Stephanie Gilmore : photo courtesy Mr Price Pro 

ASP 6 Star Mens WQS Event
ASP 5 Star Womens WQS Event
North Beach, Durban
30 June- 9 July 2006

Scores/Results/Photos/Video etc

Happy Gilmore Claims 5 Star WQS Womens Mr Price Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 July, 2006 : - - Eighteen-year-old Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) became the new Mr Price Pro Champion after defeating traveling buddy Jessi Miley-Dyer (Aus), to take her second five-star World Qualifying Series title of the year, before a sea of spectators at Durban’s North Beach, on Saturday.

A standout throughout the ten-day competition, Gilmore is the youngest competitor ever to win a Mr Price Pro title, and has sent her to number one on the ASP WQS ratings.  

Locking-on to the only set wave that pulsed through Durban’s North beach in an otherwise desperately flat final, Gilmore got to work on the crumbling wall with a series of punchy, trademark snaps to earn a 6.67 out of a possible ten points, which she backed up a with a 5.50 (out of ten) to take the win over Miley-Dyer.  

Drenched in Champaign, sporting her enormous wooden trophy, Gilmore said, “This is my second WQS victory this year and you can’t ask for much better. The wave has been pretty fun all week. You can’t expect to get really good waves at QS’s so this has been decent really. I always feel really comfortable surfing right handers and I just couldn’t be happier right now!’ 

“Funnily enough I didn’t come up against any South African’s in the competition and it’s probably a good thing because they were surfing really well. Rosy Hodge was the overall standout of the event and I’m stoked I didn’t have to surf against her.” 

Gilmore’s victory earned her 2000 points, which has sent her from fourth to first on the WQS; a prize complemented by a R28 000 (US$4000) winners check.  “My main goal is to qualify for the WCT, top five would be great but I’m just thinking why not take out the whole WQS while I’m at it. To be on the world tour would be awesome, so I’m just trying to get there as quickly as I can,” said the smiley blonde.

Dyer, who was responsible for eliminating South Africa’s last standing surfer Rosy Hodge (East London) in the semi-finals, was happy with her second place finish, and inferred that Gilmore and herself were now equal, Dyer defeating Gilmore in Durban at the ISA World Junior Games in 2003.  

“I’m really stoked I made the finals,” said Dyer who was eliminated in the round of 12 last year. “Sitting out there in the final we were just saying to each other, ‘I can’t believe there are no waves’. That ‘bomb’ Steph got was probably the set of the day and I was cursing myself for letting that wave slide, but we were pretty relaxed out there.” 

Dyer earned R14 000 (US$ 2000) and has jumped from eighth to fourth on the WQS ratings.  

South Africa’s Rosy Hodge (East London) finished as the highest placed South African in the history of the Mr Price Pro. Hodge was narrowly defeated by Dyer in the second semi-final, after opening on a 8.33 (out of ten) to defeat world number four on the WCT, Rebecca Woods (Aus) in the quarterfinals.  

Hodge finished equal third earning R11 900 (US$ 1700) and has moved from 12th to 9th on the WQS ratings. Also with an equal third finish, was defending Mr Price Pro champion Melanie Bartels (Hawaii) who fell to Gilmore in the semifinals but has jumped from seventh to fifth one WQS.  

Australian Amy Stewart followed in the footsteps of her compatriots taking out the pro junior women’s final, ahead of South African Nikita Robb (East London) who finished second.  

Selecting one of the choice set waves that peeled through North Beach as the tide turned, Stewart let loose with a series of controlled turns down the face of the wave, to earn a 7.83 out of ten and take the lead.  

Despite some determined surfing from both Nicola Atherton (Aus) who finished third and Robb, Stewart’s two-wave heat total was insurmountable, earning Stewart the first pro junior victory of her career.  

“I’m so happy. This is my first win on the junior series, so I’m super stoked to be here and take away a win,” said Stewart. “It’s pretty similar to what I surf every day back home, so I just caught one good one, got a second back-up and that was it!” 

Stewart earned R3000 for her efforts while second place Robb took home R2000. While the girls had their ‘time in the sun’ on Saturday afternoon, the men’s six star WQS heated-up with the men’s round of 24 completed earlier in the day.  

The five South African’s left in the competition were whittled down to three, Ricky Basnett (Bluff) posting a decisive heat win over Aerial maestro Josh Kerr (Aus) while Travis Logie (Durban) and Jordy Smith (Umbilo) secured first and second places respectively in their round of 24 match-up, advancing into the next round.  

Others to advance in the men’s competition included Luke Stedman (Aus), Neco Padaratz (Brazil), Michael Campbell (Aus), Acero Eneko (ESP), Dayyan Neve (Aus), Kai Ottan (Aus), Troy Brooks (Aus) and Victor Ribas (Brazil).  

MR RPICE PRO RESULTS

Women’s Round of 12
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore(Aus)- 17.00; Melanie Bartels(Haw)- 9.50
Heat 2: Caroline Sarran(Fra)- 11.07; Lauren Sweeney(Usa)- 8.50
Heat 3: Amee Donohoe(Aus)- 13.67; Rosy Hodge(Rsa)- 10.93
Heat 4: Rebecca Woods(Aus)- 14.50; Jessi Miley- Dryer(Aus)- 11.17

Men’s round of 24
Heat 1:Ricky Basnett(Rsa)- 13.27; Josh Kerr(Aus)- 12.57
Heat 2:Micheal Cambell(Aus)- 12.56; Eneko Acero(Esp)- 12.30
Heat 4: Travis Logie(Rsa)- 13.66; Jordy Smith(Rsa)- 13.16
Heat 5: Dayyan Neve(Aus)- 17.24; Kai Otton(Aus)- 12.43
Heat 6: Troy Brooks(Aus)- 17.76; Beto Fernandes(Bra)- 17.60

Women’s quarter final W/W
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore(Aus)- 14.67
Heat 2: Melanie Bartels(Haw)- 16.00
Heat 3: Jessi Miley- Dyer(Aus)- 14.00
Heat 4: Rosy Hodge(Rsa)- 13.50

Women’s Semi Final W/W:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore(Aus)- 15.67
Heat 2: Jessi Miley- Dyer- 8.07

Women’s Final W/W
Final: Stephanie Gilmore(Aus)- 12.17
 
Junior Women’s Final:
Final: Amy Stewart(Aus)- 13.33; Nikita Robb(Rsa)- 9.44

To watch all the action live from North Beach log-on to www.mrpricepro.com 

WQS Ratings After Evt #9 Mr Price Pro,Durban-South Africa

1	Gilmore,Stephanie	AUS	5095
2	Woods,Rebecca	AUS	4470
2	Petroni,Karina	USA	4355
4	Miley-Dyer,Jessi	AUS	4190
5	Bartels,Melanie	HAW	4040
6	Sarran,Caroline	FRA	3850
7	Gryde,Leilani	HAW	3840
8	Baldwin,Lindsey	USA	3611
9	Hodge,Rosanne	ZAF	3585
10	Smith,Tammy Lee	ZAF	3296
11	Donohoe,Amee	AUS	3025
12	McGrath,Laurina	AUS	2938
13	Shields,Sheridan	AUS	2846
13	Langen,Kyla	USA	2846
15	Beardmore,Sarah	AUS	2483
16	Arias,Connie	USA	2390
17	Beck,Holly	USA	2351
18	Atherton,Nicola	AUS	2328
19	Clark,Heather	ZAF	2160
20	Quint,Juliana	BRA	2130
21	Sweeney,Lauren	USA	2123
22	Hosseini,Erica	USA	2060
23	Almeida,Tais	BRA	2053
24	Mayaguchi,Kaori	JPN	2000
24	Goncalves,Claudia	BRA	2000
26	Brooke,Serena	AUS	1953
27	Sanchez,Amandine	FRA	1790
28	Menczer,Pauline	AUS	1783
29	Abubo,Megan	HAW	1780
30	Noyes,Lyndsay	AUS	1754
31	Mayer,Kim	USA	1700
32	Silva,Jacqueline	BRA	1675
33	Wheatley,Jaimee	AUS	1630
34	Robb,Nikita	ZAF	1600
35	Hoffert,Sarah	USA	1540
36	Naraisa,Suelen	BRA	1500
36	Cristina,Diana	BRA	1500
38	Quam,Jenny	USA	1481
39	Clegg,Amanda	AUS	1438
40	Wooldridge,Kim	AUS	1400
41	Spires,Falina	USA	1375
42	Oakley,Rebecca	AUS	1363
43	Redman-Carr,Melanie	AUS	1220
43	Georgeson,Chelsea	AUS	1220
45	Fitzgibbons,Sally	AUS	1210
46	Vindas Diaz,Lisbeth	CRI	1200
47	Stewart,Amy	AUS	1170
48	McGregor,Lauren	AUS	1119
49	Smith,Carly	AUS	1110
50	Sheppard,Kira	USA	1090
51	Mason,Arini	NZL	1083
52	Lima,Silvana	BRA	1030
53	Luana,Papa	GLP	960
54	Enriquez,Cecelia	USA	946
55	Caton,Charlotte	FRA	925
56	Lopes,Andrea	BRA	915
57	Maroussem,Tamarys de	ZAF	900
57	Gomez,Anali	PER	900
59	Cornish,Samantha	AUS	860
60	Emory,Jessica	AUS	850
61	Guimares,Juliana	BRA	833
62	MacKenzie,Lynette	AUS	811
63	Chudleigh,Tarryn	ZAF	790
64	Johnston-Maritz,Sarah	ZAF	780
64	Baum,Sarah	ZAF	780
66	Bobb,Ashley	USA	750
67	Erickson,Sage	USA	725
68	Whitney,Ayla	AUS	710
69	Matthews,Jessica	ZAF	700
69	Mentasti,Tasha	ZAF	700
69	Abgrall,Marie Pierre	FRA	700
69	Bevilacqua,Claire	AUS	700
73	Davis,Mischa	NZL	693
74	Santos,Monik	BRA	675
75	Nicholl,Amy	USA	619
76	Guy,Stacey	ZAF	610
76	Annelles,Nicole	ZAF	610
76	Flanagan,Telana	ZAF	610
76	Rautenbach,Chantelle	ZAF	610
76	Jones,Elkie	AUS	610
76	Hurunui,Lisa	NZL	610
76	Ado,Pauline	FRA	610
76	Hiroe,Tahara	JPN	610
84	Hunter,Lani	HAW	605
85	Francis,Ashley	USA	600
85	Mattison,Diana	USA	600
85	Mayer,Brigitte	BRA	600
85	Pereira,Yries	BRA	600
85	Schimitz,Bruna	BRA	600
85	Furlanetto,Chantalla	BRA	600
91	Laird,Ebony	AUS	593
92	Taniguchi,Erina	JPN	510
93	Byron,Yvonne	AUS	488
94	Alves,Christa	USA	480
94	Gonzalez,Maria	PRI	480
94	Engstrom,Alexis	PRI	480
94	Pereira,Francisca	BRA	480
94	Werneck,Marina	BRA	480
94	Bettero,Jahia	BRA	480
100	Sherringham,Melissa	AUS	425

Previous reports:
# 1 : Mr Price Pro WQS in Durban expecting a fantastic start
# 2 : Big upsets as Mr Price Pro Junior finalists are decided
# 3 : Eight surfers advance into the Mr Price Pro main event
# 4 : Jordy Smith an early standout at Mr Price Pro in Durban

# 5 : Four South Africans ‘in the Money’ at the Mr Price Pro...
# 6 : Rautenbach leads SA girls charge at Mr Price Pro '06
# 7 : Durban duo Bortoletto & Smith on a roll at Mr Price Pro
# 8 : South African trio advance to next round at Mr Price Pro    

# 9 : Surfing Hotting up with Hodge at Mr Price Pro in Durban

More African Surfing News available here
Check the latest Africa Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! Get the latest news with Surfersvillage News-Alerts
 
For more information Contact;

Mr Price Sports Marketing
Clynt Lund
clund@mrpricegroup.com

Tostee.com
kirstin@tostee.com

WQS Contests - Surfersvillage