COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia (Wednesday 3 March, 2010) – South African surfing ace Jordy Smith has set up a highly anticipated clash against former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) after another scintillating performance in Round 3 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, stop No. 1 of 10 on the 2010 ASP World Tour.

Arguably the greatest assembly of surfing talent revelled in excellent 1 to 1.5 metre hollow waves at Snapper Rocks on Australia’s Gold Coast on Wednesday, with Smith in devastating form, posting scores of 8.0 and 7.23 as he weaved his way into and out of the dredging tubes, gouging powerful bottom turns and punting his trademark aerial manoeuvres.

His 15.23 point heat tally was sufficient to give Smith victory over Tiago Pires (POR) and set up a last 16 encounter with Slater, who racked up 15.37 points in dispatching compatriot Pat Gudauskas to move into Round 4. This will be the 22 year-old Durbanite’s first man-on-man heat against the Slater, 38, who many consider the best surfer of all time and with whom Smith shares a birthday – February 11.

Smith is the last South African in the event following the elimination of Travis Logie, 30, at the hands of Aussie veteran Kieren Perrow in Round 2. After an uncharacteristically lacklustre performance in Round 1, Smith bounced back with the highest score of the day, 17.86 out of 20, when defeating Brazilian Marco Polo in Round 2.

The Smith vs. Slater match will come in Heat 8 of Round 4 when the event recommences.

Others standouts still in contention for the event crown and the early lead on the ASP World Tour ratings include World No. 3 Bede Durbidge, who surfed a nearly flawless heat to record a heat tally of 19.30 out of 20 today; fellow Aussies Mick Fanning, the reigning and two-time world champion, and defending event champion Joel Parkinson, along with Adriano de Souza (BRA), Bobby Martinez (USA), who ousted Andy Irons (HAW) and Fredrick Patacchia, the last Hawaiian left in the event.

Meanwhile Rosanne Hodge has advanced to Round 3 of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, stop No. 1 of nine on the ASP Women’s World Tour, which is running in conjunction with the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks. Hodge also faces a former World Champion in Chelsea Hedges (AUS) when the women next take to the surf.

Fellow East Londoner Nikita Robb, competing in her first event on the ASP Women’s World Tour, was relegated to Round 2 following a third place finish in her opening encounter. Robb was subsequently eliminated from the event when she again placed third behind 2004 World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) and Bruna Schmitz (BRA).

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start (11.30pm today (Wednesday), SA Time).

All the action from Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast pres. by Land Rover and the Roxy Pro Gold Coast will be webcast LIVE via www.quiksilverpro.com.au

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.00 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.46
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.10 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 13.70
Heat 3: Chris Davidson (AUS) 11.00 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.27
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.84 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.67
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.16 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 11.26
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.73 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.40
Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.97 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 12.60
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.74 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 10.43
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.63 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.20
Heat 10: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.17 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 12.64
Heat 11: Daniel Ross (AUS) 13.54 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.00
Heat 12: Dane Reynolds (USA) 13.57 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.23
Heat 13: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 19.30 def. Luke Munro (AUS) 7.37
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.06 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.43
Heat 15: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.37 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 7.56
Heat 16: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.23 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.77

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 2: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 6: Daniel Ross (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Amee Donohoe (AUS)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Heat 3: Paige Hareb (NZL) vs. Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 5: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) vs. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
Heat 7: Melanie Bartels (HAW) vs. Jessi Miley-Dyer (HAW)
Heat 8: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)

Ends

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available via the ASP Digital Images Department – please contact kirstin@aspworldtour.com

________________________________________

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia (Saturday, February 27, 2010) – Durbanites Jordy Smith and Travis Logie finished second in their respective heats on the opening day of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, stop No. 1 of 10 on the 2010 ASP World Tour, and will contest cutthroat, sudden-death heats in Round 2 when competition resumes.

Competing in tricky 1 – 1.5 metre waves at Snapper Rocks in Queensland, Australia earlier today, Logie finished behind Adrian Buchan (AUS) and ahead of 2001 ASP World Champion CJ Hobgood (USA) in a tightly contested, all goofy-foot (ride with right foot in front) heat.

Smith, ranked No. 11 going into the event, briefly held the lead in his opening encounter but ultimately had to settle for the runner-up berth behind rookie Dusty Payne (HAW) with Drew Courtney (AUS) in third place.

Smith faces another rookie in Marco Polo (BRA) in a man-on-man match-up in Round 2 while Logie comes up against veteran Kieran Perrow (AUS) in his bid to stay in contention in the US$450 000 (approx. 3.4 million) event.

Former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 38, demonstrated that he is fully focused on capturing an unprecedented 10th world title by posting both the highest scoring single wave of the day – 9.27 out of 10 – for a deep tube ride, and the highest two-wave heat total – 17.77 out of 20 – which left his opponents Ben Dunn (AUS) and Polo combo’d and needing to improve on both their counting scores.

The top seeds dominated proceedings today with five of the top six winning their first round heats and advancing directly to Round 3. Reigning and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning, 2009 ASP World Tour runner-up Joel Parkinson, No. 3 Bede Durbidge (all Gold Coast locals), No. 5 Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Slater all posted victories.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start (11.30pm on Saturday, SA Time).

When Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast competition resumes, first up will be current ASP World No. 4 Taj Burrow (AUS), 31, against wildcard Garrett Parkes (AUS), 18, in the opening heat of the man-on-man elimination Round 2.

The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast pres. by Land Rover features the world’s best surfers from February 27 through March 10, 2010 and will be webcast LIVE via www.quiksilverpro.com.au

The Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Stop No. 1 of 9 on the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour, will run in conjunction with the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. East Londoners Rosanne Hodge, in her fourth year at the highest level, and Nikita Robb, who is making her debut, will fly the South African flag on the women’s tour this year.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Brett Simpson (USA) 10.67, Dane Reynolds (USA) 6.70, Roy Powers (HAW) 6.24
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.67, Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.23, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 7.97
Heat 3: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.26, Bobby Martinez (USA) 12.70, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.94
Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.30, Travis Logie (ZAF) 10.36, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.26
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.77, Ben Dunn (AUS) 9.50, Marco Polo (BRA) 7.34
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.90, Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.47, Blake Thornton (AUS) 8.86
Heat 7: Chris Davidson (AUS) 12.50, Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.13, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 6.64
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.36, Kai Otton (AUS) 11.53, Garrett Parkes (AUS) 10.77
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.17, Blake Ainsworth (AUS) 9.73, Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 6.23
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.57, Mick Campbell (AUS) 14.40, Craig Anderson (AUS) 6.16
Heat 11: Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.60, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.10, Drew Courtney (AUS) 4.76
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.83, Luke Stedman (AUS) 10.56, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 8.23
Heat 13: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.80, Jay Thompson (AUS) 10.66, Andy Irons (HAW) 5.83
Heat 14: Luke Munro (AUS) 12.73, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.27, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.40
Heat 15: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.10, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 13.53, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.57
Heat 16: Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.94, Adam Melling (AUS) 11.30, Dean Morrison (AUS) 11.17

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Garrett Parkes (AUS)
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Blake Ainsworth (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Craig Anderson (USA)
Heat 4: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 5: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Blake Thornton (AUS)
Heat 6: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 7: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 8: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 9: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Nathan Yeomans (USA)
Heat 11: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 12: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 13: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 14: Ben Dunn (AUS) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 15: Roy Powers (HAW) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 16: Drew Courtney (AUS) vs. Luke Stedman (AUS)

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Carissa Moore (HAW)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Bruna Schmitz (BRA), Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Nikita Robb (ZAF)
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Heat 6: Melanie Bartels (HAW), Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Amee Donohoe (AUS)

Ends

Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media
Dave Prodan
email: dave@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987
AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available via the ASP Digital Images Department – please contact kirstin@aspworldtour.com

________________________________________

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia (Friday, February 26, 2010) – South Africa’s Rosanne Hodge clinched the Most Improved Female Surfer award as the world’s best surfers assembled at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland, Australia on Thursday evening for the ASP World Champions’ Crowning, a gala event and the premiere evening in professional surfing.

Hodge qualified for her fourth consecutive season on the ASP Women’s World Tour by finishing 2009 ranked No. 9, the first time the 22 year-old East Londoner has earned a place in the world’s top 10.

Taking top honours for the evening were Gold Coast duo Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, being officially crowned ASP World Champion and ASP Women’s World Champion respectively.

Kelly Slater (USA), 38, former nine-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 6, was present to graciously present Fanning with his ASP World Title trophy.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, and Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, were honored as 2009 ASP World Runner-Up and ASP Women’s World Runner-Up respectively, and both gave heartfelt speeches, acknowledging the progression of the sport and the dynamic changes that will be activated this season.

Harley Ingleby (AUS), 26, secured his inaugural ASP World Longboard Title while Jennifer Smith (USA), 23, attained her second ASP Women’s World Longboard Title.

Maxime Huscenot (REU), 17, and Laura Enever (AUS), 18, were honored as ASP World Junior Champions, and usher in the next generation of sporting super talents.

Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, and Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, received ASP Most Improved Awards, while Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 24, and Coco Ho (HAW), 18, were awarded ASP Rookie of the Year titles.

Ho was honoured a second time, taking out the 2009 ASP Women’s World Qualifying Series (WQS), while Dan Ross (AUS), 27, was honoured at the 2009 ASP WQS No. 1.

Kieren Perrow (AUS), 33, current ASP World No. 13, was honoured with the ASP Peter Whitaker Award (named after the late ASP CEO) for his immeasurable contribution to the sport of surfing. Perrow was an integral voice in the enhancements to the 2010 ASP World Tour.

Layne Beachley (AUS), 37, former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion, was honoured with ASP Life Membership last night, and despite not being able to attend, kindly provided a video acceptance from Vancouver where she is attending the Winter Olympics.

The world’s best surfers will kick off the 2010 tour this week at Snapper Rocks for the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover and the Roxy Pro.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

ASP World Champion: Mick Fanning (AUS)
ASP Women’s World Champion: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
ASP World Longboard Champion: Harley Ingleby (AUS)
ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion: Jennifer Smith (AUS)
ASP World Junior Champion: Maxime Huscenot (REU)
ASP Women’s World Junior Champion: Laura Enever (AUS)ASP World Runner-Up: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
ASP Women’s World Runner-Up: Silvana Lima (BRA)
ASP World Tour Most Improved: Dane Reynolds (USA)
ASP Women’s World Tour Most Improved: Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
ASP World Tour Rookie of the Year: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
ASP Women’s World Tour Rookie of the Year: Coco Ho (HAW)ASP WQS No. 1: Dan Ross (AUS)
ASP Women’s WQS No. 1: Coco Ho (AUS)
ASP Peter Whitaker Award: Kieren Perrow (AUS)
ASP Life Membership: Layne Beachley (AUS)

Ends

Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media
Dave Prodan
email: dave@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987
AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available via the ASP Digital Images Department – please contact kirstin@aspworldtour.com
________________________________________

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia (Tuesday, February 23, 2010) – The world’s best female surfers have converged onto the wave-laden Mecca of Coolangatta for the opening event of the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour season, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast from February 27 through March 10, 2010.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, reigning three-time ASP Women’s World Champion and defending Roxy Pro Champion, is the surfer to watch heading into the opening event of the year. A two-time event champion at Snapper Rocks, claiming the first as a wildcard in 2005 and her second last season sparking her third ASP Women’s World Title run, Gilmore’s years of experience at the venue and unmatched rapport with the breaks makes her the most dangerous surfer in the event.

“Growing up on the Gold Coast, there is no shortage of quality waves to surf and people to look up to,” Gilmore said. “Definitely, a familiarity with the waves here is a big advantage when it comes to competition. That said, I haven’t been surfing much in the off-season, so I can’t say that I’m too familiar with the banks at the moment. However, that time off really keeps me hungry to get back out there and push myself.”

Holding ASP records as the youngest ASP Women’s World Champion ever (at 18 in 2007) as well as the only surfer to ever attain three ASP Women’s World Titles from three attempts, Gilmore has single-handedly ushered in a new dynasty of professional women’s surfing, yet remains humble when approaching the upcoming season.

“I think I have experienced the range of what surfers can feel in this position,” Gilmore said. “I’ve been the rookie going for the title, I’ve been the surfer with the target on my back and now I don’t really worry about it. It feels refreshing to have experienced that because once you survive it, you don’t have to be scared of it anymore.”

With an influx of talent onto the ASP Women’s World Tour over the past five years, high-performance barriers are being broken on a nearly daily basis, something the young Australian sees as a point of focus in the coming season.

“I definitely feel like I can become more progressive and innovative,” Gilmore said. “I also feel like the ASP Judging Criteria reflects and rewards progressive surfing more and more and that contests are becoming a forum for the best surfing on the planet. Certainly the new girls on tour, Coco (Ho) and Sally (Fitzgibbons) and Carissa (Moore) all put a lot of innovation into their surfing. Silvana (Lima) has always been progressive, and all the girls are really stepping up this year. It’s an exciting time for the ASP Women’s World Tour.”

Gilmore will face ASP Women’s World Tour sophomore Bruna Schmitz (BRA), 19, and the winner of the Roxy Pro Trials in the opening round of competition.

The Roxy Pro Gold Coast will feature the world’s best female surfers from February 27 through March 10, 2010 and will be webcast LIVE via www.roxypro.com.au

The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, featuring the ASP Top 45, will run in conjunction with the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, and in addition to being webcast LIVE, the men will be broadcast LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

High-res image available for complimentary download at: (Copy/Paste URL)

http://www.aspworldtour.com/photos/RGC09/gilmore4682roxygc09kirstin_n.jpg

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Carissa Moore (HAW)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Bruna Schmitz (BRA), TBA
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Nikita Robb (ZAF)
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Heat 6: Melanie Bartels (HAW), Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Amee Donohoe (AUS)

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Dane Reynolds (USA), Roy Powers (HAW), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA), Tiago Pires (PRT), Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Blake Thornton (AUS)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS), Chris Davidson (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), TBA
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), TBA
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Mick Campbell (AUS), TBA
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Drew Courtney (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA), Luke Stedman (AUS), Nathan Yeomans (USA)
Heat 13: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Andy Irons (HAW), Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS), Luke Munro (AUS)
Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA), Adam Melling (AUS)

——————————————————————————–

Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media
Dave Prodan
email: dave@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987
AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228

EVENT MEDIA

Jake White
email: jake@surfingaustralia.com
AUS mobile: + 61 (0) 422 987 069

TV NEWS FEEDS and WEB CLIPS: TV News Feeds will be available via Network Nine on each day of competition. The broadcast quality feeds will also be available on-line for download via an FTP link. Satellite feeds will be delivered worldwide on key competition days.

Mandy McKinnon
email: mandy.mckinnon@bigpond.com
AUS mobile: + 61 (0) 417 079941

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available via the ASP Digital Images Department – please contact kirstin@aspworldtour.com

——————————————————————————–

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

 
Wednesday, December 10, 2009 – In a massive boost for women’s surfing in South Africa, both Nikita Robb and Rosanne Hodge have qualified for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour giving the country two representatives at the highest level of women’s competition surfing for the first time since the two-tier system was introduced in 1992.

Hodge , 22, qualified for her fourth consecutive year on the Dream Tour when she finished No. 10 on the yearend ASP Women’s World Tour rankings after the completion of the Billabong Pro Maui in Hawaii yesterday. The East Londoner, ranked No. 9 going into the final event, spent an anxious 24 hours awaiting the outcome when she was eliminated in Round 3.

Rebecca Woods (AUS) overtook her in the ratings by advancing to the quarterfinals, but the balance of the lower ranked opponents were eliminated and Hodge clinched the last automatic re-qualification spot and a place amongst the world’s best competitive female surfers for yet another year.

Robb, 20, also from East London, has been waiting for confirmation of her spot among the elite of women’s surfing since the final event on the 2009 ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) in Ro de Janeiro in October. A fifth place in that event saw her jump to No. 9 on the yearend WQS rankings where the top six qualify for the top-tier World Tour.

However, three of the girls ranked in the WQS top six were also competing on the World Tour and could double-qualify if they stayed in the top 10 on the Dream Tour, with their WQS spots then going to the girls ranked Nos. 7, 8 and 9. Coco Ho (HAW) and Paige Hareb (NZL) were comfortably placed on the World Tour rankings and Robb’s fate lay in the performance of Rebecca Woods (AUS) in the final event.

Robb’s heart must have sunk into her heels when Woods was relegated to a cutthroat, sudden-death Round 2 heat after placing third in her opening match-up in Maui. And even more so when Woods appeared to be struggling in the Round 2 encounter. But Woods rallied and snatched second place by a miniscule 0.20 of a point and then went on to defeat former ASP World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS) in Round 3, cementing her No. 9 ranking and enabling Robb to take her place in the highest flight in 2010.

“I couldn’t be more stoked,” Robb said of her qualification. “I’ve had a really long time thinking about what will happen if I qualify or if I didn’t, but you can never really comprehend the happiness of when you get that phone call saying ‘Well done, you have just qualified for the 2010 WCT’.”

“Where too from here? Preparation, getting good boards, training and last but not least enjoying surfing and living my dream! It’s funny, at the start of the year I was working in gardens trying to get enough money to follow the WQS. Now, at the end of the year, I’ve achieved something I’ve wanted for so long. So I guess I’m really excited about next year and I have a feeling 2010 is going to be a good year for me.”

Robb becomes only the third South African female surfer to reach the highest echelons of the women’s world surfing after Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) and good friend and fellow East Londoner Rosanne Hodge. Next year will be her first outside the Pro Junior (U20) ranks where she secured a number of international event victories and accolades and a string of national titles.

2010 ASP Women’s World Tour Qualifiers

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
Coco Ho (HAW)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Chelsea Hedges (AUS)
Paige Hareb (NZL)
Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Nikita Robb (ZAF)
ASP wildcard to be decided
For more on Nikita see www.nikitarobb.co.za

For more information on both of South Africa’s two highest rated female surfers see www.aspafrica.com

ends

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa

Contact:            Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel:                   021 534 5738
Email:               aspafrica@mweb.co.za

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications

PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax:             +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

HONOLUA BAY, Maui/Hawaii (Wednesday, December 9, 2009) – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, took out the final stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour today, the Billabong Pro Maui, in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 metre) conditions at the iconic pointbreak of Honolua Bay over Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, clinching her third consecutive Billabong Pro Maui title after three years of competition at the premier event. Gilmore wrapped up her dominating season amongst the Top 17 by claiming her second consecutive Vans Triple Crown title today as well.

Gilmore capped the year off in appropriate form after claiming her third ASP Women’s World Title at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, when she advanced over Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, in the Semifinals, en route to defending her flawless record at the Billabong Pro Maui while claiming the prized Hawaiian specialty series and the beefed up $25,000 prize purse supplied by Vans.

“Once again, Maui has just been incredible and to win this event three times in a row is just awesome,” Gilmore said. “I couldn’t have been happier with the way things have gone today. Winning the Vans Triple Crown is definitely up there with winning the World Title and it’s definitely one of the biggest accolades of surfing professionally. I can’t believe it’s all happening again, it’s awesome.”

Gilmore absolutely dominated the day’s proceedings, blitzing the highest heat total of the entire 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour season by surfing a near-perfect heat of 19.67 out of 20 to usurp Samantha Cornish (AUS), 29, in her Quarterfinals heat before topping Fitzgibbons and Mulanovich en route to her second ASP Women’s World Tour win of 2009.

“I guess it’s a little surprising,” Gilmore said. “I would have thought that the highest heat total would have gone down yesterday with all of the barrels. Today there are still some rippable waves out there, but I don’t know. I just went surfing.”

Mulanovich campaigned through a lengthy day of competition, topping Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 23, Australian veteran Rebecca Woods (AUS), 25, and ASP Women’s World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, but was unable to top Gilmore for the victory and claimed a runner-up finish at the final event of the year to finish her season ASP Women’s World No. 3.

“It’s been a great day,” Mulanovich said. “Congratulations to Steph (Gilmore). She’s a champ and a hero to all of us and thanks to the sponsors of the event and my family and friends. It’s been a great event.”

Fitzgibbons navigated the Honolua Bay lineup with poise and maturity beyond her years and posted some amazing scores before falling in her Semifinals bout against Gilmore, but clinched an impressive heat victory over Coco Ho (HAW), 18, in the Quarterfinals on the way to her third place finish.

“I always love surfing heats with Coco (Ho),” Fitzgibbons said. “She always pushes my level up and I usually have my best heats with her. She’s also a really great friend. I wish there were more waves so we could have dueled a little bit more. She surfed amazing this year and my hat goes off to her.”

Lima, who smashed one of two perfect 10-point rides during the Billabong Pro Maui with amazing barrel riding in yesterday’s action, was in stellar form for the final day of competition, but was overtaken by former Peruvian ASP Women’s World Champion, Mulanovich, in the dying minutes of their Semifinals heat, taking a third place finish to wrap up her year while finishing ASP Women’s World No. 2 for 2009.

“The waves were a lot smaller than yesterday, but it was still good,” Lima said. “Sometimes the heats were slow, but the conditions were still great.”

For Billabong Pro Maui highlights, videos, photos and more log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Final:

1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 18.00
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.17

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Semifinals Results:

Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.03 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.94
Heat 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.83 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 11.70

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Quarterfinals Results:

Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.83 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 15.83
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 19.67 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 7.26
Heat 3: Silvana Lima 16.70 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 7.20
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.77 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 6.50

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Round 3 Result:

Heat 8: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.50 def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.17

Final 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour ratings

1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2. Silvana Lima (BRA)
3. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
4. Coco Ho (HAW)
5. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
6. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
7. Chelsea Hedges (AUS)
8. Paige Hareb (NZL)
9. Rebecca Woods (AUS)
10. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
11. Samantha Cornish (AUS)
12. Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
13. Alana Blanchard (HAW)
14. Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
15. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
16. Amee Donohoe (AUS)
17. Megan Abubo (HAW)
18. Layne Beachley (AUS)

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Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media
Dave Prodan
email: dave@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987

AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228

Bobby Shadley
email: bobby@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 290 9135

Billabong Pro Maui Media
email: mandy.mckinnon@bigpond.com
USA mobile: +1 808 214 7805

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available through ASP’s photography distributution partner Getty Images. To register for access, log onto http://corporate.gettyimages.com/marketing/editorial_frontdoor/ASP/index.html

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About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America. 

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Association of Surfing Professionals
72-80 Marine Parade
Coolangatta, QLD 4225
Australia

Tuesday 8 December 2009 – South Africa’s Travis Logie has qualified for the 2010 ASP World Tour, professional surfing’s highest level of competition, after a gruelling campaign that saw him finish No. 13 in the yearend ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) rankings.

Logie, who spent four years amongst the world’s top 45 ranked surfers before dropping of the Dream Tour at the end of 2008, went into the final two WQS events in Hawaii ranked No. 11 and needing to advance through one heat to ensure his spot in the Top 15.

Elimination in his opening heats in both events left the 30-year-old Durbanite waiting on the sidelines as first Tanner Gudauskas (USA) and then Dusty Payne (HAW) overtook him. But the rest of his closest rivals were ousted in the subsequent rounds at Sunset Beach and Logie secured a well deserved place back at competitive surfing’s top table.

“I’m really stoked that all the hard work, training and travelling has paid off,” Logie said, shortly after arriving back in South Africa. “I’m really excited to be back on the tour for what will be my fifth year.”

Logie’s commitment to re-qualifying saw him compete in 21 of the 41 events on the 2009 WQS, the highest number by a South African and a total matched by only four of the nearly 1 000 other WQS members worldwide. He clinched a confidence-boosting victory in a 2-Star rated event in Australia early in the campaign before netting his biggest points haul in his home town when he placed 5th in the 6-Star Prime rated Quiksilver Pro Durban in April.

ASP World Tour title contenders Joel Parkinson and fellow Australian Mick Fanning along with Hawaiians Sunny Garcia and Dusty Payne fought out the final of the 6-Star rated O’Neill World Cup of Surfing in tricky 3 – 4 metre waves at Sunset Beach. Garcia, the 40-year-old veteran chasing a record 7th Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, opened his account with an incredible tube ride than earned him 9.47 points out of a possible 10 but could not find a second high scoring ride.

Parkinson clinched victory with rides of 7.0 and 6.17, matching Hawaiian legend Michael Ho’s record of three wins in the World Cup, and rocketed into the lead in the Triple Crown ratings, which he won last year. Garcia held on for second place in the event, which earned him a wildcard into the Billabong Pipeline Masters, with Fanning third and Payne a distant fourth.

Damien Fahrenfort posted the best results by a South African in the event, winning his opening encounter and then recording the highest heat total of Day 3, and the sixth highest total of the entire event – 16.27 out of 20 – before being ousted in the Round of 64.

Brandon Jackson went into the Hawaiian leg rated No. 15 on the WQS and in contention for an ASP World Tour spot. Like Logie, Jackson could not advance out of his first heats at Haleiwa and Sunset and dropped to No. 24 in the yearend rankings, which will give the 22-year-old from Durban North excellent seeding for the WQS contests in the first six months of 2010.

Royden Bryson (Cape Town) advanced through one heat at Haleiwa and none at Sunset to end the year ranked No. 36. Fahrenfort came in at No. 67 and Rudy Palmboom (Bluff), who won both his opening match-ups in Hawaii but was then eliminated in the Round of 96, closed his 2009 campaign rated No. 81.

Warwick Wright (Durban) was the highest ranked of the Saffas who did not compete in Hawaii at No. 81, followed by Antonio Bortoletto (Durban) at No. 87 and Daniel Redman (Umdloti) just outside the top 100 at No. 105

O’Neill World Cup of Surfing (Event No. 41 of 41)
Sunset Beach, Hawaii
Results:
Final:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) – $20,000 – 3,500 points
2. Sunny Garcia (HAW) – $10,000 – 3,063 points
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) – $5,100 – 2,625 points
4. Dusty Payne (HAW) – $4,900 – 2,494 points

ASP World Qualifying Series
2009 Yearend Rankings

1 Ross,Daniel AUS 15744
2 Gudauskas,Patrick USA 14876
3 Andre,Jadson BRA 14813
4 Melling,Adam AUS 14638
5 Wright,Owen AUS 14338
6 Munro,Luke AUS 13713
7 Thompson,Jay AUS 13638
8 Yeomans,Nathan USA 13419
9 Payne,Dusty HAW 13194
10 Simpson,Brett USA 13150
11 Wilkinson,Matt AUS 12850
12 Gudauskas,Tanner USA 12569
13 Logie,Travis ZAF 12344
14 Polo,Marco BRA 12331
15 Thornton,Blake AUS 12325

South Africans (in the top 150)

24 Jackson,Brandon ZAF 11431
36 Bryson,Royden ZAF 10213
67 Fahrenfort,Damien ZAF 8222
74 Palmboom,Rudy ZAF 7875
81 Wright,Warwick ZAF 7550
87 Bortoletto,Antonio ZAF 7101
105 Redman,Daniel ZAF 6451
125 Smith,Jordy ZAF 5644
130 Basnett,Ricky ZAF 5551
147 Richards,David ZAF 5246

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Billabong Pipeline Masters
Stop No. 10 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour
Pipeline, Oahu/Hawaii
December 8 – 20, 2009

Fanning and Parkinson face off at Pipeline for 2009 ASP World Title

After nine events on the 2009 ASP Dream Tour, the race for the ASP World Title will culminate in a showdown between two lifelong friends at the final event of the season, the Billabong Pipeline Masters, which will also decide the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, from December 8 – 20, 2009.

Mick Fanning, 28, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 1, will face Gold Coast stable mate and current ASP World No. 2, Joel Parkinson, 28, in the hunt for the 2009 ASP World Title as the two battle a minefield of the world’s best surfers and Pipe specialists at the Billabong Pipeline Masters.

While the rest of the Top 45 fight for ratings points and prize-money and the 16 Pipeline specialists battle for prestige, only Fanning and Parkinson can win the 2009 ASP World title, with Parko having to finish two places ahead to overtake the current No. 1.

Jordy Smith, the current ASP No. 10, has been seeded into Round 3 of the event and will be going all-out to improve his yearend ranking. A top 8 finish in the ratings will see the 21-year-old Durbanite guaranteed of preferential seeding for the entire 2010 season while a top 5 place will earn significant performance bonuses from his sponsors.

Greg Emslie, rated No. 31 and just 137 points shy of the No. 27 spot that will automatically qualify for the 2010 Dream Tour, starts in Round 2. The East London based veteran campaigner needs to advance to Round 3 to have any chance of an incredible 10th year in the top fight, while progressing to the last 16 will probably ensure him of a spot.

David Weare occupies the No. 41 position and still has a mathematical chance of requalifying. But the Durbanite starts in Round 1 against Pipe standout Hank Gaskell, who won the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach last month, and Weare faces the daunting task of having to place first or second at Pipeline to move into the Top 27 in the rankings.

All the action from the Billabong Pipeline Masters can be followed live at www.billabongpro.com starting at 8pm (SA time) daily.

The massive swell currently pounding the North Shore of Oahu has scoured all the sand off the Pipeline Reef which should produce epic waves for the event. While the waiting period starts today and runs until 20 December, it is unlikely that the event will get underway before the swell starts to drop on Thursday.

See www.aspafrica.com for more details on the Billabong Pipeline Masters, including the draw for the first three rounds.

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Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines
Stop No. 7 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour
Honolua Bay, Maui/Hawaii
December 8 – 20, 2009

Rosanne Hodge in contention to requalify for 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines will kick off the event’s 13 day waiting period tomorrow and the globe’s finest 17 competitive female surfers will take on Maui’s famed righthand pointbreak of Honolua Bay to do battle for the Vans Triple Crown title as well as the valuable ratings points towards requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour.

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) has already clinched an unprecedented third straight ASP Women’s World Title in just her third year on the tour and Hawaiian teenager Alana Blanchard leads the Triple Crown ratings.

South African eyes will be focused on Rosanne Hodge, 22, from East London who is currently ranked No. 9 and needs to finish in the Top 10 on the yearend leaderboard to requalify for a fourth successive year on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

Hodge has finished third and fifth in her last two years in this event and needs to stave off the challenge of the eight girls currently ranked behind her to remain at the highest level of women’s surfing.

Attention will also be on the performances of Coco Ho (HAW), Paige Hareb (NZL) and Rebecca Woods (AUS). If that trio all end in the Top 10 in the yearend rankings, then South Africa’s Nikita Robb, who finished the year ranked No. 9 of the Women’s WQS, will qualify for her first year on the ASP Women’s World Tour, potentially giving SA two representatives on the Women’s Dream Tour for the first time since it was introduced in 1992.

All the action can be followed live at www.billabongpro.com/maui09/ and the waiting period runs from today until 20 December.

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Quiksilver Eddie Aikau set to run as MAMMOTH waves hit Hawaii

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy, the only big wave contest to be sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is set to run at Waimea Bay in Hawaii today as mammoth waves in the 8-13 metre range (25-40 foot) batter the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii.

Featuring 28 selected invitees, including South Africa’s Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, and 26 alternates, all drawn from amongst the world’s best big wave chargers, the ‘Eddie’ honours the memory of legendary Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau.

The event is on standby to start at 7pm (SA time) tonight and further details, including a live webcast of the action, profiles of the athletes, history of the event and much more can be found at http://live.quiksilver.com/2009/eddie/

Ends

Photo courtesy Quiksilver

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: aspafrica@mweb.co.za

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

HONOLUA BAY, Maui/Hawaii (Monday, December 7, 2009) – With a massive swell expected to tackle the Hawaiian Islands, the Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines will kick off the event’s 13 day waiting period tomorrow and the globe’s finest 17 competitive female surfers will post up at Maui’s famed righthand pointbreak of Honolua Bay to do battle for the Vans Triple Crown title as well as the valuable ratings points towards requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour.

Alana Blanchard (HAW), 19, has been on a hot streak throughout the Vans Triple Crown series, taking out the Vans Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa before taking fourth place at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach. The impressive back-to-back results posted by the ASP Women’s World Tour rookie currently see her atop the Vans Triple Crown series and Blanchard will need to stay consistent at the upcoming Billabong Pro Maui to take out the prestigious series.

“I don’t really feel any pressure even though it would be amazing to win,” Blanchard said. “I don’t have any expectations, I’m just going to go out there and have fun.”

Blanchard has more riding on the Billabong Pro Maui than just the Vans Triple Crown title, and is also in need of another impressive result to requalify for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour.”

“It’s important for me to do well at this event, but I try not to think about it,” Blanchard said. “If worse comes to worse I’ll just do the ‘QS again. This was my first year on tour and I’ve learned a lot from it.”

Coco Ho (HAW), 18, current ASP Women’s World No. 3, has had a sensational season while competing in her rookie year amongst the international field that make up the ASP Women’s World Tour. The talented regular-footer has been the only rookie thus far to claim an event victory in 2009 and is hoping she can end her season with another solid result on Maui.

“I’m super stoked with my year so far,” Ho said. “Coming on tour with four other amazing rookies is definitely what fired me up. I will need to really step it up in this last event because Sally is right on my tail for Rookie of the Year.”

Ho, who hails from an impressive bloodline of champion Hawaiian surfers, is still relatively new to Honolua’s reeling right-handers, but is looking forward to capitalizing on the solid forecasted swell which is expected to produce solid waves for the upcoming Billabong Pro Maui.

“I’m actually really new to Honolua,” Ho said. “Before this last swell, I’ve had not surfed it bigger than three feet. So, with all of the predicted swell, things should be really exciting! It’s an amazing wave with lots of opportunity and to get out there with two other girls is going to be a dream.”

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines holds a waiting period from December 8 through 20, 2009. Event information can be found via www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com/maui09/

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

High-res image available for complimentary download at: (Copy/Paste URL)
http://64.78.18.131/aspnewsphotos/bbgmaui09/chbbgmauipre09(scholtz).jpg

BILLABONG PRO MAUI ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), TBA
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rebecca Woods (AUS), TBA
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Megan Abubo (HAW)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW)

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Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media
Dave Prodan
email: dave@aspworldtour.com
USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987
AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228
Event Media
Billabong
Mandy McKinnon
Email: mandy.mckinnon@gmail.com

Digital Photographs:
High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available through ASP’s photography distributution partner Getty Images. To register for access, log onto http://corporate.gettyimages.com/marketing/editorial_frontdoor/ASP/index.html

——————————————————————————–

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America. 

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SUNSET BEACH, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, November 28, 2009) – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, claimed her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title on Saturday, making history as the only surfer ever to win the prestigious crown each year she has contested it at the elite ASP World Tour level (men’s or women’s).

Winning the crown was somewhat unexpected as today’s competition began with six surfers in contention for the 2009 ASP Women’s World Title. With each heat advancement and the narrowing of the field at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, Event No. 6 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the irrepressible Gilmore navigated her way to her third ASP Dream Tour Title.

“It’s surreal to win for a third time,” Gilmore said. “It’s amazing! I woke up this morning and knew it was going to be a good day. The waves were building and you sort of get that fuzzy feeling throughout the day. I really don’t even know what to think about it. I just want to thank everyone for the support that I’ve had throughout the whole year.”

Gilmore, who was focused on preparing for the Final at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, had remained intentionally aloof to the ASP Women’s World Title possibilities on the final day of competition, and was surprised when informed she had clinched the historic crown.

“I didn’t even know it was happening,” Gilmore said. “I was preparing for the Final and gearing up and then to know I had won, my head was a bit light. To go to Honolua and not have to worry about the title going into the event is just so relaxing.”

The phenomenal natural-footer went on to finish 3rd in the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, solidifying another sterling result on this season’s ASP Dream Tour, further cementing her position as the most dominant female surfer in the world.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the Women’s World Tour and go into events differently,” Gilmore said. “You get to know the breaks and it’s still my third year and I love traveling and competing and it’s such a special thing to get paid to do. I’m looking forward to next year and seeing different conditions and different waves on tour, I think there might be a couple of new stops, so yeah, I’m looking forward to having good heats and good waves.”

Gilmore’s 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour Results:

Win at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Runner-Up at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach
Runner-Up at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic
Equal 5th Place Finish at the Rip Curl Pro Search
Runner-Up at the Movistar Peru Classic
3rd at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach
TBD at the upcoming Billabong Pro Maui 

While the ASP Women’s World Title has already been decided, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (an ASP Specialty Series) rages on with the final event of the year, the Billabong Pro Maui running at Honolua Bay from December 8 – 20, 2009.

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Carissa Moore Wins the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, Hawaii

Carissa Moore (HAW), 17, won the sixth of seven stops on the ASP Women’s World Tour today, the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, over fellow finalists Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, freshly crowned three-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, and Vans Triple Crown ratings’ leader Alana Blanchard (HAW), 19, to claim her first ASP Women’s World Tour event victory.

Moore, who entered the Gidget Pro via a Trials’ victory, stamped her authority on ASP Women’s World Tour competition when she surfed with amazing poise and maturity throughout the event’s entirety to eventually win on her home Island of Oahu.

“It’s such an honour,” Moore said. “I’m speechless right now. I never thought that I would make the Final in this event. All of the girls were surfing so well and congratulations to Steph (Gilmore) for winning the World Title.”

Moore is no stranger to ASP Women’s World Tour competition despite her young age, and had previously reached the final at a Roxy Pro Gold Coast event in 2007 when she earned a runner-up finish to Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26. Having entered previous ASP Women’s World Tour events in the past as a wildcard, the young Hawaiian looked comfortable in the heightened level of competition.

“It definitely helps having other World Tour experience under my belt,” Moore said. “I also know surfing on the North Shore is always going to be challenging and the girls surf at such a sick level and each heat is a clean slate.”

Fitzgibbons nabbed her first Final appearance of her rookie year on tour and absolutely dominated her bouts, posting the event’s highest scores including the only perfect 10-point ride of Gidget Pro competition in the Semifinals to earn her maiden Final berth and finished runner-up to Moore.

“I was really happy to get that wave,” Fitzgibbons said. It was tricky. “There were not that many waves in that heat and I was happy to get the score and move on through to Final.”

Gilmore, who clinched her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title just minutes before paddling out for the Final, was in amazing form throughout the event’s entirety and claimed a third place finish overall.

“There were some legitimate bombs coming in out there,” Gilmore said. “I was on a 7’0” (surfboard) all day and just stayed on the North Peak and I knew Carissa has been training with Pancho, so I figured I’d follow her around a little bit.”

Blanchard, who is currently leading the Vans Triple Crown ratings, continued to flare throughout Gidget Pro competition and wrapped up a fourth place finish. Her final appearance was no easy task, as she defeated ASP Women’s World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, crushing Lima’s hopes of an ASP Women’s World Title while significantly helping her own chances of requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour.

“I feel bad that I knocked out Silvana (Lima), but there’s also a lot on the line for me,” Blanchard said. “If I don’t do well at the end of the year I’ll get knocked off of the tour for next year. This is my best result of the year, so I’m happy.”

GIDGET PRO SUNSET BEACH FINAL RESULTS:

1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.24
2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.07
3 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.17
4 – Alana Blanchard (HAW) 11.17

GIDGET PRO SUNSET BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.40, Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.34, Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 10.33, Melanie Bartels (HAW) 5.64

SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 17.17, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 13.83, Malia Manuel (HAW) 8.90, Coco Ho (HAW) 1.10

ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR RATINGS (After Gidget Pro Sunset Beach):

1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 5521 pts
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 4548 pts
3 – Coco Ho (HAW) 4117 pts
4 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4071 pts
5 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 3792 pts
6 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 3595 pts
7 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 3333 pts
8 – Paige Hareb (NZL) 2886 pts
9 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 2604 pts
10 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 2509 pts
11 – Alana Blanchard (HAW) 2490 pts
12 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 2431 pts
13 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2388
14 – Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 2010 pts
15 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 1656 pts
16 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 1638 pts
17 – Megan Abubo (HAW) 1440

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Rosanne Hodge remains in Top 10 for final event

South Africa’s Rosanne Hodge,22, will go into the final event on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui at Honolua Bay, Hawaii, ranked No. 9 and well placed to re-qualify for a fourth consecutive year at the elite level of women’s competition.

Hodge was bundled out of the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach in last place following two low scoring heats, but SA’s sole representative on the Women’s Dream Tour will be hoping that she can maintain her record at the Honolua Bay event where she has posted her best results for the past two years – a 3rd place finish in 2007 and 5th last year.

Hodge has finished No. 12 in the yearend rankings the past two years, re-qualifying due to retirements in her first year and via her ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ranking last year. This year she finished outside the WQS qualification spots and needs to retain her position in the top 10 on the World Tour in order to qualify for another year at women’s surfing top table.

The Billabong Pro Maui has waiting period that runs from 8-20 December.

Ends

Pictured: Carissa Moore, 17, from Hawaii, won the Gidget Pro, Stop No. 6 of 7 on the ASP Women’s World Tour in solid 2-3 metre waves at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, on Saturday.

Photo: ASP / CI / Cestari via Getty Images

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: aspafrica@mweb.co.za

Compiled & Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Fax: +27 (0) 86 684 6250
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP:

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

 

SUNSET BEACH, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, November 28, 2009) – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, has claimed her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title today, making history as the only surfer ever to win the prestigious crown each year they have competed at the elite ASP World Tour level (men’s or women’s).

The clinching was somewhat unexpected as today’s competition began with six surfers in contention for the 2009 ASP Women’s World Title. With each heat advancement and the narrowing of the field at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, Event No. 6 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the irrepressible Gilmore navigated her way to her third ASP Dream Tour Title.

“It’s surreal to win for a third time,” Gilmore said. “It’s amazing! I woke up this morning and knew it was going to be a good day. The waves were building and you sort of get that fuzzy feeling throughout the day. I really don’t even know what to think about it. I just want to thank everyone for the support that I’ve had throughout the whole year.”

Gilmore, who was focused on preparing for the Final at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, had remained intentionally aloof to the ASP Women’s World Title possibilities on the final day of competition, and was surprised when informed she had clinched the historic crown.

“I didn’t even know it was happening,” Gilmore said. “I was preparing for the Final and gearing up and then to know I had won, my head was a bit light. To go to Honolua and not have to worry about the title going into the event is just so relaxing.”

The phenomenal natural-footer would go on to finish 3rd in the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, solidifying another sterling result on this season’s ASP Dream Tour, further cementing her position as the most dominant female surfer in the world.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the Women’s World Tour and go into events differently,” Gilmore said. “You get to know the breaks and it’s still my third year and I love traveling and competing and it’s such a special thing to get paid to do. I’m looking forward to next year and seeing different conditions and different waves on tour, I think there might be a couple of new stops, so yeah, I’m looking forward to having good heats and good waves.”

Gilmore’s 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour Results:
Win at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Runner-Up at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach
Runner-Up at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic
Equal 5th Place Finish at the Rip Curl Pro Search
Runner-Up at the Movistar Peru Classic
3rd at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach
TBD at the upcoming Billabong Pro Maui

While the ASP Women’s World Title has already been decided, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (an ASP Specialty Series) rages on with the final event of the year, the Billabong Pro Maui running at Honolua Bay from December 8 – 20, 2009.

Highlights from the event are available at www.triplecrownofsurfing.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

High-res image available for complimentary download at: (Copy/Paste URL)

http://64.78.18.131/aspnewsphotos/gidget09/sgwt09(scholtz).jpg

Pictured: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, your three-time ASP Women’s World Champion! Credit: © ASP/ CI/ SCHOLTZ via GETTY IMAGES

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Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for news, images, transcribed athlete interviews and more.

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Media

Dave Prodan

email: dave@aspworldtour.com

USA mobile: +1 949 678 0987

AUS mobile: +61 (0) 400 455 228

Digital Photographs:

High-resolution digital images for newspapers and Internet sites are available through ASP’s photography distributution partner Getty Images. To register for access, log onto http://corporate.gettyimages.com/marketing/editorial_frontdoor/ASP/index.html

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About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.