Beyond Boarders

This year is whipping though at an incredible pace and the first two events of both the men's and women's tours are already done and dusted.
In event one for the girls, the 2008 Roxy Pro Gold Coast, last year's world runner-up Sofia Mulanovich (PER) beat Samantha Cornish (AUS) at Australia's Snapper Rocks. However, just a few days late, in the final of the Rip Curl Women's Pro at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia, reigning ASP Women's World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) came from behind with five minutes remaining to defeat Sofia, claiming her second consecutive Rip Curl Women's Pro title and jumping from 9th to 2nd in the tour ratings. A mere 600 points behind leader Sofia Mulanovich.

The 2008 ASP Women's World Tour now takes a breather until July, when the top 17 female surfers will do battle again in Brazil.

The guy's tour opened in sensational style with eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) beating reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) at his home break of Snapper Rocks. This put Kelly in the number one slot of the ratings for the first time since claiming his last ASP World Crown in 2006. Proving that the win was not a fluke, he then proceeded to take the Rip Curl Pro at Bells beach. Launching a huge air, he earned a last minute score and beat Bede Durbidge (AUS) in the final. 36-year old Slater, has now claimed his 36th event win and rung surfing's bell for the third time but even more significantly, has cemented his position as the world's number one surfer.
The next event on the men's ASP World Tour will take place in Teahupoo, Tahiti from May 8-18, 2008.

Labels: 2008, ASP World Tour, Australia, Bells Beach, Kelly Slater, men's, Snapper Rocks, Sofia Mulanovich, women's

The title race was not resolved until the final event of the tour but Rookie Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) claimed the 2007 ASP Women's World Tour, as other contenders for the title fell in the third round of the 2007 Billabong Pro Maui. She then went on to celebrate her victory by claiming the Billabong Pro Maui Championship, defeating defending champion Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS). Her win, in small one metre waves at Honolua Bay, marks her fourth win of the 2007 season.

The final ratings on the 2007 ASP Women's World Tour are:

1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)


2. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)


3. Silvana Lima (BRA)


4. Samantha Cornish (AUS)


5. Layne Beachley (AUS)


6. Amee Donohoe (AUS)


7. Chelsea Hedges (AUS)


8. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)


9. Rebecca Woods (AUS)


10. Melanie Bartels (HAW)


11. Jacqueline Silva (BRA)


12. Megan Abubo (HAW)


13. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)


14. Karina Petroni (USA)


15. Serena Brooke (AUS)


16. Nicola Atherton (AUS)

Labels: 2007, ASP World Tour, champion, Hawaii, Maui, Stephanie Gilmore, surfing, women's

The girls are battling it out at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, for the Roxy Pro Hawaii, stop No. 7 of 8 on the ASP Women's World Tour and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) can clinch the 2007 world title if she wins the event while Silvana Lima (BRA) finishes 3rd or lower.

Only seven heats of surfing, including the final, remain for the Roxy Pro Hawaii, and the next call on surf status will be made tomorrow morning, Thursday, November 29, 2007. It therefore looks as if the circus could be packing up tomorrow afternoon and Steph Gilmore could be crowned world champion.

Labels: 2007, ASP World Tour, Hawaii, Roxy Pro Hawaii, Silvana Lima, Stephanie Gilmore, women's

The ASP Women's World Tour resumes tomorrow, at Santander, Spain, where the world's top female surfers will be contesting the Rip Curls Girls Festival.

This is stop four of seven competitions used to determine the world rankings. It has a waiting period through to September 9, 2007.

Labels: 2007, ASP World Tour, Rip Curls Girls Festival, Spain, women's

Competition has begun in the 2007 Roxy ASP Women's World Longboard Championship, at the beautiful French town of Biarritz.

Local hopes rest on four-time European longboard champion Claire Karabatsos (FRA), who is Biarritz born and bred. In last year?s event Karabatsos had a remarkable run, advancing through to the semifinals where she was defeated by the eventual winner Schuyler McFerran (USA).

The Championship incorporates a number of free public events, including concerts, art exhibitions, initiatives and workshops to celebrate the regions strong surfing culture.

Labels: 2007, Biarritz, France, surfing, women's, Women's World Longboard Championship

Next week, February 27, the 2007 Foster's ASP World Tour for men and the ASP Women's World Tour both kick off at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros presented by Samsung.

The preceding Saturday night, February 24, the world?s best surfers will swap wetsuits for lavish gowns and penguin suits, for the ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet at the famous Jupiter?s Casino on Australia?s Gold Coast. That said, I once attended a ball where a dedicated surfer refused to surrender his beach gear and who's only concession to dressing up, was to wear a bow-tie.

The evening will see the crowning of the 2006 Foster?s ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA), and 2006 ASP Women?s World Champion, Layne Beachley (AUS), as well as the ASP World Junior champions Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Nicola Atherton (AUS), plus a host of other awards and no doubt a good deal of revelry.

Labels: ASP, championship, men's, surfing, women's, world, World Tour

2007 FOSTER'S ASP MEN'S WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE

February 27-March 10
Gold Coast,Qld-Australia Quiksilver Pro

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April 3-13
Bells Beach,Victoria-Australia Rip Curl Pro

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May 4-14
Teahupoo,Taiarapu-Tahiti Billabong Pro Teahupoo

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May 20-31
Tavarua/Namotu-Fiji Globe Pro Fiji

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June 20-July 1
Some where Rip Curl Pro Search

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July 11-22 Jeffreys Bay-South Africa Billabong Pro

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September 1-8
Japan TBA

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September 11-15
Trestles,California-USA Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Hurley

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September 22-October 1
South West Coast-France Quiksilver Pro France

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October 2 or 3-14
Mundaka, Euskadi-Spain Billabong Pro

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October 29-November 7
Santa Catarina-Brazil Nova Schin Pro Brasil presented by Billabong

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December 8-20
Banzai Pipeline,Oahu-Hawaii Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters

Total prize money on the tour $3,360,000

WOMEN'S 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR SCHEDULE

February 27-Mar 10
Gold Coast,Queensland-Australia Roxy Pro

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April 3-8
Bells Beach,Victoria-Australia Rip Curl Pro

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April 21-26
Tavarua/Namotu-Fiji Roxy Pro

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August 20-27
Praia da Tiririca,Itacare,Bahia-Brazil Billabong Girls

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September 4-9
Santander,Liencres-Spain Rip Curl Girls Festival

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October 8-14
Northern Beaches,Sydney, NSW-Australia Havaianas Beachley Classic

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November 23-December 6
Sunset Beach,Oahu-Hawaii Roxy Pro

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December 8-20
Honolua Bay,Maui-Hawaii Billabong Pro

Total prize money on the tour $583,300

Labels: 2007, ASP, dates, locations, men's, schedule, surfing, tour, women's, world

In a reversal of fortunes from Sunset Beach, Layne Beachley won a seventh ASP Women?s World Tour Title in Honolua Bay, Maui, following the quarterfinal exit from the Billabong Pro Maui of last year's world champion and fellow Australian, Chelsea Georgeson. Layne went into her quarterfinal, knowing that she was already the ASP Women?s World Tour Champion for 2006; Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) bowed out of contention for the title, with an early round three loss and therefore finished second in the rankings after a commanding lead at the beginning of the tour.

2006 Final ASP Women?s World Tour Ratings

1. Layne Beachley (AUS) 6374


2. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 5802


3. Chelsea Gerogeson (AUS) 5797


4. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 4440


5. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4105


6. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 3794


7. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 3564


8. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 3516


9. Silvana Lima (BRA) 3408


10. Megan Abubo (HAW) 3398


11. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 3312


12. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 3218


13. Heather Clark (ZAF) 3180


14. Julia Christian (USA) 2834


15. Trudy Todd (AUS) 2244


16. Serena Brooke (AUS) 2232


17. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 2142

Labels: ASP, Beachley, Billabong, champion.2006, Layne, Maui, Pro, surfing, tour, women's, world