OCEANSIDE — True to tradition, the 11th annual Supergirl Pro will bring as much action to the beach as it does to the water. This year an onsite women’s video game tournament will be held with cash prizes and products for top individual and team players. Winners will also claim the crown as the first ever Supergirl Gamer Pro champions.
The Supergirl Pro event strives to provide opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated arenas. “Esports is the perfect example of an industry where women are unnecessarily treated like second-class citizens despite a huge percentage of the gender that considers themselves avid gamers,” Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment and producer of the Supergirl Pro, said.
Bratman says 46 percent of gamers are women, yet only 1 percent are included in esports tournaments.
The Supergirl Gamer Pro is a platform for female gamers to take a larger role in esports, and inspire other women.
“Our mission is to encourage the empowerment and participation of more women in competitive gaming and to help facilitate a future where women and men have equal opportunities within esports,” Bratman said.
Tournament pre-qualifications began online with 32 “Hearthstone” players, and 16 “League of Legends” teams battling it out in head-to-head competition.
The “Hearthstone” quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, for individual players, will be played onsite at the Supergirl Pro on July 30, and broadcast live on Twitch.tv.
The semifinals and finals of the “League of Legends,” for teams of five, will be played onsite at the Supergirl Pro on July 29, and also broadcast live on Twitch.tv.
The tournament is played in head-to-head bracket-style, with games usually lasting an hour.
“Given the family-friendly environment of the event’s festival, we also wanted games that were both PG-13 and recognizable,” Bratman said. “’Hearthstone’ was selected as the one-versus-one game in consultation with Blizzard, and “League of Legends” was a no-brainer for the team game.”
The Supergirl Gamer Pro is an open competition that draws top-ranked pros and amateurs trying to break into the pro ranks. Notable players supporting the event are Stephanie “Miss Harvey” Harvey, Anna Prosser and Sue Lee.
“Miss Harvey is arguably the best female gamer in the U.S. and will be on site as a part of the Saturday tournament,” Bratman said.
The Supergirl Surf Pro takes place July 28 through July 30. Women’s surf competition, a festival village, a skateboarding demonstration and clinic and live music take place over the three days. Competitions take place on The Strand by Oceanside Pier.
Supergirl Gamer Pro
- “League of Legends” final four, Saturday, July 29, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- “Hearthstone” tournament, Sunday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
