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Pro News 2006

SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR LAYNE BEACHLEY AT BILLABONG PRO MAUI


 

HONOLUA BAY, Hawaii (Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006) Seventeen-year ASP Women’s World Tour veteran Layne Beachley has won an unprecedented 7th ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Honolua Bay, Maui today. It has been two years since Beachley last secured a world title.

"It’s surreal, absolutely surreal,” Beachley said. “It’s been such a journey this year and to not have to actually fight for it, to have it almost handed to me, it’s one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. This is probably one of the most rewarding and satisfying world titles I’ve ever won.”

This is the fifth world crown the 34-year-old has clinched in Maui. She clinched her first title in 1998 in France, and her second, in 1999, at Sunset Beach. Each of her five since have been won at Honolua Bay.

“This is my fifth world title in Maui and my seventh title overall,” Beachley said. “Maui obviously has a very special place in my heart; it’s such an amazing amphitheater. It’s been such a beautiful day and such a surreal experience – I don’t know how to explain it.”

Beachley’s win came after Chelsea Georgeson (AUS), the only surfer who could challenge Beachley for the title, was eliminated by Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) the quarterfinal before hers. Beachley paddled into her heat against Rebecca Woods the 2006 ASP Women’s World Champion.

“I’m not finding it anti-climatic that Chelsea didn’t get through her quarterfinal but I anticipated it coming down to the final so we could fight for it – that’s how I’ve won all of my other world titles out here,” Beachley said. “To have Chelsea go down and to paddle out there as the 2006 ASP World Champion rather than fighting for it was unbelievable.”

Beachley was the world’s No. 1 female surfer for six successive years – from 1998 to 2003 – and holds the record for the most consecutive surfing world championships, male or female. Her ASP Women’s World Title stranglehold was interrupted by Sofia Mulanovich (PER) in 2004 and Georgeson in 2005.

Only Kelly Slater (USA) has won more ASP World Titles than Beachley, having won his eighth ASP crown this year. Slater’s five consecutive titles from 1994-1998 are the closest anyone has come to nearing Beachley’s six-year pro-surfing monopoly.

When asked what it meant to her to have seven world titles to Slater’s eight, Beachley joked: “It means I’m going for eight and Kelly better not win nine! It’s means I’m going to go out there and have some more fun. I think Kelly is going to go for 10 and if he does he can have it!”

Beachley fought with Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS), who won the first three events of the 2006 season, for pole position through much of the year, but Redman-Carr bowed out of contention with a Round Three loss earlier this week. She finished the season as world No. 2.

Defending world champion and 2006 world No. 3 Georgeson was a late addition to the 2006 title race.

“It was a pretty interesting year,” Georgeson said. “I definitely didn’t make it easy for myself. I left my run a little bit late. Coming off a [world title] win last year; it’s pretty hard to back that up. I was pretty excited coming into this last event, having a chance still so I’m happy with third place, it could have been worse.”

Georgeson, who at 23-years-old is 11-years younger than Beachley, was gracious in defeat and full of praise for Beachley’s contributions to the sport.

“Layne has always been there and she’s always been such a good role model for all of us girls,” Georgeson said. “What she’s done for women’s surfing –running her own event, still competing on tour and then winning seven world titles – it’s pretty amazing. I give her a lot of credit. It takes a lot to just win one, but to be able to go back each year and win; it’s pretty awesome to see.”

The ASP Women’s World Tour will take a break until late February of 2007 when it resumes on the Gold Coast of Australia – Georgeson’s home turf.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens next year… if Layne’s still hungry for more,” Georgeson said. “I’m sure she’ll probably be heading for eight now so congratulations to her for sure. She’s an amazing competitor.”

###

Layne Beachley’s 2006 ASP Women’s World Tour Results:
Roxy Pro Australia (Feb. 28 – Mar. 12): 2nd place
Roxy Pro Fiji (Apr. 22 – Apr. 29): 2nd place
Billabong Pro Tahiti (May 14 – May 16): 3rd place
Billabong Pro Brazil (Aug. 21 – 28): 1st place
Rip Curl Pro France (Aug. 31 – Sept. 5): 5th place
Havaianas Beachley Classic (Oct. 9 – Oct 15): 2nd place
Roxy Pro Hawaii (Nov. 24 – Dec. 6): 5th place
Billabong Pro Maui (Dec. 8 – Dec. 20): 3rd place

Layne Beachley’s ASP Women’s World Tour Career Year End Results:
2006: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Maui)
2005: 5th
2004: 4th
2003: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Maui)
2002: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Maui)
2001: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Maui)
2000: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title in Maui)
1999: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title Sunset Beach)
1998: 1st (Clinched the ASP Women’s World Tour Title France)
1997: 2nd
1996: 3rd
1995: 2nd
1994: 4th
1993: 6th
1992: 17th
1991: 12th
1990: 10th

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

 

AUSTRALIAN MILEY-DYER ENDS BANNER SEASON WITH A WIN AT THE BILLABONG PRO MAUI
Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich Wins $10,000 Vans Triple Crown Series Title

Billabong Pro Maui
Event #8, final stop on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Tour
Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii

HONOLUA BAY, Hawaii (Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006) – Tour rookie Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) has defeated Keala Kennelly (HAW) to win the final event on the 2006 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui, in excellent four to six foot (two metre) surf in Honolua Bay today. Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich won the $10,000 bonus Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title despite losing to Kennelly in the quarter finals of the Billabong Pro, and Australian Layne Beachley claimed her seventh world title after placing third in the event.

Miley-Dyer defeated Beachley (AUS) in the semi-finals enroute to her final against Kennelly, held in barreling six-foot surf. She has finished her rookie season at No. 4 in the world – the three surfers above her were all world title contenders: Beachley, Melanie Redman-Carr, and Chelsea Georgeson.

“I’m still tripping!” Miley-Dyer said. “I’m just so stoked to have been able to surf against Layne, she’s won seven world titles, so to surf against her and manage to get all the good waves in that heat and then make the final and get another chance to surf Honolua with one other girl out… well, it was just amazing.”

Miley-Dyer led the majority of the 30-minute affair, though Kennelly tucked into a tube that could have changed things with just seconds to go.

“KK had this amazing wave at the end; if she would have come out of that barrel she would have beat me for sure,” Miley-Dyer said. “I caught the wave behind it, turned around and my heart just dropped down to the floor thinking, ‘She just beat me in the last second of the heat.’ I don’t even know what to think, I’m just so excited.”

Miley-Dyer has had a banner year across in both the elite World Championship Tour and World Qualifying Series events.

“I’m really stoked,” Miley-Dyer said. “I started off the year really well winning the World Juniors and then when I wasn’t doing so well on the Women’s Championship Tour I decided to do the World Qualifying Series and somehow managed to win that series too. When Silvana [Lima] got injured, I jumped up to earn ‘Rookie of the Year,’ so winning the final event too… I’m pretty excited. I was just hoping to requalify so everything else is a bonus!”

Kennelly, who jumped from 14th to 8th on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings with her Billabong Pro final showing was the in-form surfer of the event. The big barrels on offer at Honolua Bay were tailor-made to suit Kennelly’s kamikaze style.

“I was just inches away from a 10.00 and claiming the whole thing,” Kennelly said. “I was standing up to celebrate already so I got clipped in the head; I started celebrating too early but it’s cool if I was going to lose, I was going to lose trying to get a 10.00! I’m lucky I got that bomb that came right at the end and I was able to get into it, if I would have just come out of that thing it would have been amazing. I had an amazing event, what a great way to end the year!”

Though she qualified for the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour, Kennelly has relinquished her position to pursue other endeavors.

“I’m going to be working on a television series on HBO,” Kennelly said. “I got a part as a season regular on a show called ‘John from Cincinnati.’ I think it’s going to amazing for me and amazing for women’s surfing to get a more mainstream audience interested in the sport. When I’m not doing HBO and not competing in select events, I’m going to be doing some adventure and vision stuff with Billabong, kind of a Shane Dorian type of thing, just flying around the world and surfing the best waves. That’s going to be way more my thing. I think when you put a time limit on me and I have the pressure of being judged, my best surfing doesn’t shine through. It’s going to be really good for me.”

Despite donning the world crown for the seventh time just an hour before, Beachley bowed out of the Billabong Pro Maui in the semis.

“The bubble burst in the semifinals,” Beachley said. “Once I found out that I was the champion, I could barely even concentrate in my quarter against Rebecca [Woods]. I was fortunate enough to pick up that first wave [for which she earned a 9.80], if I didn’t have that, I probably wouldn’t have won that heat.”

Beachley, who has clinched five of her seven world titles at the Billabong Pro Maui, has never won the event.

“Going out in the semi I was just a little bit too relaxed and just not focused enough,” Beachley said. “I was just really relieved that [the world title] was all over. It was just one of those heats where I was completely out of rhythm, but I chose the right heat to have that happen. I fell apart in the heat but I’m not beating myself up over it – I’m just grateful that I made it as far as I did and that I won the World Title. I am really proud of Jessie, but I thought Keala would have won this event for sure since she was surfing amazing for the entire contest. At least I lost the event to the winner.”

Also finishing equal 3rd and cementing her spot on the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour with her best result of the season was Claire Bevilacqua (AUS). The second-year surfer was in jeopardy of not requalifying prior to her strong season-finale showing. She was beaten by Kennelly in the semis.

“I’m stoked on all the positive things that happened here, but I hate not surfing to my best ability and that’s what really hurt out there,” Bevilacqua said. “If I would have just taken it to KK the entire time, until the buzzer, I would have been happy to lose. It’s like someone stole my mojo.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), who was world champion in 2004, can now add the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title to her resume – and US$10,000 to her bank account. Mulanovich won the first jewel in the Hawaiian big wave surfing series, the Op Pro at Haleiwa, finished 7th at the second, the Roxy Pro Sunset Beach, and clinched the Triple Crown title after her 3rd place finish in Maui put her at the head of the class.

“I’m stoked, 10,000 bucks!” Mulanovich said. “It’s amazing – to win the Vans Triple Crown is one of the biggest honors ever – it’s amazing to win in Hawaii. I had so much fun at Haleiwa and so much fun at Sunset. Maui was amazing too, I got comboed but it was still fun.”

The ASP Women’s World Tour will take a three month break. Competition will resume in February of 2007 on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Visit the media center on www.aspworldtour.com to access heat by heat interviews, audio grabs and high-quality images.

FINAL: 1st earns US$10,600, 2nd earns US$6,600
FINAL: Keala Kennelly (HAW) 14.25 def. Jessi Miley Dyer (AUS) 10.00

SEMIFINALS: 1st advances to FINAL, 2nd finishes equal 3rd
Heat 1: Keala Kennelly (HAW) 14.25 def. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 6.55
Heat 2: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 16.0 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 4.65

QUARTERFINALS: 1st advances to the SEMIFINALS, 2nd finishes equal 5th
Heat 1: Keala Kennelly (HAW) 18.25 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.10
Heat 2: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 15.OO def. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 5.50
Heat 3: Layne Beachley (AUS) 9.8O def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 2.15
Heat 4: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 10.25 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 9.00

2006 Final ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings
1. Layne Beachley (AUS) 6374 (2006 World Champion)
2. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 5802
3. Chelsea Georgeson (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 (has relinquished her spot on next year’s tour to pursue other interests)
9. Silvana Lima (BRA) 3408
10. Megan Abubo (HAW) 3398 (Places 10 and above automatically requalify)
11. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 3312 (requalifies with Kennelly’s withdrawl)
12. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 3218 (has been given ASP wildcard to compete next year)
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 (qualified for the elite tour via the World Qualifying Series)

Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Ratings
1. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
2. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
3. Layne Beachley (AUS)
4. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS)
5. Claire Bevilacqua (HAW)
6. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
7. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
8. Rochelle Ballard (HAW)
9. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)
10. Rebecca Woods (AUS)

 

WILDCARD GILMORE WINS HAVAIANAS BEACHLEY CLASSIC

ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) INTERNATIONAL
Havaianas (Hav&Mac246;eye&Mac246;ahn-ahs) Beachley Classic
Event No. 6 on the ASP Women&Mac226;s World Tour
Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia
October 9-15, 2006

MANLY, Australia (Wednesday, October 11, 2006) &Mac246; Wildcard surfer Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) wowed the world when she became the youngest-ever winner of an ASP Women’s World Tour event in 2005. She’s stamped herself in the history books with her win at the $US100,000 Havaianas Beachley Classic today.

The 19-year-old is the only individual in surfing history to win two ASP World Championship Tour events as a wildcard.

Surfing from the trials to take out the richest event in women’s surfing history, the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) No. 2 led the entire 35-minute final to post an emphatic victory at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia, this morning.

"This whole event has happened in just three days and now it’s all over!" Gilmore said. "I took it heat by heat and everything’s fallen into place. It’s unbelievable. Layne’s a six-time world champ and one of the best competitors in the world; she’s really smart in a heat and I have learnt a lot watching her. It’s been great just being out in the water with her, so to come out on top, I just can’t even explain it."

Despite not yet being a full-fledged fixture on the ASP Women’s World Tour, Gilmore, who is already one of the highest paid female surfers in the world, earned US$20,000 for her win today. That figure is double what the average women’s world tour event doles out.

Gilmore didn’t paddle out expecting to earn the cash easily. Beachley’s Semifinal win over Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) had the Manly local looking the girl to beat.

"I was watching Layne and Chelsea’s Semi and Layne got a 9.0 and a 7.5 and I thought, OK, this is going to be really hard, but I had a little plan and things changed around and time went a lot quicker than I thought. I was sitting out there in the lead, but not by much and I was like, Go, get a wave girl, go!&Mac226; and then I got that last one at the end which sealed it. My heart was pounding like crazy, I can’t believe it!"

Currently rated second in her first full year on the ASP’s World Qualifying Series (WQS), her place amongst the elite on next year’s tour is almost assured. Her prior performances indicate that she’ll stir things up when she gets there.

"I am sure by me winning the girls are going to want to smash me even harder now," Gilmore said. "I guess they’ve been thinking "Oh, wildcard,&Mac226; we can just cruise a bit, but I’m sure now they’ll just want to come out in front of me."

Event namesake Beachley, who has been beaten by Gilmore before, certainly wanted to come out in front today. Unfortunately for her, it was not to be.

"It came so close to a fairytale ending for me and I was bitterly disappointed not to win but I am so relieved it is over," Beachley said. "I’m really proud of Stephanie but I’m proud of myself for staging such a great event too."

Beachley joked that she did everything right whilst organizing and running her first ASP Women’s World Tour event, but couldn’t remember why she thought putting Gilmore on the invited trialist list was a good idea.

"Aren&Mac226;t I foolish? Why did I invite Stephanie Gilmore?‰" Beachley said. "No, I invited her to make sure that we were all surfing at a level that we should be surfing at and she’s the one raising the bar at the moment, she inspires all of us to surf better and that’s why she’s here and that’s why she’s on tour next year."

Beachley, who has been sick and rundown since the event started, couldn’t recover her Semifinal form to stop Gilmore. She scratched around the line-up looking for waves with high-scoring potential but came up short.

"The heat was really starved for waves so I paddled down the beach to see if I could get some open faced ones but I really didn’t feel comfortable down there." Beachley said. "I came back to my little secret spot up here that everybody’s been surfing but the clock just kept ticking. There was 23-minutes and then there were 13-minutes and then it went down to 7-minutes and I still hadn’t caught a wave. I spent a lot of time sitting around waiting for a quality wave and if we’d had an extra 30-seconds in the final I could’ve won it, but that’s just the luck of the draw."

Still, Beachley leaves her event the world ratings leader, having overtaken Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) who was also eliminated by Gilmore in Round Three.

Reigning ASP World Champion, Georgeson maintains her third place rating after losing to Beachley in the semis.

"It just wasn’t my day," Georgeson said. "I went out feeling good and got some average scores but the waves I caught didn’t really open up. I tried to sit there and wait for a decent one but it never came. I let one slip by that Layne got when I thought there was one behind it, but it didn’t happen. There’s not much you can do in that situation."

Georgeson also has Gilmore to thank for keepin g her world title chances alive today. Had Beachley won the Havaianas Beachley final, Georgeson would have been mathematically out of the running to defend her world crown.

Georgeson knows all too well how hard the race for a world title can be, but is even more wary of what it will be like next year when Gilmore is a tour staple.

After Steph’s result on the Gold Coast the last year, when she won that event, we all started training madly," Georgeson said. "It is good for the sport though, you get the younger girls coming up and it’s like a generation change; it’s good for us."

Gilmore beat former world champion Sofia Mulanovich en route to victory today. Visibly uncomfortable with her equipment early in the semi Mulanovich made a mad dash to the beach to switch boards halfway through her heat.

"My board broke this morning, it got really dinged, and I was like, Ok, maybe I should just go out with the other one instead of breaking my board in the middle of the heat, but it was a bad choice," Mulanovich said. "I hadn’t ridden that board for a long time so it was a bad choice that created a lot of insecurities for me too. But whatever, I made a mistake in that heat, Steph is a great surfer and at least I lost to a super talented girl."

The world title scenario heading to event No. 7 on the ASP Women&Mac226;s World Tour, Sunset Beach, Hawaii, is as follows: Beachley can clinch her seventh world title with a win at Sunset if Melanie Redman-Carr bows out with an equal or less than 7th place finish. If anything less occurs, the world title race will stretch to the final event of the year in Maui. Georgeson must finish ahead of Beachley at Sunset to remain in contention.

Final Results: (1st wins the event and earns US$20,000; 2nd finishes runner-up and earns US$10,000)
FINAL: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.50 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 11.00

Semifinal Results: (1st advances to the Final; 2nd finishes equal 3rd and earns US$8,000)
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.25 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 7.10
Heat 2: Layne Beachley (AUS) 16.25 def. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 10.50
For Further Information:

ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings after the Havaianas Beachley Classic
1. Layne Beachley (AUS) 5424 points
2. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 5112 points
3. Chelsea Georgeson 4800 points
4. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 3324 points
5. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 3168 points
6. Silvana Lima (BRA) 3156 points
7. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 3132 points
8. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2748 points
8. Heather Clark (ZAF) 2748 points
10. Megan Abubo (HAW) 2736 points
10. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 2736 points
12. Julia Christian (USA) 2544 points
13. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 2376 points
14. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 2364 points
15. Trudy Todd (AUS) 1992 points
16. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1800 points
17. Serena Brooke (AUS) 1620 points

 

Chelsea Georgeson Wins the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle

 

SEIGNOSSE, France (Monday, Sept. 4, 2006) – Chelsea Georgeson (AUS), the reigning ASP Women’s World Champion, has defended her Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle title today with a win over current world No. 1 Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) at Les Bourdaines today.

Georgeson remains third on the ASP ratings, but has lessened the gap between her and world No. 2 Layne Beachley (AUS). Redman-Carr who fell to second in the world last week, is back on top after her runner-up finish to Georgeson.

"I’m just happy to have my first win this year." Georgeson said. "It feels like forever since my last win at Maui. It’s definitely been a hard start to the year, because Mel’s just been on fire. She won the first three contests of the year and there hasn’t been a whole lot of room for anyone else up there at the top. At the same time, it’s really good competition."

Georgeson commanded today’s thirty-minute all-Australian final, leaving Redmann-Carr needing a combination of two excellent scoring waves to overtake her. This marks Georgeson’s third ASP Women’s World Tour victory in France – her first was in 2003.

"France has always been a really special place for me," Georgeson said. "I love coming here, I love the people and the place. To come first here again feels really good and hopefully next year I can make it three in a row."

Though no easy task, the current world champ is still mathematically capable of defending her world crown. She will, however, need to win at least two of the three remaining events on this year’s tour.

"Right now, each contest is about trying to get a win because that’s all I can do to get the world title back and that’s what it’s going to take to get it back," Georgeson said. "You can’t win it with seconds and thirds, it’s going to takes firsts at the moment. I’ve only got one win, Mel’s got three, but hopefully I can do this in the next three contests – just do what I did here, be really focused and hope everything comes together for me."

Things have definitely been coming together for Redman-Carr. Her result today marks her fourth podium finish in five events. Though she was decidedly beaten by Georgeson in the final, the 33-year-old Western Australian leaves France in a commanding position.

"I was really happy to make it into the finals; I had already regained my ratings lead at that point, but I didn’t really feel like I was in the final – I just felt like I was drifting around out there," Redman-Carr said. "Chelsea got the best waves today and I probably missed one or two. I just mistimed them, so it was just quite boring for me out there – I was just drifting around out there hoping it would end."

Redman-Carr eliminated Silvana Lima (BRA) en route to the final in much the same fashion. Lima, who has had an excellent rookie season, only caught three waves during their semifinal heat.

"The waves were good, but I couldn’t catch them because I was paddling for the wrong ones." Lima said. "It was a good heat but luck was definitely on Mel’s side, not mine. Overall it was a good experience, getting another third place is a good result for me. I just hope I can do better next time. I’m gaining experience on the WCT and am in a good position on the ratings – I’m focused and hoping to keep doing well."

Jessi Miley-Dyer, current world No. 4 and the ASP Women’s World Tour’s only other 2006 rookie, was beaten by Georgeson in their semifinal heat after only catching one wave.

"I’m stoked just to make it through to the semis and get another strong result," Miley-Dyer said. "Chels surfed really good and when people surf really well like that, you can’t really do much about it. Maybe if I’d caught two waves I could have given myself a better chance!"

The next event on the 2006 ASP Women’s World Tour is the Havaianas Beachley Classic in Sydney, Australia in October.

FINAL 1st earns US$10,000, 2nd earns US$6,000
Final: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 15.65 def. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 10.25

SEMIFINALS 1st advan ces to Final, 2nd finishes equal 3rd and earns US$4,250
Semifinal 1: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 11.00 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 2.30
Semifinal 2: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 13.75 def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 5.00

ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings After the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle
1. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 4752 points
2. Layne Beachley (AUS) 4452 points
3. Chelsea Georgeson 4044 points
4. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 2808 points
5. Silvana Lima (BRA) 2796 points
6. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 2580 points
7. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 2568 points
8. Heather Clark (ZAF) 2388 points
9. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 2376 points
10. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 2196 points
10. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2196 points
12. Megan Abubo (HAW) 2184 points
12. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 2184 points
13. Julia Christian (USA) 1992 points
15. Trudy Todd (AUS) 1632 points
16. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1440 points
17. Serena Brooke (AUS) 1260 points

Beachley Wins Billabong Girls Pro and Takes Ratings Lead

ITACARÉ, Brazil (Saturday, August 26, 2006) – Layne Beachley (AUS) won the inaugural Billabong Girls Pro Brazil to post her first ASP Women’s World Tour event in two years today. Beachley is now the number one rated female surfer in the world – an honor she hasn’t shouldered since she won her sixth world title in 2003.

"It was a fairy tale ending for me,” Beachley said. “I’ve worked so hard all week and I’ve been participating and making the call and hoping I’m doing the right thing – the conditions have been so challenging and then it all just fell into place for me in the final. It couldn’t have happened any better and I’m really excited that I’m No. 1 in the world and made such great ground on Mel (Redman-Carr) – it’s such an integral part of the year."

Although looking in top form throughout the event, Beachley stepped it up in the finals, amassing an excellent 9.95 and an 8.50. The performance signaled to competitors that the six-time world champ has returned her devastating competitive form.

"The insatiable winning thirst has come back," Beachley said. "It’s been 18 months since I won an event and it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m so excited. I can’t remember what to do because it’s been so long since I won. I’m just thrilled and .”

Left needing a combination of wave scores to challenge Beachley, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) sat in second for most of the heat.

"Layne (Beachley) got two really good scores right away," Miley-Dyer said. "When she pretty much got a 10, I went, ’Wow, heavy – anybody who can get a 10 in difficult conditions like this….well, perhaps I’ll just stay over here on my left while they finish the contest.’"

Still, at 19-years-old, the rookie was pleased just to be in the final – her first on the ASP Women’s World Tour.

"I still had a little bit of hope that I could pull it off because anything can happen in a heat," Miley-Dyer said. "It’s always hard when someone has a 9.95 and an 8.50 to come from behind and beat them but I was just having fun out there. I’ve already qualified via the WQS, so I didn’t have any pressure and I think that really showed in the event. Everywhere else I’ve been knocked out in the third round and then here I make a final."

Miley-Dyer was one of two rookies represented in the business end of the Billabong Girls Pro Brazil. Brazilian Silvana Lima was beaten by Beachley in the heat prior to the final. With 33-year-old Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) and 34-year-old Beachley heavily dominating the early leg of the tour, today was one for the youngsters.

"It would have been really cool if Silvana (Lima) and I had been in the final together – two rookies on tour and Silvana being from Brazil, it would have been unreal.” Miley-Dyer said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be."

Although looking dangerous in her homeland’s beachbreaks, Lima was unable to find the scores needed to overcome Beachley in the semifinals.

"I opened up with a really strong wave, an 8.25 but couldn’t find another good one. I was having trouble with my positioning," Lima said. "I am disappointed but it is still a good result, let’s see what I can do next week in France!"

Lima posted an equal third for her best result to date and now sits fifth in the world.

Defending ASP World Champ Chelsea Georgeson looked likely to reignite her world title campaign before falling to rookie Miley-Dyer in the semifinals.

"It’s a little frustrating. There was a lot of current out there," Georgeson said. "When I was watching it there were a lot of waves on the left, but then there were some popping up on the right too so I paddled over and then the waves were on the left again. It was just one of those frustrating heats where you just have to sit in one spot and let the waves come to you I guess."

Frustrations aside, Georgeson’s equal third finish sees her maintaining her current third spot on this season’s ratings.

The girls will be jetting across the Atlantic next for the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle in Hossegor, France held from August 31 to September 5, 2006.

Logon to http://www.aspworldtour.com/billabonggirls/ for heat by heat accounts of the action and images!

BILLABONG GIRLS PRO BRAZIL RESULTS
FINAL: 1st earns US$10,600, 2nd earns US$6,600
Final: Layne Beachley (AUS) def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)

SEMIFINALS: 1st advances to Final, 2nd finishes equal 3rd and earns US$4,850
Semifinal 1: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 12.85 def. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 10.35
Semifinal 2: Layne Beachley (AUS) 13.90 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.15

ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR RATINGS AFTER THE BILLABONG GIRLS PRO BRAZIL
1. Layne Beachley (AUS) 3900 points
2. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 3780 points
3. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 2844 points
4. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 2052 points
5. Silvana Lima (BRA) 2040 points
6. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 2028 points
6. Heather Clark (ZAF) 2028 points
8. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 2016 points
8. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 2016 points
10. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 1836 points
10. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1836 points
12. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 1824 points
13. Megan Abubo (HAW) 1632 points
13. Julia Christian (USA) 1632 points
15. Trudy Todd (AUS) 1452 points
16. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1080 points
16. Serena Brooke (AUS) 1080 points

REDMAN-CARR WINS BILLABONG PRO TAHITI AND MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW

Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) dethroned defending event cha mpion Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) to claim victory at the Billabong Pro Tahiti today. The win has put her in strong contention to strip the reigning world champion of her world title as well. Executing revenge of sorts after losing to Georgeson in the Billabong Pro Tahiti final last year, Redman-Carr easily won the final in four to six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) waves at Teahupoo to claim her third back-to-back win on the 2006 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour.

“It’s incredible. I’m really thankful and just amazed that it’s happened,” Redman-Carr said.

The 30-year-old tour veteran has now amassed a sizeable ratings lead and cemented a dream start to her 2006 season. “I hadn’t even dreamed of this! The support came flooding in after I won the first event on the Gold Coast and I’ve used that to help me keep winning,” Redman-Carr said. “I know the world title is within reach now but I can’t discount anybody. There are still five events left and a lot of the girls are capable of winning multiple events.”

Despite beating her today, Redman-Carr still considers Georgeson her biggest competition for a world title. “I know Layne’s had better results so far but I feel Chelsea’s the one I have to watch. She’s a good surfer in all conditions and that’s a major part of it. She would have won the event today if the waves were barreling.” Redman-Carr said.

Georgeson made a critically late drop into a six-foot (two-metre) wave, tucked into a deep barrel and came out turning to earn the only 10-point ride of the event in her semifinal heat against Layne Beachley (AUS). Unfortunately the wind swung slightly onshore during the final, dimming Georgeson’s chances for another epic tuberide. “I was just unlucky after that semi where the waves were so good. It’s always disappointing to come second in a final but it’s good for me because I needed a result.”

Georgeson now sits third in the ratings, and having struck late in the season last year, is still wholly capable of defending her world title. “It‘s always hard to go into the year as defending world champion and now that Mel has won three events in a row straight-up I’m thinking: ‘Can I catch her?’ Losing is always harder than winning but there’s five contests left and I think anything is possible,” Georgeson said.

“I had a really good year last year and I actually didn’t make any finals until right at the end of the year so I guess it’s a bit of repeat – a slow start and now I hope I can start making a few finals.” Beachley, who still sits in second on the ASP ratings, lost to Georgeson in semifinal two. The former six-time world champion enjoyed final berths at each of the two previous events on this year’s tour, but was left needing a combination of score after Georgeson added the 10-point ride to a previous 8.0 for a total of 18.00 points out of 20.00.
“It’s impossible to beat a 10.00 unless you get a 10.00 and in that semi I was lucky just to get a 3.00!” Beachley said. “I heard her claim it was going to be payback time for me today after I beat her in the quarters Fiji and low and behold it was.”

Heather Clark (ZAF) now finds herself sitting equal fifth on the ratings after earning a semifinal berth and an equal third placing when she was beaten by Redman-Carr. “We had such good waves in our semi final and surfing against Mel… well I’ve surfed against her before and she is a really good competitive surfer. She can make you go waves that you really don’t want to go on given that she is just so competitive,” Clark said.

Sofia Mulanovich, Rebecca Woods, Claire Bevilacqua and Keala Kennelly were eliminated in the quarterfinals. The world’s best women surfers will now enjoy a three-month break. The next stop on the 2006 ASP Women’s World Tour is the Billabong Pro Brazil, which runs from August 21-28, 2006.

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI RESULTS
FINAL: 1st earns US$10,600, 2nd earns US$6,600
FINAL: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 13.50 def. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 10.44

SEMIFINALS: 1st advances to FINAL, 2nd finishes equal 3rd and earns US$4,850
HEAT 1: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 14.90 def. Heather Clark (ZAF) 12.27
HEAT 2: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 18.00 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 6.43

QUARTERFINALS: 1st advances to the SEMIFINALS, 2nd finishes equal 5th and earns US$4,100
Heat 1: Heather Clark (ZAF) 12.66 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.10
Heat 2: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 14.94 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.17
Heat 3: Layne Beachley (AUS) 11.00 def. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 9.60
Heat 4: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 14.67 def. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 10.50

CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR RATINGS
1. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 3600 points
2. Layne Beachley (AUS) 2700 points
3. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 2088 points
4. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1668 points
5. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 1476 points
5. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1476 points
5. Heather Clark (ZAF) 1476 points
8. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 1464 points
8. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 1464 points
8. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 1464 points
11. Silvana Lima (BRA) 1284 points
12. Megan Abubo (HAW) 1272 points
12. Trudy Todd (AUS) 1272 points
14. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 1080 points
14. Julia Christian (USA) 1080 points
16. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 720 points
16. Serena Brooke (AUS) 720 points

 

 

ROXY PRO
(Competition window: 23 April to 28 April)
EVENT #2 ON THE 2006 ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR
News, results and images on www.aspworldtour.com/roxyprofiji

REDMAN-CARR POSTS BACK-TO-BACK ROXY PRO WINS

In a déjà vu victory over six-time world champion Layne Beachley (AUS), Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) has claimed her second title on the 2006 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women&Mac226;s World Tour calendar, the US$78,300 Roxy Pro in Fiji.

Redman-Carr, 30, first triumphed over Beachley, 33, in the Roxy Pro final on Australia’s Gold Coast last month. Her second win was in perfect six to ten foot (two to three metre) conditions at Fiji’s Cloudbreak Reef today. Several tour surfers said today was the best day in women’s professional surfing ever.

"Everything is transpiring in my favor, I’m really pleased," Redman-Carr said. "Layne should have wanted to kill me after last time, but maybe she was tired. She surfed four heats today so I may have had the advantage having only surfed three times."

Asked about a world title, Redman-Carr said: "This could be the year, it’s certainly possible. There’s great waves on tour now and I’m looking forward to all of the new events."

Interestingly, both the ASP Women’s World Tour and the Foster’s ASP Men’s tour have crowned repeat winners for the first two events of the year; seven-time world champion Kelly Slater’s victories on the Gold Coast and Bells Beach have now been mirrored in Redman-Carr’s Roxy Pro wins.

Beachley, who also lost last year’s Roxy Pro final in Fiji to Sofia Mulanovich (PER), was disappointed: "It&Mac226;s so frustrating! You work so hard to get to a final, so to lose is really hard. I’m thrilled I made it to the final, but at the same time I’m really disappointed with the performance I put on out there," Beachley said.

"Mel was just on fire. Full credit to her, she’s been the most consistent performer over the two events and that’s why she’s won them. There’s every opportunity that Mel could be world champion at the end of the year, but I’ll be doing everything in my power to stop her."

Beachley stopped reigning world champion Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) in the semi-finals to advance through to the final.

Georgeson said she found the conditions during her semi-final difficult: "The onshore wind that came up during the semis was putting a lot of bump on the face of the wave and when you’re on your frontside it makes it really hard to get under the lip. I know that when I surf a bumpy wave I prefer to be on my backhand like Layne was, but she surfed a really good heat and has a lot of experience out here and deserved to be in the final."

The talented new crop of female surfers have now been officially put on notice that the veterans, who have 25 years of tour experience between them, have enjoyed back-to-back final berths.

"It’s pretty crazy, they probably saw the headlines in Australia ‘Two Old Birds Have their Day&Mac226; ‘ or something, and it fired them up, it’s pretty cool," Georgeson said. "These girls have been on tour for twice as long as some of us so they have a lot of experience but, on the other hand, the younger girls are fired up, we’re fresh on tour, so it just makes it exciting."

Rebecca Woods (AUS), the other Roxy Pro semi-finalist, surfed well throughout the event but could not catch the consistent Redman-Carr.

"Conditions changed dramatically in the hour and a half since I surfed last. It got really bumpy on the face of the wave and you had to choose the right ones and not fall off. The falling off part was a struggle for me in that heat. I kept coming off the top and catching chop and catching rail and that was it," Woods said. "Mel got that 7.0 at the start, and that was the wave of the heat really. I just lost to a better surfer today, Melanie is on fire."

During her quarter-final heat, Redman-Carr got a front row seat to an incredibly entertaining and completely unprecedented jetski incident involving Keala Kennelly (HAW). Surfers are towed back into the lineup by jetski after their rides and Kennelly was on the back of the ski when the motor stalled and they were toppled onto the inside reef.

"Terry Ahue came to grab me with the jetski and I got on, but then the thing cacked out and flipped on the reef with me on the back. Terry flew off and I don’t know how I hung onto the sled because we did a full 360 degree el rollo on the reef," Kennelly said.

"We were on dry reef, I couldn’t see Terry and the ski was up on a coral head, so I jumped on and started it again and took myself back out. It wasn’t going to drive itself and I was still trying to win!"

Rochelle Ballard (HAW) was the unluckiest surfer during the Roxy Pro when she was eliminated by Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) in round three. Ballard, who needed a 4.25 to advance, didn’t find the barrel that alluded her during the 30-minute heat until seconds after the hooter.

Emerging from what her peers were touting the best tube they’ve ever seen ridden at Cloudbreak, the undisputed opinion was that Ballard would have earned a 10-point ride for the critically deep barrel-ride had she performed it during her heat.

The next leg of the ASP Women’s World Tour will see the world&Mac226;s best women surfers charging heavy barrels in Teahupoo, Tahiti.

ROXY PRO RESULTS

FINAL: 1st earns US$10,600, 2nd earns US$6,600
FINAL: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)14.50 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 9.50

SEMIFINALS: 1st advances to FINAL, 2nd finishes equal 3rd and earns US$4,850
HEAT 1: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 12.25 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 6.95
HEAT 2: Layne Beachley (AUS) 16.25 def. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 10.60

QUARTERFINALS: 1st advances to the SEMIFINALS, 2nd finishes equal 5th and earns US$4,100
HEAT 1: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 14.50 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.50
HEAT 2: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 16.25 def. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 6.75
HEAT 3: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 13.75 Silvana Lima (BRA) 9.50
HEAT 4: Layne Beachley def. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)

CURRENT ASP WOMEN&Mac226;S WORLD TOUR RATINGS
1. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 2400 points
2. Layne Beachley (AUS) 1944
3. Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 1116
3. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 1116
3. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 1116
3. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1116
7. Silvana Lima (BRA) 1104
8. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 912
8. Megan Abubo (HAW) 912
8. Trudy Todd (AUS) 912
8. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 912
8. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 912
13. Heather Clark (ZAF) 720
13. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 720
13. Julia Christian (USA) 720
16. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 540
17. Serena Brooke (AUS) 360

ROXY PRO PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG
QUIKSILVER PRO PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG
(28 February to 12 March)

EVENT #1 ON THE 2006 ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR

Live on www.aspworldtour.com and www.roxy.com

MELANIE REDMAN-CARR WINS THE ROXY PRO

Nine-year ASP Women’s World Tour veteran Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) has defeated six-time world champion Layne Beachley (AUS) to win the first event of the year, the Roxy Pro.

“I didn’t smash Layne as much as I would have liked to, but I ended up winning,” Redmann-Carr said of their final held in three to four foot waves at Duranbah Beach on the Gold Coast of Australia this afternoon.

This marks Redman-Carr’s first victory since the Roxy Pro in Fiji in 2002. The Western Australian, who finished runner-up to Beachley in 2001, came into this contest seeded third. She leaves the event rated number one in the world, ahead of reigning world champ Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) and the rest of the “new generation” of up-and-coming talent.

Both Redman-Carr and Beachley joked that it was all about the “old ducks” today.

“All the rookies, they are so insane! They surf so well that they just knocked each other out; it’s just the way the draw went.’ Redmann-Carr said. “The contest today could have been one from ten years ago. I surfed with Trudy, Layne and Rochelle, but it was cool, they were all ripping.”

Redman-Carr earned an early lead, which she maintained throughout the final, but Beachley was a very attainable 7.34 points (out of 10) away from changing the situation when she caught a wave in the final minutes of the heat. She was rewarded with a 6.67, but ran out of time to catch a wave that would better her score.

“I wish there were another f ive minutes in the heat. I’m always upset when I get second. I am disappointed. It took me 25 minutes to find out where I wanted to surf,” said Beachley.

Beachley, who took a several month hiatus from surfing citing a neck injury, performed remarkably well throughout the contest despite the time she spent out of the water.

“I hurt my neck on the first wave and that rattled me a little bit, so I kind of lost my confidence but it’s a great start and I’m quite surprised I’ve actually done as well as I have. After having a long break I’m actually feeling really unfit. I’m really tired and that’s only because I’ve spent two weeks in the water in the last five months. I guess it’s a good indication of what’s to come once I start spending more time in the water.”

Beachley has said more than once that with all of the attention on the rookies, wildcards and younger surfers, she’s sitting in a desirable “Dark Horse” situation.

“There’s plenty of young rookies and plenty of young amazing talent coming through, but experience always shines through at the end of the day. I’m glad the veterans haven’t lost it yet. Mel’s a great competitor, she beat me out here back in 2000 when we had the Roxy Pro here as a WQS; she beat me in the last minute, deja vu damn it!”

Beachley beat Samantha Cornish (AUS) in the semifinals but Cornish will not walk away empty handed. The 25-year-old won $5000 for the Evian Longest Tube Ride after slotting herself inside the longest tube of the event, a three and a half second barrel which also earned her the highest wave score of the entire contest.

“It’s a little disappointing because I’ve been surfing well and I had a good chance at winning this event, but it’s a great start, probably the best start I’ve ever had to the year,” Cornish said. “After this, I’m going to go home and put my head down and do some more training and really work on getting strong for Tahiti and Fiji coming up. It’s all about being consistent the whole year; it’s great to get a third straight up.”

Rochelle Ballard (HAW), who like Beachley, is recovering from an injury, rounded out the ASP Women’s World Tour surfers earning semifinal berths.

“I am super stoked on my start to the year, especially coming off having a broken foot,and then I ended up getting food poisoning the other day. I had to get rushed to the emergency room – it’s like what’s next?” said Ballard. “But all of that has made me stronger and more appreciative; it has got me right in this very moment and not looking ahead so much. I’m really excited to be in this position and have that result.”

Reigning Roxy Pro champ Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and rookie Silvana Lima (BRA), who were responsible for taking out top seeds in Georgeson and Mulanovich, were both eliminated in their quarterfinal heats. Also failing to advance from the quarters were last year’s runner-up Megan Abubo (HAW) and local surfer Trudy Todd (AUS).

The next event on the ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Roxy Pro in Fiji from April 22-29, 2006.

ROXY PRO FINAL RESULTS:
Melanie Redmann-Carr (AUS) def. Layne Beachley (AUS)

ROXY PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
HEAT 1: Layne Beachley (AUS) 14.33 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS)10.86
HEAT 2: Melanie Redmann-Carr (AUS) 14.50 def. Rochelle Ballard (HAW)

ROXY PRO QUARTER FINAL RESULTS:
HEAT 1: Layne Beachley (AUS) 14.50 def. Megan Abubo (HAW) 14.50
HEAT 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 17.04 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.00
HEAT 3: Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 11.50 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 10.50
HEAT 4: Melanie Redmann-Carr (AUS) 15.23 def. Trudy Todd (AUS) 11.40

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