FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) INTERNATIONAL
Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach presented by Snickers
Stop No 2. of 7 on the ASP Women’s World Tour
Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
April 3 - 13, 2007
GILMORE RINGS THE BELL AND MOVES TO EQUAL FIRST ON ASP RATINGS
BELLS BEACH, Australia (Friday, Apr. 6, 2007) – ASP Women’s World Tour Rookie Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) is on top of the world after winning the Rip Curl Women’s Pro and her first victory as an elite tour surfer at Bells Beach today.
Gilmore’s trouncing of defending Rip Curl Pro and 2004 World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) in the Final has catapulted her to equal World No. 1 for the first time in her career. She shares the rating with 2005 World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS).
“I’m just over the moon, this is unbelievable,� Gilmore said. “To compete against Sofia, a defending champ, in the final and manage to win means I’m back on track. To be World No. 1 next to Chels is amazing and exactly where I want to be.�
Gilmore, who won two ASP Women’s World Tour events as a wildcard before qualifying for the 2007 elite tour, has been vocal about her aspirations to earn a world title her first year on tour. She was disappointed to start that campaign with an equal 5th finish after being eliminated by Hedges in the Quarterfinals on the Gold Coast of Australia last month. Her Quarterfinal win over Hedges today puts the surfers at two wins apiece in elite tour competition.
“I was feeling pretty confident that once I had knocked off Chelsea I thought I could probably take it to the top,� Gilmore said. “She’s in great form, as are all the girls, but Chelsea was the biggest hurdle and I knew that if I could get over that then I could take this through to the final.�
Continue reading ‘Stephanie Gilmore Wins at Bells’
