Aussie Gilmore claims 3rd World Surf Title

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, claimed her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title last week at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink in Hawaii.

Gilmore makes history as the only surfer – man or woman – ever to win the prestigious crown each year they competed at the elite ASP World Tour level. In addition to winning her third world crown, Gilmore reached the final of the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown, and placed third overall in the event. Waves were in the 12 – to 20-foot wave face height range making for an exciting contest.

Hawaii’s Carissa Moore,  17, claimed the Gidget Pro event title with a dynamic and powerful surfing display that was beyond her years and Sunset Beach surfing experience.  Second place went to Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia), and Kauai’s Alana Blanchard placed fourth. Blanchard now leads the Vans Triple Crown Series ratings ahead of Gilmore. The Vans Triple Crown champion will receive a $25,000 bonus purse.

When the final day of surfing at the Gidget Pro began, six surfers remained in contention for the 2009 ASP Women’s World Title. Gilmore never faulted and had out-pointed all her challengers by the time she qualified for the final.

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.

“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

Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for more info.

Sporty Saturday Spotlight 12-04-09

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on wakeboarder, surfer, skateboarder, and kiteboarder, Claire Lutz.  Check out Claire’s interview below where she shares her fave athletes, great advice, amazing action shots, and much, much more.

Name: Claire Lutz

Age: 22

Sport(s): Kiteboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, skateboarding

Hometown: St. Joseph, MI

Currently living in Cape Hatteras, NC

College: Western Michigan University studying marketing and public relations.

Dreams:

To work in the kiteboarding industry in marketing, and hopefully as a pro kiter so that I can travel the world.

What’s your fave sport?

Kiteboarding

How many years have you been playing your fave sport?

I started one year ago.

What was your fave sporty moment or memory?

My favorite memory was finally learning my first unhooked trick, the Raley.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

To be confident but not over confident. And to share the love of the sport. No one likes selfish people who want all the spotlight for themselves..

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

You must work very hard!! It’s important to have a good attitude on and off the water, and always try your very best.

What have you learned about teamwork?

It’s important to support each other, your teammates should always have your back!

How do you balance school and sports?

I spend 6 months of the year on school and the other 6 months focusing on kiteboarding only. When I’m in school I work on snowboarding.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

Female would be Lisa Anderson, who is a legendary Pro surfer. She has been very inspirational to all women because of her hard work and determination. She  proved to everyone women can do anything.

Male would be Jason Slezak, who is a Pro Kiteboarder. He has been in the industry since the beginning, winning hearts with his great attitude towards life and others, along with being a caring supportive friend.

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature question)

I’m a fan of painting my nails. It makes me feel more girlie to have hot pink nails, versus chipped dirty nails from being in the water ☺

Thanks, Claire!! And thanks for sharing your fabulous pics! Wow. Kiteboarding looks fun and amazing. Best of luck with your career. :)

Do you or someone you know want to be spotlighted? Shoot an email to Keri Mikulski at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

17-year-old Moore wins Gidget Pro women’s surf contest

Teen phenom Carissa Moore’s  ascent through the surfing world went even higher yesterday when she won the Gidget Pro women’s contest at Sunset Beach and took home a $12,000 first-place check .

It was the latest and most impressive victory in what has already been a memorable career for Moore, who is 17 and a senior at Punahou High School in Hawaii.

The contest was part of the ASP Women’s World Tour, so the field featured all of the world’s top-ranked female surfers, including three-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore and second place finisher Sally Fitzgibbons both of Australia. Fitzgibbons managed a perfect 10 at Sunset but with all the great rides, even that wasn’t enough to land her atop the podium.

Moore will become eligible for the tour in 2010. She qualified for the Gidget Pro by winning a trials heat held prior to the contest.

Moore started gaining recognition at age 11, when she was already dominating the small-wave amateur competitions. This weekend she proved that she can beat the pros in powerful waves and she was understandably stoked as you’ll see in this Triple Crown report on the comp.

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Gidget Pro final results

1, Carissa Moore (Hawai’i), $12,000.

2, Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia), $7,000.

3, Stephanie Gilmore (Australia), $5,100.

4, Alana Blanchard (Hawai’i), $4,900.

5 (tie), Chelsea Hedges (Australia) and Malia Manuel (Hawai’i), $4,600.

7 (tie), Melanie Bartels (Hawai’i) and Coco Ho (Hawai’i), $4,400.

9 (tie), Megan Abubo (Hawai’i), Samantha Cornish (Australia), Silvana Lima (Brazil) and Bruna Schmitz (Brazil), $3,600.

13 (tie), Laurina McGrath (Australia), Jacqueline Silva (Brazil), Paige Hareb (New Zealand) and Bethany Hamilton (Hawai’i), $3,400.

Viva Peru: Sofia Mulanovich wins Movistar Peru Classic

Congratulations Sofia !

Peruvian surfer Sofia Mulanovich has won the Movistar Peru Classic presented by Rip Curl over reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and two-time defending event winner, Stephanie Gilmore from Australia.

Event No. 5 of 7 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Movistar Peru Classic culminated in offshore three-to-four foot  waves at Lobitos today, and delivered all the drama and action fans had been waiting for.

Mulanovich, who suffered a horrific wipeout yesterday, was a standout in the hard-fought Final, muscling through one section after another on her backhand, to post an impressive 15.00 out of a possible 20. While the lead would seesaw back and forth between the Peruvian and the Aussie  it was ultimately Mulanovich who would come away with the win in front of a raucous crowd on the sand.

“It doesn’t even feel real that this is happening right now,” Mulanovich said. “I have wanted to win this event for so long, and have always been disappointed. To do it here, in front of my friends and family and in good waves at Lobitos is a dream come true. Viva Peru!”

The win boosts the former ASP Women’s World Champion (2004) from fourth to third on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour ratings and puts her within striking distance of the crown heading into the business end of the season.

“I haven’t had the best season and I was really waiting for a breakout result,” Mulanovich said. “To finally get it at home is really special. I am just so stoked.”

Gilmore’s Runner-Up finish today marks her third of the season, and while missing out on making it three-in-a-row in Peru, the Australian is still pleased with her performance.

“Definitely been pretty consistent with making Finals,” Gilmore said. “Obviously I was looking for another win. But in a way, it is pretty special to see Sofia (Mulanovich) win, like, it is crazy. There are thousands of people on the beach here in the middle of nowhere, it is just phenomenal. To make another Final felt good. I had a lot of fun. It was good to see Sofia up there and not Silvana (Lima) or Coco (Ho), it is going to make the ratings really interesting and it’s keeping things really tight and close between everyone. It is going to be an exciting finish in Hawaii.”

Gilmore retains a slender lead over challengers as she contests for a third, consecutive ASP Women’s World Title, but retains collected frame of mind heading into Hawaii.

“The world title is in your head sometimes,” Gilmore said. “It is just event by event. This event was a good one as everyone was surfing so good and so after a fifth in Portugal, I wanted to come here and perform really well and I put my mind to it and I did it, the title race is hot.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie, matched her best result of the year with an equal 3rd at the Movistar Peru Classic. Arguably one of the most in-tune performers at Lobitos, Fitzgibbons lost a nail-biter Semifinal to eventual winner Mulanovich.

“I’m definitely happy with my performance,” Fitzgibbons said. “I have felt good this whole event and it came down really close there at the end. I knew that set was on the horizon and I couldn’t hold on in the end. It would be amazing to make it through to a Final. I will take the third place but it is always nice to be there on the podium and in the Final. I will just keep trying and doing what I am doing and hopefully crack it pretty soon.”

Coco Ho (HAW), 18, 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour rookie and winner of the previous event in Portugal, was a major standout at the Movistar Peru Classic. Ho took down fellow Hawaiian rookie Alana Blanchard (HAW), 19, and stylish natural-footer Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, before falling agonizingly close to Gilmore in the Semifinals.

“It’s always hard having a 9 and waiting for your second score but that’s what surfing with the Champ is all about,” Ho said. “It was frustrating seeing the waves I needed coming in after the heat, but that’s okay. Competing against Steph definitely pushes my surfing and I’m happy with an Equal 3rd.”

Despite missing out on a Final’s berth in Peru, Ho is looking forward to finishing the year at home in Hawaii and the finale of the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour Rookie of the Year race.

“I’m definitely looking forward to heading home and finishing the season in Hawaii,” Ho said. “Rookie of the Year and a Top 5 finish has always been my goal, but Sally (Fitzgibbons) is right there and it will come down to the wire.”The next stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour is the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach, Hawaii from November 24 through December 6, 2009.

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 15.00
2 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.74

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.60 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 15.17
SF 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 16.27 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.20

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) 14.74 def. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 10.16
QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.27 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 6.60
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.16 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 6.83
QF 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.67 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 10.17

Check the Full Results

ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR TOP 5 (After Movistar Peru Classic):
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 4765 pts
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 4188 pts
3 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 3891 pts
4 – Coco Ho (HAW) 3679 pts
5 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 3043 pts

Check the Full Ratings

Hawaiian Coco Ho wins Women’s Rip Curl Pro Search

ASP World Tour rookie, Coco Ho has beaten Chelsea Hedges to claim the 2009 Rip Curl Women’s Pro Search title.

It was only a matter of time till Hawaiian Coco Ho would win an ASP Women’s World Tour event. Not only does the girl flat out rip, but she’s also got the mental game that great competitive surfers need to possess—she knows what she has to do to win heats and then does them.

In the first ever Rip Curl Women’s Pro Search event, Coco bettered Chelsea Hedges, who is eight years her elder and the 2005 Women’s World Champ. Comboing the veteran to snag the win, Coco showed that she has what it takes to win on the women’s highest stage. Now sitting at 3rd in the World Title ratings, Coco is making a serious run for Rookie of the Year, not to mention being in the thick of a World Title race.

Stephanie Gilmore and Silvana Lima (1,2) sit ahead of Ho in the ratings, and with three events left it’s plausible to see any one of the three march to the podium at the end of the year. After the next event (the Movistar Peru Classic), the Women’s World Tour heads to Hawaii for the final two events. Don’t be surprised to see the young Hawaiian with another trophy in her hand before the year is done.

CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR TOP 5
(After RC Pro Women’s Search):
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 3793 points
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 3636 points
3 – Coco Ho (HAW) 2923 points
4 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 2691 points
5 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 2535 points

Keramas: Women’s Champion crowned in Roxy Open Final

As expected, the action at the Quiksilver Open 2009 in Bali (presented by Jim Beam) was nothing short of hot and heavy.  The booming 4-6 foot sets that were blasting onto the lava bottomed reef of Keramas were launching big walls and meaty barrels.

After the Men had their share of the still glassy Keramas waves, the Roxy Open Women’s Division Finalists took to the water at just before 11:00 am to vie for the trophy and winners check of Rp 2.5 million.  The sun was blazing and the sand was burning, so the girls lost no time in getting out into the water and getting started.  Mina Nagasima from Japan got right to work, belting the lip after digging deep bottom turns to taking the lead and eventually the win.

Chasing her was Yasnyiar “Bonne” Gea from Nias, who weaved and carved her way to a second place finish over Gee Cormack from Australia.  Rounding out the podium was Royahe from Sumatra, who fell ill just before the start but gamely went out and gave it a go.

After receiving the winner’s check and trophy from Quiksilver’s Contest Director and ex-pro surfer Jake Paterson, Mina thanked him and said, “I’m so happy to have won this contest…it’s the first time for me to win here in Bali.  I come to Bali a few times every year because I really love surfing here, the beaches, and the people.  Now I really like winning the Roxy contest.  Thanks so much everybody!

Roxy Open Women’s Results
Mina Nagashima (Japan)
Yasnyiar “Bonne” Gea (Ind)
Gee Cormack (Aus)
Febri “Royahe” Rahmaningsih (Ind)

Surf Dog Competition this weekend – Oct. 11

Dogs and their owners will head to Surf City USA (Huntington Beach) this weekend to show off their board skills while raising funds for animal welfare organizations. The Inaugural Surf City Surf Dog sounds like a great event so if you’re in SoCal, this might be worth checking out.

Dogs will compete in surfing heats based on their size, with small, medium and large dogs judged on a variety of skills — including length of the ride, the size of the wave and confidence on the board.

For those happier to keep their paws on the sand, contests, fun activities and an expo will be included in the daylong event. A 2-mile Woofin’ Walk, K-9 Kayaking, dog-and-owner look-alike contests, best celebrity impersonations and a costume contest will also be held.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. at Dog Beach, located west of Pacific Coast Highway at Goldenwest Street. For more information or to register, visit www.surfcitysurfdog.com or e-mail info@bookthatevent.com.

File this under a Pretty Good idea.

Schedule – October 11, 2009

7:00 am                       Registration Opens

7:30 am – 2:00 pm    Hot Diggity Dog Expo

8:00 am                       1 or 2 Mile Woofin’ Walk Starts

SURF HEATS

8:20 – 8:50 am           Groms (Novice/NonCompetitive) Small Dog

8:55 – 9:25 am           Groms (Novice/NonCompetitive) Medium Dog

9:30 – 10:00 am         Groms (Novice/NonCompetitive) Large Dog

10:05  – 10:35 am      Groms (Novice/NonCompetitive) X Large Dog

10:40 – 11:00 am       Shredders (Competitive) Heat #1

11:05 – 11:25 am       Shredders (Competitive) Heat #2

SURF BREAK

11:30 – 12:00 pm       Best in Show Costume Contest & Owner or Celebrity Look-a-Like Contest

EXHIBITION

12:05 – 12:25 pm      Surfin’ for Paws-abilities:  Surf Dog Richochet & Patrick Ivison Tandem

SURF FINALS

12:30 – 1:30                 Surf Finals for all Divisions

1:45 – 2:00 pm            Results/Awards

Silvana Lima defeats Steph Gilmore to win Beachley Classic

DEE WHY, New South Wales (Sunday, October 4, 2009) – Silvana Lima (BRA), 24, won the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic  over reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP Women’s World No. 1 Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, in stormy three-to-five foot conditions at Dee Why in an action packed Final, marking back-to-back wins for the hungry Brazilian after claiming the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Gilmore jumped out to an early lead in the sea-saw battle for the 2009 Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic title, but Lima fought back throughout the heat, collecting a 7.77 and eventually securing the win with an 8.83 for a lengthy forehand barrel to post the highest heat total of the event, an impressive 16.60 out of 20, en route to her first victory at the event after three consecutive Final appearances.

“I can’t believe it,” Lima said. “I’ve been in the Final in this event three times and I finally won. I was feeling really confident. The waves here today were like the waves in Brazil and I’m always surfing in these conditions. The final was really good. Steph (Gilmore) got some good waves too and I was able to get two good ones.”

The back-to-back ASP Women’s World Tour wins secured by the hungry Brazilian have significantly tightened the ratings for this year’s ASP Women’s World Title and although Gilmore still holds on to the ratings lead, Lima is following closely in the No. 2 position.

“I’m definitely looking at the title, but it’s too early,” Lima said “There are still four contests left this year, so there is more work for everyone, but I feel so much more confident after my first win at Bells.”

Gilmore was in devastating form throughout the entire Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, blasting some of the event’s top scores with a committed forehand attack on the steep Dee Why right-handers, but was unable to top Lima in the Final.

“To come back after such a long break and still make the Final, I’m pretty happy with that,” Gilmore said. “Silvana (Lima) beat me at Bells and her confidence is through the roof at the moment, so my challenge is to step it up another level. I did it in the Semifinals, but maybe I peaked too early.”

Gilmore, who fell to Lima in the Final at the last stop on the ASP Women’s World Tour, knows claiming this year’s ASP Women’s World Title will be no easy task and is preparing for the next four stops scheduled on the 2009 calendar.

“It’s definitely game on,” Gilmore said. “There are four events left and everyone is really fired up and off to Portugal, Peru and Hawaii, so I can’t think of a better way to finish off the tour.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, was also on fire throughout the entire event, topping 2005 ASP Women’s World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 25, en route to her third place finish, but could not find a solid score in her Semifinal heat against eventual Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic winner, Lima.

“I couldn’t really find a rhythm in that last heat,” Mulanovich said. “I couldn’t land a turn, but it’s alright. I guess I was a bit nervous and the waves didn’t come my way, but it’s the same conditions for everyone. I’ll just look at where things went wrong and use that for next time.”

Mulanovich, who was the 2004 ASP Women’s World Champion, has now notched back-to-back third place results, leaving her in third overall on the ratings, but as a former champion, the Peruvian natural-footer knows she’ll need to win events this year if she is to claim another ASP Women’s World title.

“Silvana got me at Bells too,” Mulanovich said. “It’s the same result. A third-place is a good result and I need to work a little more on the mental side of things, but I know that, so that’s what I’m going to do. A third is good, but you need to win events to win the title. I’m still towards the top of the ratings and I’m just going to go from there.”

Melanie Bartels (HAW), 27, was a standout performer throughout the event’s entirety, ousting an international field of competitors including Rebecca Woods (AUS), 25, and Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, on the way to her Semifinals berth. The talented Hawaiian struggled to find a solid score in her battle against Gilmore, bowing out of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic with a third place finish.

“I just wasn’t in rhythm out there and I couldn’t find anything,” Bartels said. “It’s tough out there, but I’m stoked that I made the Semifinals, it’s a good result, but I just wanted to surf well, I wanted to put on a good performance and I don’t feel like I did that, but that’s how it goes.”

The next stop on the ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Rip Curl Search in Peniche, Portugal, which holds a waiting period from October 26 through 30, 2009.

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Final:
1- Silvana Lima (BRA) 16.60
2- Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.67

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.17 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 6.87
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA)10.60 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 5.40

Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 6.35 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 5.97
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.54 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 8.80
Heat 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.57 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 9.00
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.86 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 8.10

ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings After Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 3241 points
2 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 2880
3 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 2139
4 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 1983
5 – Coco Ho (HAW) 1723
6 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1711
7 – Paige Hareb (NZL) 1704
8 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 1519
8 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1519
10 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 1512
11 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1308
12 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 1116
12 – Alana Blanchard (HAW) 1116
14 – Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 1110
15 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 918
16 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 756
16 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 756

ASP Women’s World Tour adds new Kiwi event for 2010

The ASP Women’s World Tour will be getting a boost next season with the addition of New Zealand’s Taranaki region as a dream tour venue.

The Taranaki Women’s Surf Festival will host the world’s best female surfers from April 14 – 18, 2010 along Taranaki’s Surf Highway 45, with mobile venue options including famed locations such as Fitzroy Beach, Rocky Point, Stent Road and Opunake.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be adding New Zealand to the ASP Women’s World Tour schedule,” Brodie Carr, ASP Intl CEO, said. “The region is ripe with world class waves and it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents of our outstanding female athletes.”

Paige Hareb (NZL), 19, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and current ASP World No. 3, is New Zealand’s first female ambassador at surfing’s elite level of competition, and the addition of another ASP Dream Tour event in her backyard could prove advantageous to the young goofy-footer’s bid for an ASP Women’s World Title.

“I’m pretty happy about the ASP Women’s World Tour coming to my home town in New Zealand next year,” Hareb said. “I know a lot of the girls have never been before and have wanted to come here for a long time. The surf is really consistent around that time of the year so I can’t wait to show the girls what my coast has to offer. It’s going to be pretty exciting!”

The addition of New Zealand to the ASP Women’s World Tour in 2010 is the latest in a string of successes for professional women’s surfing, having recently confirmed the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach event for November this year and with the 2010 season shaping up to be one of its’ best ever.

“This is the first ever World Tour event to be held in New Zealand making this a historic step for both professional surfing and sports in the country,” Brooke Farris, ASP Women’s World Tour Manager, said. “It’s fantastic to see the people of New Zealand putting all their support behind tour rookie Paige Hareb. It will be very exciting to see Paige bring the tour to her local town and perform in front of the masses.”

New Zealand’s Taranaki, for their part, are ecstatic to host the world’s best female surfers next season. In addition to adding an ASP Women’s World Tour event to the 2010 schedule, Taranaki will also host an ASP Grade-3 Girl’s Pro Junior, boasting the richest prize purse on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Girl’s Series, AUD $8,000.

“Surfing sits at the heart of Taranaki’s innovation and culture,” Stuart Trundle, Chief Executive of Venture Taranaki Trust, said. “We’re stoked that Taranaki has been selected as the venue to host the New Zealand leg of the ASP Dream Tour next year. This event gives us the opportunity to showcase our world-class athletes, the legendary point breaks they call home, and the innovative surf industry that’s grown here.”

The next stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic at Sydney’s Northern Beaches from September 30 through October 5, 2009.

For more information, log onto

www.aspworldtour.com

Courtney Conlogue wins 2009 Supergirl Pro Junior

In a hotly contested battle that was decided in the final seconds by only a half point, Courtney Conlogue ripped through the waves in Oceanside, California, this afternoon and bested her competitors to claim the honor of being the 2009 Supergirl Pro Junior Champion and take home the $5,000 top prize.

Boasting a $15,000 total prize purse, the 2^nd Annual Supergirl Pro Junior is the first event in this year’s Supergirl Jam, the action sports industry’s only large-scale, all-female competition and lifestyle events designed to promote female empowerment, strength and independence.

Conlogue, who recently won this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing women’s event and a USA team and individual gold medal in the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games, battled Malia Manuel (Kauai, HI), Sage Erickson (Ojai, CA) and Nikita Robb (East London, South Africa) for the Supergirl title.  Manuel, Erickson and Robb placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

“Last year I took fourth in this event and saw Coco Ho take home the Supergirl cape when she won it,” said Conlogue.  “I really wanted the win—and to take home the cape to be this year’s Supergirl champion.  It’s an honor to win an event like this that focuses on, and supports, the girls.”

Competing in smaller surf conditions than day one of the event weekend, the finals got started with a bang.  Conlogue grabbed the highest score of the final out of the gate, when she posted a 7.50 on her opening wave.  Manuel answered with her second and third waves, posting a 5.75 and 6.65 to take the lead.  With Manuel in the lead, Conlogue hunted the horizon for an answer, but fell short until her fifth wave, when she posted a 5.40.  With only minutes remaining in the final, Conlogue continued to catch waves while employing a defensive strategy to Manuel by shadowing her in the line-up.  As the clock ticked down, Conlogue hung on to win by a nail-biting half point.

“I knew it was going to be a battle with Courtney right to the end—and it was.  We were both fighting hard for the win,” said Manuel. “This is my first time competing in the Supergirl Pro Junior and I’m happy with the result.”

Final Results—Supergirl Pro Junior 2009

1) Courtney Conlogue 12.90 points

2) Malia Manuel 12.40 points

3) Sage Erickson 8.15 points

4) Nikita Robb 6.45 points

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