CARDIFF-- Linda Benson is a beach bum through and through.

The Encinitas native spent many adolescent summers on the sands of Moonlight Beach, watching her brother and his friends surf the popular locale during the early 1950s.

She would rush to the water's edge after one of them fell and wait for their wooden, leashless longboards to reach the shore.

Benson would retrieve them and escort the boards back to their owner, who would be swimming in from the break. But on one typical summer day, an 11-year old Benson received more than a "thank you" from an appreciative surfer who lost his board.

"He asked me if I wanted to give surfing a try," said Benson, now 62. "I'd always wanted to give it a shot, but I'd never gone out before. I went out and absolutely loved it. The moment I stood up on a surfboard, I knew I was hooked."

The love affair was more than just a schoolgirl crush. Benson rapidly improved and became a top-flight competitive surfer in no time. She won 20 surf contests in her storied career, including U.S. Open championships in 1959, '60, '61, '64 and '68. She was the youngest surfer ever to enter the International Championships when she took home a world title at age 15.

Her career slowed in 1965 when she became a flight attendant for United Airlines to help pay the bills.

While she spent more time in the air than the ocean and her surfing career has long since ceased, Benson still can't stay away from the beach. The matriarch of women's longboarding will head down to Cardiff reef this morning to host a prestigious women's longboarding contest that bears her name.

The Linda Benson Pro, the feature event of the Roxy Jam, runs this weekend and features pro and amateur divisions, a noseriding competition and a paddle board race.

"I can't believe it's finally here," Benson said. "Many people have put in countless hours to make this contest happen. It will be extremely gratifying to see it up and running."

Benson is a major reason the contest exists. She, Oceanside resident and pro surfer Kassia Meador and a few others got the event off the ground last year in Ocean Beach.

That event was considered the world championships. Although this year's world title was contested in France, the Ocean Beach event was run so well that Roxy wanted to sponsor another contest in the area. And so the Linda Benson Pro was born, sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals and given a $15,000 purse.

"This contest wouldn't be happening without Linda's efforts," Meador said. "She's been instrumental in the advancement of our sport, which is really starting to take off."

Benson skyrocketed to celebrity status during the surfing boom of late 1950s and early '60s. She was also a surfing double for many Hollywood movies, including Annette Funicello's "Beach Party" series. She was widely respected for charging into giant surf with the same skill as the men around her.

Benson's surfing slowed when she took to the friendly skies, a necessary occurrence for surfers in those days, when surfing didn't offer the riches that it does today. Benson spent 38 years as a flight attendant before retiring in 2003.

It would take only one guess to predict what she did after becoming permanently grounded. Benson's newfound career revolves around surfing. She established a local surfing school called surfHER, which caters to female surfers of all ages but does not exclude men.

"I thought it would be a neat thing to pass surfing on to the next generation," said Benson, who was inducted to the International Surfing Hall of Fame in 1992. "Learning how to surf changed my life, and I want to provide others the opportunity to get the same experience."

The surfing legend, teacher and advocate still has the respect of many for being a pioneer and leader for female surfers across the globe.

"The first time I saw some of her old surf video, I was blown away," Meador said. "She's an incredible surfer and an amazing individual that I'm proud to have become friends with. The crazy thing is that even at her age, Linda still rips. Frankly, I'm glad she's not in this contest because she might win it.

"She's an inspiration to any woman to ever ride a longboard."

Contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com.

Roxy Jam Cardiff

Where: Today and Sunday at Cardiff Reef

What: Professional and amateur women's longboarding contest, paddleboard race and noseriding competition

Who: The Linda Benson Pro features almost 80 of the best female longboarders from around the world.