought Betty to the North shore was an airline ticket, which she won as California WISA Champion (Women's International Surfing Association) to compete in the Smirnoff Sunset Pro where she placed third right behind Margo Oberg and Lynn Boyer. Since then Betty has been a strong force behind what has pushed Women's surfing to a whole new level. In the early 90s she began her career as a videographer, one of the first Women to ever film from the water and the first media and film producer to really focus on the Women. She has produced several all Women surf movies including the first ever, "Hawaiian Liquid Pulse" which included a segment on Women surfers. Besides being a surfer, videographer and entrepreneur Betty also produces Women's sports programming and documentaries and is now putting together a television show on Women Ocean Athletes, WahineBlueTelevision.com. Wahine Blue is based in Hawaii and is being syndicated internationally. It is the first television magazine show to ever feature the Women 100% as athletes! Other than being a competitive surfer rated in the top 10 during her Pro career, Betty has a history of experience with directing, commentating and promoting surf contests. She helped to organize the WISA circuit back in the 70s and the Association of Women Bodyboarders who put together the first Women's Body boarding event at Pipeline in 1990. She is a television host, a radio commentator and surf reporter. She has been featured in many media stories all over the world and has worked for ESPN and many media outlets on different levels. She is Contest Director and Media Coordinator of the Bank of Hawaii North Shore Towsurf championship and markets and designs material for the event. When it comes to Women's surfing you might just call her THE BETTY, a real, authentic surf Betty.