Thirty is apparently the new 20 for Japan's Aoi Koike.

Ten years after winning her first Pipeline Pro bodyboarding contest, Koike did it again yesterday.

The women's division of the Pipeline Pro was completed in wave-face heights that ranged from 4 to 12 feet at the Banzai Pipeline.

"This contest is No. 1 for me," said Koike, 30. "I want to win this contest, Pipeline, every time if I could. It's very important for me."

Thirty-two elite female bodyboarders from around the world participated in the one-day contest. Japan had the most entries with 14, but Koike was the only one to reach the final.

She won it in dramatic fashion, completing an air-roll-spin maneuver as the horn sounded to end the 20-minute final heat. The judges rewarded her with a score of 7.93 (out of 10), which was enough to push her into first place.

Only a few female competitors in the world can complete the "A.R.S." move, and Koike was the only one to pull it off yesterday.

"I practiced for three years," she said of the maneuver.

Seconds before Koike's final wave, Portugal's Rita Pires took the lead with a barrel roll that received a score of 6.83.

"The last wave for Rita, I knew she made at least five points," Koike said. "So I knew I needed one more wave."

Koike's two best waves received a total of 13.93 points to top Pires' 12.33.

"I saw Aoi's last wave; it was a nice one," Pires said. "I'm OK. It was a nice wave, so Aoi deserved it. I'm happy with second."

Pires, 29, was competing in the Pipeline Pro for the first time in five years. She was a regular competitor when she was in her early 20s, but took a break to complete her college degree in architecture in Portugal.

"I only started doing contests again this year, so I was happy just to be in the final," Pires said.

Koike received $1,000 for the victory. She was 20 when she won the Pipeline Pro in 1998.

Veteran competitors Claudia Ferrari and Leila Alli placed third and fourth, respectively. Both are originally from Brazil, but now reside on O'ahu's North Shore.

The contest was the first stop on the United States Bodyboarding Association 2008 national tour. It did not count toward the world tour.

The men's division of the Pipeline Pro still has one more day of competition remaining. Contest officials have until Sunday to run the final day.