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Aussie Laura Enever (AUS), 18, among those to advance in tricky two-to-four foot South Huntington Beach Pier conditions… |
Laura shredding the pier, dude. Pic: ASP
HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (Monday, August 2, 2010) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s 6-Star US Open of Surfing presented by Hurley and Nike 6.0 saw reigning three-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, and defending event champion Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 17, fall in Round 3 of competition today with Carissa Moore (Honolulu, HI), 17, and Laura Enever (AUS), 18, advancing through the stacked heat in tricky two-to-four foot (1 metre) South Huntington Beach Pier conditions.
Surfers competing at the ASP 6-Star US Open of Surfing are out to claim the priceless ratings points towards qualification for the ASP Women’s Dream Tour. Accompanying the ratings points this year will be a groundbreaking $50,000 for the 2010 Women’s US Open of Surfing Champion.
Moore emerged victorious in the paramount heat which split first and third places by less than one point to advance through to the Round of 12 by capitalizing on the Huntington Beach right-handers. The Hawaiian prodigy unleashed flashy tail-drifting turns while finishing strong on the inside to take out the win.
“It was a Round 3 heat with Steph (Gilmore), Laura (Enever) and Courtney (Conlogue),” Moore said. “That could have very well been a Final. You have the World Champion and defending event champion, so it was just crazy. Every one of those girls just rips and especially with the conditions out here, it’s a little random, so everyone can do anything at anytime.”
Moore’s massive heat victory also keeps her in the running for the historic $50,000 prize-purse in place for this year’s Women’s US Open of Surfing winner, the largest in women’s professional surfing history.
Carissa Moore floats down the line despite the weight of her many sponsors. Pic: ASP
“It’s pretty crazy that Nike decided to step up and decided to put 50 grand for first place for the girls,” Moore said. “I think it’s awesome. There’s a lot more on the line and a lot more excitement and I think it’s great to have them support us like that.”
Enever, who is the reigning ASP Women’s World Junior Champion, escaped the heavy heat over Conlogue by three 10ths of a point to advance to the Round of 12 and after an impressive run in yesterday’s ASP Grade-2 Pro Junior event, the young Australian is hoping to build momentum in an attempt to take out the monumental prize purse.
“I had some good heats yesterday in the Pro Junior and then to come back today and make it through that heat, it’s been a really amazing contest so far and it’s only been the first two days,” Enever said. “I’m stoked and hopefully I can just make it as far as I can. It’d be great to take the 50 grand, but I guess anything is possible now after that heat.”
Another Curren ripping Huntington, this time it’s Lee-Ann. Pic: ASP
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, current ASP Women’s Dream Tour No. 2, detonated the event’s highest scores in her Round of 24 heat, blasting a near perfect 9.00 out of 10 while accumulating the highest heat total of 17.17 out of 20.
“It’s good to get two rounds out of the way,” Fitzgibbons said. “I was feeling really good out there and in rhythm of the sets. It was fun out there.”
Fitzgibbons, who has three consecutive runner-up finishes in the last three ASP Women’s World Title events and was the winner of the Portuguese based ASP 6-Star event earlier this season, also has her eye on the landmark $50,000 prize purse but knows there is still a long road ahead.
“It’s super early days, but it’s fantastic that Nike has put up the money,” Fitzgibbons said. “It makes it all the more exciting. There is a long way to go yet, but it’d be a nice incentive.”
Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara, CA), 15, who is an event wildcard, smashed some of the day’s top scores in her opening heat. The young Californian put on an impressive first showing on the international stage to eliminate current ASP Dream Tour campaigners Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Bruna Schmitz (BRA), 20, and is now only one of 12 competitors remaining in the event.
“The waves were really tricky and it could have gone either way in all of them,” Peterson said. “I felt really good in my first heat and my second heat was kind of just whoever got the best waves really. I’m just really excited to make it to the Round before the Quarterfinals.”
Peterson, who is competing in her first ever ASP Star rated event, was thrilled to capitalize on the ever-important ratings points at the ASP 6-Star event while being a part of women’s surfing history with Nike 6.0’s donation of the increased prize purse.
“This is my first ASP Star event,” Peterson said. “Today gives me a lot of confidence and to be a part of this event with the biggest prize purse in women’s history is a big honor.”
Women’s ASP 6-Star action will kick off tomorrow’s schedule with the Round of 12 before beginning the men’s ASP PRIME event with the Round of 128.
For all of the LIVE action log on to www.usopenofsurfing.com
US Open of Surfing Women’s Round of 24 Results:
Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.94, Laura Enever (AUS) 14.67, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.37, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.30
Heat 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 9.50, Tyler Wright (AUS) 9.07, Sayuri Hashimoto (JPN) 10.10, Paige Hareb (NZL) 4.00
Heat 3: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 7.33, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 6.66, Malia Manuel (HAW) 6.40, Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 4.87
Heat 4: Justine Dupont (FRA) 11.83, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 8.50, Sage Erickson (USA) 7.73, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4.43
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 17.17, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 13.60, Cannelle Bulard (REU) 7.70, Karina Petroni (USA) 6.17
Heat 6: Alana Blanchard (HAW) 11.57, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 8.93, Claudia Goncalves (BRA) 5.07, Mizuki Hagiwara (JPN) 3.95
US Open of Surfing Women’s Round of 48 Results:
Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.07, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.93, Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.87, Arini Mason (NZL) 5.93
Heat 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.34, Paige Hareb (NZL) 9.13, Valaria Sole (PER) 5.50, Gabi Cope (HAW) 3.17
Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.50, Laura Enever (AUS) 11.74, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 6.26, Natalie Anzavino (USA) 6.06
Heat 4: Sayuri Hashimoto (JPN) 10.10, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.57, Laurina McGrath (AUS) 5.47, Francisca Santos (PRT) 4.43
Heat 5: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 8.06, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 7.23, Anastasia Ashley (USA) 3.93, Ornella Pellizzari (ARG) 2.53
Heat 6: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.84, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 12.03, Leila Hurst (HAW) 9.93, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.73
Heat 7: Sage Erickson (USA) 11.73, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 8.90, Keleigh Gilchrist (USA) 8.53, Nage Melamed (HAW) 5.20
Heat 8: Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.00, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 8.23, Silvana Lima (BRA) 7.47, Joana Rocha (PRT) 2.64
Heat 9: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.60, Claudia Goncalves (BRA) 7.73, Freya Prumm (AUS) 7.43, Erica Hosseini (USA) 6.73
Heat 10: Canelle Bulard (REU) 6.16, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 5.17, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 4.13, Shelby Detmers (USA) 2.86
Heat 11: Nicola Atherton (AUS) 12.00, Karina Petroni (USA) 10.77, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 9.40, Leilani Gryde (HAW) 5.94
Heat 12: Mizuki Hagiwara (JPN) 7.93, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 7.26, Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 5.87, Coco Ho (HAW) 4.84
US Open of Surfing Women’s Round of 60 Results:
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 6.50, Valeria Sole (PER) 6.44, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 5.07, Amy Nicholl (USA) 3.50
Heat 2: Natalie Anvizino (USA) 10.76, Laurina McGrath (AUS) 5.07, Jessica Santorik (NZL) 4.60, Louisa Noble (GBR) 1.64
Heat 3: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 10.33, Leila Hurst (HAW) 8.14, Bailey Nagy (HAW) 8.07, Amy Stewart (AUS) 4.37
Heat 4: Nage Melamed (HAW) 12.90, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 8.25, Monyca Byrne-Wickey (HAW) 7.04, Mackenzie Kissler (USA) 0.50
Heat 5: Freya Prumm (AUS) 8.53, Cannelle Bulard (REU) 7.77, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 7.60, Quincy Davis (USA) 6.27
Heat 6: Karina Petroni (USA) 10.34, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 9.24, Brittani Nicholl (AUS) 7.20, Bo Stanley (USA) 4.13
