Melanie Redman Carr : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

ASP Womens World Championship Tour

The Women’s WCT Pressure Cooker is Starting to Heat Up

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 August, 2006 : - - There are major upheavals on the cards for ASP Women’s surfing this year. I have not seen so much movement in the rankings since the inception of the two-tiered system back in 1992. The Women’s WCT has always been fairly stable, there is always a bit of movement around the fringes as outstanding talent moves past the WQS threshold but generally the WCT girls carve out quite a decent innings at the top grid of pro surfing.

This year coincides with two tectonic plates grinding against each other. First off you have the amazing raft of talent emerging, the likes of who threaten to revolutionize the women’s discipline. Stephanie Gilmore, Karina Petroni, Caroline Sarran, Rosanne Hodge and Leilane Gryde represent the leading edge of a new vanguard that is cutting a swathe through the WQS ranks. With only six spots up for grabs this makes for some interesting scenarios. When you consider this five pack, who have not qualified but are well on track, plus Jessi Miley-Dyer and Rebecca Woods, who are young rippers in their own right, the question begs, where are the established order and where are the surfers who habitually requalify via the WQS?

The only one that is remotely in contention at this point is Hawaii’s Melanie Bartels, but I wouldn’t really call Melanie establishment. She had a brief flurry in the WCT but first time round had too many distractions but now that she is looking very solid to requalify I think the focus will be there and she will be seen as one of the new stars, not someone making a comeback. Don’t forget that Andy Irons also took a similar route, and we know what happened on his second coming.

There is obviously a ways to go and opportunities will arise for more of the current WCT girls, or at least those facing relegation, to mount a QS campaign, but these youngsters are sweeping all before them. The planets are lining up a bit like the Men’s. So few WCT’ers, including many outside the Top 10 automatic qualifiers, are not applying themselves to the WQS, and those that are just aren’t getting the required points averages to see them safely thru the Straits of Magella and into next years World Championship Tour.

Taking a peek at the Women’s WCT ratings after three events, there are three looking safe and the rest are far from safe ground. Melanie Redman-Carr has absolutely shot out of the gates, posting a perfect record with wins at such diverse venues as Duranbah, Cloudbreak & Teahupoo. In a normal title race, being one that is not being totally dominated by one individual, 6 times World Champion Layne Beachley would be quite happy with her start. Okay, she would be rueing the fact she hasn’t won yet but a pair of seconds and a third would put Layne in good stead for the legs ahead. She obviously still is but Mel would have to let up the pace a bit for Layne to gain more of a foothold.

Reigning World Champion Chelsea Georgeson is on the next grid, a poor start on the Gold Coast costing Chelsea early momentum, But with five WCT events remaining the champ has plenty of time to reel back in the pacesetters and will be looking for a big result when the tour resumes in Brazil on August 21. From #4 to #10, Rebecca Woods with 1668 WCT points is the only one virtually guaranteed of requalifying via the WQS. That’s pretty radical, and of course that is why a changing of the guard is imminent. For those who decided not to hedge their bets or who are not performing on the WQS, the pressure is really on to secure a few podium finishes between now and Maui.

This is where the pressure cooker begins. There are three girls tied for 5th on 1476 points, Rochelle Ballard, Samantha Cornish and Heather Clarke, none of who are featuring on the WQS. Just behind them, on 1464 points, are former World Champion Sofia Mulanovich, Keala Kennelly and Claire Bevilacqua. Now already we have ten names so something has to give, and lurking dangerously just outside the Top 10 are Silvana Lima and Megan Abubo. Silvana, one of the hottest talents to emerge in 2006 and a future chance for Brazil’s first WCT World Champion, is not even bothering with the WQS, so her only route is via direct qualification in the WCT Top 10. And Megan Abubo is renowned for her late bursts, so with two events in Hawaii at years end will be a huge threat.

Sofia, who as reigning champion gave Chelsea a fantastic challenge for the World Crown last year, has had a decidedly lacklustre opening sequence, a pair of 5ths being the highlight. She is however still a mathematic possibility to win the Title, and habitually goes on a contest winning bender around mid year, so the next passage of events is critical for Sofia, and she does not have the safety chute on. Jessi Miley-Dyer is having a rough go as a rookie on the WCT but is truly in a comfort zone at the helm of the WQS ratings, pretty much a certainty. The real strugglers are Jacqueline Silva and Serena Brooke, two long time CT campaigners, who are yet to win two heats on this years tour and are also languishing on the WQS. A miracle turnaround is the order of the day on their career menu.

It is really amazing what’s going down in 06. The new class is arriving and they seem to be doing a bit of schooling of their own. Time is definitely running out for a WQS injection but with 5 Women’s WCT’s slated for the second half of the year there will be guaranteed firweworks as surfers attempt to save their careers.

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