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.

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.

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

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

Sally Fitzgibbons wins big in Portugal at 6 star WQS

The day belonged to Aussie Sally Fitzgibbons, 18, and the new generation of women’s professional surfing. Fitzgibbons, current ASP Women’s World Tour member, surfed every heat of her final assault flawless, methodical and mechanical as she swept the field to win the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Estoril Billabong Girls Pro taking the valuable 3000 ratings’ points up for grabs.

Fitzgibbons defeated fellow finalist and other rising wunderkid and ASP Top 17 surfer Coco Ho (Oahu, HAW), 17, with both surfers scoring near perfect rides as Bufuriera’s beachbreak was delivering clean three to four foot waves. Fitzgibbons came out blazing in the final locking-in four excellent scores before Ho managed to answer back with a near perfect 9.80 point wave. Meanwhile, Fitzgibbons was quick to respond and net a 9.85 pointer and take the win.

“It’s great to be back on the podium and definitely it has been some time between drinks,” Fitzgibbons said. “I surfed a lot of heats before the final and paddled out quite relaxed and sat wide. I saw the tide starting to drain out and thought there were two peaks. I was lucky when the first one came wide and I got it.”

Fitzgibbons, who is a rookie on this year’s ASP Women’s World Tour, leaves Portugal with a solid back-up result in case she ends up needing to requalify through the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) at the end of this year. So far, Fitzgibbons remains well in position to fullfil expectations from the international surfing scene which considers the young woman a future ASP World title contender.

“It was great to surf with my friend Sally (Fitzgibbons) in the final,” Ho said. “We had really fun waves, we were talking and having a good time. Sally started with three great waves and it took me a while to get a good one. Then I got my 9.80 pointer but Sally came straight back and bettered it with a 9.85 wave.”

Final
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.60 pts Def. Coco Ho (HAW) 16.90 pts

Semifinals
Heat 1: Coco Ho (HAW) 18.0 pts Def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.00 pts
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons 16.50 pts (AUS) Def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 10.20 pts

Silvana Lima claims maiden ASP Dream Tour Victory at Rip Curl Women’s Pro

BELLS BEACH, Victoria (Sunday, April 12, 2009) – Brazil’s Silvana Lima, 24, claimed her maiden ASP Women’s World Tour victory today, defeating reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and two-time defending event winner Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, to take the Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford New Fiesta and become the first Brazilian in history ever to win at the iconic venue.

Event No. 2 of 8 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro culminated today with an action-packed Final that saw both athletes pushing the levels of high-performance surfing. Despite both surfers racking up high scores, it was Lima who would rise to the occasion and ring the bell for her inaugural win.

“This feels amazing,” Lima said. “This is the first World Tour event I’ve ever won and to win it at Bells Beach is like a dream. To be the first winner from Brazil to ring the Bell, it’s amazing. I am so happy. I hope everyone in Brazil stays up and parties big.”

The high-flying Brazilian wasted no time in racking up scores against Gilmore, opening with a 9.17 before backing it up with an 8.17 in the opening minutes of the Final to put her opponent on the ropes.

“Steph (Gilmore) is so good out there in any conditions and I knew I needed to get scores on top of her quickly,” Lima said. “I was able to get really strong waves at the start and my boards felt like they were working really well.”

The win rockets Lima into No. 2 on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings, once again cementing her position as a legitimate ASP Women’s World Title threat.

“The World Title is always my goal, every year,” Lima said. “Last year was a really good year for me, but I couldn’t win an event. Now that I have a win, my confidence is very high and I look forward to the next event.”

Gilmore was the form surfer of the morning, eliminating Paige Hareb (NZL), 18, in a close Quarterfinal before racking up the highest single-wave score of the event (a 9.60 out of a possible 10) in her Semifinal bout, but was unable to find a rhythm against her South American opponent in the Final.

“Silvana (Lima) finally got me and she was ripping,” Gilmore said. “Her win was well-deserved and I hope it creates a great rivalry for the year ahead.”

Despite her runner-up finish, Gilmore has further established her stranglehold on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings lead heading into the mid-year break.

“Of course I’m disappointed not to come away with the win but runner-up is still a solid result for me,” Gilmore said. “Bells is one of those places that makes you hungry to come out on top and it would have been amazing to get three in a row. Congratulations to Silvana though and I’ll look ahead to the rest of the year.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and last year’s ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) No. 1, put is a solid performance at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro, ousting veteran Jacqueline Silva (BRA) and former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, from competition before falling to Gilmore in today’s Semifinal.

“I had an okay start but Steph (Gilmore) really came steaming back with some big scores,” Fitzgibbons said. “There were definitely a few waves I would have loved to have been on, but that’s how our sport goes and the ocean wasn’t in my favor this time around. Last year was a good year for me so I am trying to take confidence from that to find a big result as the year progresses.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, former ASP Women’s World Champion, put in another strong performance at Bells Beach, taking down Samantha Cornish (AUS), 28, before falling to eventual winner Lima in the Semifinals.

“It is still a pretty good result and I am happy for that,” Mulanovich said. “I couldn’t do anything out there so it was frustrating. I was a bit nervous and couldn’t really read the waves that well. I was just falling off, getting stuck on my turns and once you do it once, it gets stuck in your head so it is a little bit psychological. I am always stoked to come back here though. I love this wave and I love this place.’

Highlights from the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford New Fiesta available via www.live.ripcurl.com

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Snickers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:30am for a possible 8am start.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Silvana Lima (AUS) 17.34
2 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.06

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.60 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.67
SF 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) 15.00 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 7.57

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.50 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 12.00
QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.43 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.50
QF 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) 7.23 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 7.07
QF 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.83 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 7.50

(via press release)

Roxy Pro surf contest on but women’s tour may be facing wipeout

The stage is set for a stellar finish to the Roxy Pro Gold Coast with quarterfinalists being decided in rising 1-metre waves at Duranbah on the southern end of Australia’s Gold Coast today.

The season-opening ASP women’s world tour tournament returned to the water this morning for the first time in almost a week, with rounds two and three being completed ahead of this afternoon’s quarterfinals.

It will be a battle of the rookies in quarterfinal one, with Kiwi upstart Paige Hareb taking on Brazilian Bruna Schmitz.

This will be followed by the battle of local stars; with reigning and two-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore coming up against former world champion Chelsea Hedges in quarter two.

Hawaii’s Coco Ho will take on Australian Rebecca Woods in quarter three, whilst Hawaiian Melanie Bartels is matched up against Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich in the final quarterfinal.

Just as Gilmore begins a quest to win a third championship in as many years on the ASP Women’s World Tour,  a formidable force looms on the close horizon — for all 17 surfers on the elite tour. It’s the ravaged economy, which threatens to wipeout a large chunk of the tour schedule.

The LA Times’ Pete Thomas writes:

Corporate sponsors, ailing because of sluggish sales and mounting debt, have either pulled out or are contemplating pulling out of some events in order to cut costs.

There are eight contests on the World Tour schedule but at least one — a prestigious event next winter at Sunset Beach on Oahu — has no sponsor and might be dropped. Roxy, which operates under the Quiksilver umbrella, was the title sponsor last year.

Also, Billabong reportedly is considering dropping sponsorship of one of two contests on the women’s schedule: the Billabong Girls Pro Rio.

At least two other contests are in jeopardy this year, so whoever wins the world title might do so on a severely diminished schedule.

Said ASP Women’s World Tour Manager Brooke Farris, in an e-mail:

“The financial crisis is being felt by the ASP and the best women surfers in the world. We are currently actively seeking a sponsor for the ASP Women’s World Tour event at Sunset Beach as well as trying to confirm a number of events on the tour.

Hopefully the ASP will find those partnerships and quickly. The men’s 10-contest World Tour schedule, an ASP spokesman said, is so far intact.

Stephanie Gilmore new Women’s ASP World Champion

December 2, 2008 – Aussie Stephanie (’Happy’) Gilmore’ had every reason to smile this week. Gilmore won her first Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach in Hawaii and her second consecutive ASP Women’s World Tour Champion Title.

Ripping through the three-to-five foot waves  Gilmore defeated fellow finalists Silvana Lima , Jessi Miley-Dyer,  and Nicola Atherton.

Event No. 7 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Roxy Pro proved the most decisive event of year, seeing shock eliminations on the final day before Gilmore soared to victory to claim the 2008 ASP Women’s World Title.

After winning her first Championship at just 19 – the first ever surfer to win such an accolade in their rookie year – Gilmore made it two-for-two by beating overall points leaders Sofia Mulanovich, Silvana Lima and Layne Beachley to win the most prestigious prize in women’s surfing once again.

 ROXY PRO SUNSET FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.83
2 – Silvana Lima (PER) 14.16
3 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 9.00
4 – Nicola Atherton (AUS) 6.46

ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR RATINGS:
Following Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 6348 points
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 5233 points
3 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 5138 points
4 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 5006 points

Check the official report from the ASP website:

Carissa Moore becomes youngest Vans Triple Crown Champion

November 24, 2008 – The 2008 Reef Hawaiian Pro was always going to be about the new guard of women’s surfing from the opening heat of competition. And when it was over, Haleiwa crowned it’s youngest ever Vans Triple Crown of Surfing event champion in 16-year-old Carissa Moore.

Seems that Moore, who just dropped her longtime sponsor Roxy and signed a huge sponsorship deal with Nike and Red Bull, is making history on all fronts.

Moore won her way through every round of the competition from the preliminary trials heat that awarded one wildcard spot into the event. She now leads the 2008 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series ratings.

Three teenagers and a 36-year-old, 7-time world champion featured in the 30-minute final. Moore won, multiple world champ Layne Beachley (Australia) was second, 17-year-old Laura Enever (Australia) was third, and North Shore local Coco Ho, 17, was fourth.

While Moore’s rise to the win came with calm, sure-footedness, there was no shortage of drama around her to help pave the road to victory.

First came the fourth place elimination of reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) in quarter final one.

Next came the quarter final defeat of Alana Blanchard (Hawaii), who was hoping for a final finish today to guarantee her qualification onto the 2009 ASP women’s World Tour.

In the final, 17-year-old Coco Ho was at the center of drama. A win here would have guaranteed Ho a start on the 2009 elite World Tour, but after finding herself in fourth for most of the heat, her focus shifted to securing the win for Moore. With less than a minute remaining, Beachley was in need of little more than six points to steal the win from Moore. Ho took off, dropping in on Beachley, popping an air above her head and effectively shutting down Layne’s scoring potential in a classic case of schoolgirl tactics.

While it will never be known if Layne would have earned the score she needed to win, its indisputable that Moore earned the victory on the merits of her surfing alone.

As the final ASP women’s World Qualifying Series (WQS) event of the year, all eyes will now shift to the next two stops on the Vans Triple Crown to determine the final lineup for the 2009 women’s ASP World Tour: the Roxy Pro (Nov.24-Dec.6) and the Billabong Pro Maui (Dec. 8-20).

In addition to being the second of three stops on the 2008 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, this week’s Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach carries the added weight of potentially crowning the 2008 ASP Women’s World Champion.  Will Aussie Stephanie Gilmore, 20, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and current No. 1 on the ASP Women’s World Tour successfully defend her title?

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