17-year-old Moore wins Gidget Pro women’s surf contest
November 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Carissa Moore, General, Surfing
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.
Tubular Girls spotlighted in July issue of Vanity Fair
June 16, 2009 by jane
Filed under Action, Pretty Awesome, Pretty Hot, Pretty Sporty, Surfing
The latest issue of Vanity Fair (July 2009) wants you to meet the newest female stars of surfing.
The VF spread, featuring Alana Blanchard, Sally Fitzgibbons, Sofia Mulanovich and a bevy of other surfers (promoting next month’s US Open of Surfing) show that fifty years after Gidget stirred up waves in the male-dominated surfing world, a new set of young women in their teens and 20s are revolutionizing the sport, from the beaches of Montauk to Australia.
Back in April, New York photog Michael Halsband, who specializes in artists, musicians and surfers, traveled to California’s Newport Beach to shoot the coolest surfer girls.
In addition to Blanchard and Fitzgibbons you can see Sierra Partridge, Leila Hurst, Blanchard, Malia Manuel, Coco Ho, Laura Enever, Sage Erickson, Quincy Davis, Courtney Conlogue and Hailey Partridge in the magazine.
There are a bunch of photos online (including outtakes from the shoot) and some video below. Be sure to pick up theVanity Fair issue and if you’re near Huntington Beach, California July 18 – 26, the US Open of Surfing plays center stage to one of the top stops on the ASP Tour. Put in on your calendar and don’t miss a minute of the fun.
Surf movie: Dear and Yonder
Dear and Yonder is an ocean odyssey of the female kind. Featuring surfers Lisa Andersen, Kassia Meador, Sofia Mulanovich, Sally Fitzgibbons, Belinda Baggs, Linda Benson, Rell Sunn, Silvana Lima, Prue Jeffries, Coco Ho, Stephanie Gilmore, and more, the epic documentary may be be the most stunning ode to women’s surfing so far.
You aren’t going to want to miss it this summer. Check out this trailer and start planning your next surf trip….
Hawaiian teens take U.S. Open of Surfing
July, 26, 2008 - When we arrived at Huntington Beach for the women’s final event at the U.S. Open of Surfing, the place was packed. Not unusual for a Saturday in Surf City but something historic was taking place on the south side of the pier that made the day truly special.
Fourteen year old Malia Manuel defeated seventeen year old Coco Ho and the duo became the youngest finalists ever at the U.S. Open of Surfing. In addition, both surfers hail from Hawaii, also a first for the final.
Manuel’s victory was surprising, even to her. She had never competed at the U.S. Open and never in a two-person heat. Manuel, who lives on the eastern side of Kauai, entered the event as a wild card because she had not competed in enough events this year to be seeded. She ended up as the youngest champion in ASP history.
When asked “What’s next?” after accepting her award, Manuel replied with excitment “10th grade!”
Manuel, who will turn 15 next month, claimed an early edge in the 30-minute final and made it stand up, winning with a best-two-wave score of 14.34 points. The wind kicked up in the finals and Ho struggled to find a groove in the deteriorating conditions finishing with a score of 7.90.
Ho’s father, Michael, and uncle, Derek, both legendary Hawaiian surfers, must have been proud. Even with her second-place finish, it was a day of accomplishments for the teenager, who also won the women’s junior championship making her the first competitor to be in both the women’s final and women’s junior final.
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star event saw some incredible performances, but really none as impressive as the Hawaiian up and comers taking down some of the biggest names in professional surfing.
In an earlier quarterfinal, Manuel defeated defending U.S. Open Champion Sofia Mulanovich of Peru. Mulanovich, the 2004 world champion, had posted perfect tens in a prior heat. Ho then knocked off defending world champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia in a semifinal. In the other seminfinal, Manual posted a dominant heat win over current ASP WQS ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons en route to becoming the youngest U.S. Open Winner ever.
The youth movment is alive and well.
Results:Final:
1 – Malia Manuel (HAW) 14.342 – Coco Ho (HAW) 7.90
Semifinals Results (1st advances)
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.10 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.67
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 10.83 def Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 6.83
Quarterfinals (1st advances)
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 15.83 def. Sofia Mulanovich (USA) 13.10
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.00 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1.60
Heat 3: Coco Ho (HAW) 12.00 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 8.23
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.67 def. Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 9.17
Surfing: World Champ Gilmore takes out Midori Pro at Merewether Beach
April 6, 2008 by admin
Filed under News Bytes, Surfing
April 5, 2008 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS/Qld) continued her winning form by taking the Midori Pro in Newcastle today.
Gilmore defeated Australian young sensation Sally Fitzgibbons in the 30 minute final in their first match up at open professional level – Gilmore the current ASP World Women’s Champion and Fitzgibbons the ASP World Junior Champion.
Sensational Sally Fitzgibbons takes Roxy Surf Fest Junior division too
January 28, 2008 by admin
Filed under News Bytes, Surfing
Jan. 28, 2008 – ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) proved simply sensational at the Roxy Surf Festival, at Phillip Island, backing up her earlier World Qualifying Series (WQS) win, with victory in the 6- Star Pro Junior division.
The unstoppable 17-year-old posted her fourth victory, from just five events this month, defeating a determined Kirstie Jones (AUS) to earn her place atop both the ASP Australasian Junior Ratings and ASP WQS ratings.
“I’m just so happy with the way 2008 has started off for me,” Fitzgibbons said. “I’ve had a great January and I’m just over the moon with my results.” Fitzgibbons held out a determined Jones, her carving forehand attack earning scores of 7.25 and a 7.00 (both out of a possible 10.00), from which Jones was not able to recover.
Sally Fitzgibbons wins Roxy Surf Fest – takes ratings lead
January 27, 2008 by admin
Filed under News Bytes, Surfing
Phillip Island, Jan. 27, 2008 – ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) proclaimed her arrival as Australia’s next biggest talent, taking out the 6-Star ASP World Qualifying Series Roxy Surf Festival, at Phillip Island, on Australia Day.The 17-year-old ‘super-grom’ has not put a foot wrong this year. Winning three out of four events in January alone, Fitzgibbons capped it off with a sensational victory over Bruna Schmitz (BRA), simultaneously shooting to No. 1 on the WQS ratings. “It’s been a great start to 2008,” Fitzgibbons conceded. “I won the World Junior Championships (in Sydney) which was a dream come true and to win a 6-Star WQS really caps it off.”
A top scorer from start to finish, Fitzgibbons appeared to have met her match in fellow 17-year-old Schmitz. The two surfers exchanged near perfect 9-point rides in the excellent 1-5 meter waves, before Fitzgibbons unleashed a sensational 9.75 to sail home with the win.
Lee-Ann Curren wins Kustom Jetty Surf Pro Junior
January 13, 2008 by jane
Filed under News Bytes, Surfing
JAN JUC BEACH, Australia -January 12, 2008 – French surfer Lee-Ann Curren achieved the biggest win of her professional surfing career by winning today’s Kustom Jetty Surf Pro Junior at Jan Juc beach in Victoria.
The eighteen year old daughter of former 3 time world surfing champion Tom Curren (USA) defeated a classy field of Australia’s very best Pro Junior surfers with the highlight being her big scoring semi final victory over the recently crowned ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (Geroa/Sth Coast NSW).
Fitzgibbons was a red hot favorite to win the event but found herself under pressure throughout the semi final after Curren scored an excellent 8.5 (out of a possible 10) opening ride. Curren then backed that ride up with a strong 5.25 ride in the onshore 1m waves leaving Fitzgibbons chasing a 7.5 to try and take the win – Fitzgibbons caught two good 6 point rides in her chase but was unable to overtake Curren.
Sally Fitzgibbons claims girls title at ASP World Juniors
January 7, 2008 by jane
Filed under News Bytes, Surfing
SYDNEY Australia – Jan. 7, 2008 ASP Australasian Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) may have been one of the smallest competitors in the Billabong World Junior Championships but her performances were by far the biggest; the diminutive was surfer crowned the 2007 ASP World Junior Champion, at Sydney’s North Narrabeen Beach.
Netting the four highest scoring waves and two highest scoring heat totals of the event; Fitzgibbons sunk her teeth into the Final, defeating New Zealand’s Page Hareb with a 16.77 (out of a possible 20.00) total heat score to Hareb’s 7.84.
Fitzgibbons became the third straight Australian to win the Girls event, following in the footsteps of Jessi Miley-Dyer (2005) and Nicola Atherton (2006). She will now stand shoulder to shoulder with the 2007 elite Women’s ASP World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS).
