Haunted by the memory of her head’s colliding with a coral reef, blonde Hawaiian surfer-Barbie Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) must overcome her fear of death by monster wave and tackle the big boys at the upcoming "Pipe Master" contest — which represents her chance to get off Oahu and make something of her life. Her two surfing sidekicks, Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake), pump up her path to pro stardom with taunts like, "You’re not a quitter, you’re just scared!" But then Anne Marie risks becoming merely a pro ’ho’ when her attention drifts to a vacationing NFL quarterback (Matthew Davis). Wrenched back into the big waves by her unflappable mates, she tackles the contest, heads straight into a pipe, and with virtuosic cutbacks and flying turns wins the attention of announcers, sponsors, and the hot hook-up.

Director John Stockwell (crazy/beautiful) scores with the soundtrack, the stunts, and the cinematography in this homage to taut tummies, bad-asses, and bodacious waves (the script is based on a story by former Phoenix staffer Susan Orlean). But the sex, the string bikinis, and the bits of forced drama are gratuitous, blips in between the compelling offshore antics. Ultimately, this chick action flick is drowned by pat lines, cliché’d plot twists, and unnecessary melodrama. (103 minutes)