Roxy Surf Festival

ASP  Women's 3 Star WWLT Event
ASP  Women's 6 Star WQS Event
ASP  Women's 6 Star Pro Junior Event
Phillip Island Victoria Australia
21 - 28 January 2007

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

AUSSIES SEND INTERNATIONALS PACKING AT ROXY SURF FESTIVAL

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 22 January, 2008 : - - Phillip Island, Australia -- Australian surfers sent many of their international counterparts packing after just one day of competition at the Roxy Surf Festival at Phillip Island, Victoria. Elite ASP Women’s World Tour hopefuls representing nine countries commenced their 2008 World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaigns in clean one-metre waves of Woolamai Beach.

A strong showing by the Australian contingent kept the out-of-towners at bay in the top level 6 star WQS event that has attracted big name surfers to the 7th annual event. “The Australians have a strong surfing background and we’ve got a lot of young talented girls competing at this event,” top seed and current World No. 4 Samantha Cornish (Crescent Heads, NSW, AUS) said after watching the early morning heats.

“It’s got to be pretty disappointing for the internationals who got knocked in their first heats today,” added Cornish. Sunshine Coast’s Rebecca Oakley (Sunshine Beach) and Jessica Hickson (Boomerang Beach, NSW) served up one of the harshest lessons to their Hawaiian opponents Coco Ho (Sunset Beach) and Gabi Cope (Kauai, Haw).

Ho was one of the day’s biggest casualties as the 2007 Triple Crown of Surfing Rookie of the Year and daughter to legendary Hawaiian big wave specialist Michael Ho. “The wind was really strong and it was tricky to stay on your board,” lamented WQS debutee Ho. “I definitely don’t have the best contest results, so I am trying to focus on that this year, I’m a very competitive person but it just hasn’t fallen into place yet.”

Coco Ho : photo Steve Robertson

“Dad is just one of my best supporters, he is not like a soccer dad pushing you around,” added Ho. Ho, bounced back in the Roxy Junior with a brilliant showing that caused the elimination of Oliver and Phoebe Miley-Dyer (Bronte, NSW), the younger twin sisters of world ranked competitor Jessi.

Relatively unknown Brittani Nicholl (Cabarita Beach, NSW, Aus) emerged as the day’s standout WQS performer. The 17-year-old overcame a slow start to post the day’s top heat score of 15.75 (out of a possible 20.00) with her two waves scores of 7.00 and 8.75 With just ten minutes remaining in her round, two heat Nicholl was lagging in fourth place and looking at certain elimination before finding her form for the win.

“I was stressing halfway through that heat because I hadn’t had a good wave and I was in fourth,” said Nicholl. "But then I got one good one and it all changed for me,” added Nicholl. The future star will next meet Nikita Robb (Sth Afr), Erica Hosseini (USA) and Angela Keighran when the WQS resumes with round three.

Oakley was another too impress amassing scores of 8.50 and 6.50 to now find herself in one of the toughest Round 3 match-ups. The 20 year-old is pitted against ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW, AUS), Australia’s U/18’s champion Laura Enever (Narrabeen, NSW, AUS) and South American sensation Tais Almeida (BRA) in Heat 3 of Round 3.

“It’s always good to get a win in the early rounds, it gives you confidence going forward,” Oakley said. “This is my first year on the WQS so I’m really excited to see how I go and I’m not going to be thinking too much about who I’m up against,” added Oakley. Other Australians to advance today were Kristie Jones (Ulludulla, NSW, AUS), Dara Penfold (Tas, AUS)) and Ashley Smith (Cabarita, NSW, AUS)

Advancing international surfers included Paige Hareb (NZL), Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF), Stacey Guy (ZAF), Wini Paul (NZL) and Paige Alms (HAW). Rounds 1 and 2 of the 6-Star WQS division were completed by lunchtime, followed by the first Round of the Pro Junior division and a few heats of the Amateur divisions later in the afternoon.

Top seeds will take to the water in Round 3 of the premier WQS division tomorrow, including elite ASP Women’s World Tour surfers Cornish, World No. 6 Amee Donohoe (Copacabana, NSW, AUS), World No. 8 Jessi Miley-Dyer (Bronte, AUS) and World No. 9 Rebecca Woods (Copacabana, NSW, AUS). 

The Roxy Surf Festival runs from Jan. 21- 27, 2008 and has a ‘mobile option’, meaning surfers will compete in the best possible surf on offer, at any of surfing beaches around Phillip Island.

Roxy Surf Festival 6-Star WQS Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Kirstie Jones (AUS) 8.50; Jesica Dobson (AUS) 3.60
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 9.50;  Gabi Cope (HAW) 6.50; Carly Bruce (AUS) 2.85
Heat 3: Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF) 8.50; Bijou Busse (AUS) 6.95; Charlotte Hand (AUS) 2.55
Heat 4: Jenny Boggis (AUS) 10.75; Dara Penfold (AUS) 10.25
Heat 5: Wini Paul (NZL) 2.05;  Chelsea Williams (AUS) 1.50
Heat 6: Sayuri Hashimoto (JAP) 14.50; Ashley Smith (AUS) 13.75; Lyndsay Noyes (AUS) 10.00

Roxy Surf Festival 6-Star WQS Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Kristie Jones (AUS) 11.75; Jesica Dobson (AUS) 9.10; Kirra Townsend (AUS) 8.35; Marina Werneck (BRA) 7.35
Heat 2: Rebecca Oakley (AUS) 15.00; Jessica Hickson (AUS) 13.25; Coco Ho (HAW) 11.75; Gabi Cope (HAW) 10.70
Heat 3: Paige Hareb (NZL) 14.50; Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF) 7.65; Carly Smith (AUS) 7.50; Bijou Busse (AUS) 5.70
Heat 4: Brittani Nicholl (AUS) 15.75; Dara Penfold (AUS) 12.75; Jenny Boggis (AUS) 9.50; Paige Houden (AUS)7.50
Heat 5: Stacey Guy (ZAF) 9.50; Wini Paul (NZL) 6.90; Chelsea Williams (AUS) 4.60; Emma Allen (AUS) 4.40
Heat 6: Ashley Smith (AUS) 13.00; Paige Alms (NZL) 8.15; Sayuri Hashimoto (JAP) 5.45; Amy Hubbard (AUS) 4.25

The event runs from Jan. 21- 27, 2008 and has a ‘mobile option’ meaning surfers will compete in the best possible surf on offer at any of the surfing beaches around Phillip Island.

www.roxy.com
www.aspworldtour.com
www.surfingaustralia.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : Roxy Surf Festival upgrades longboard event to six star
# 2 : The Roxy Surf Festival kick starts million plus dollar tour
# 3 : The Roxy Surf Festival Phillip Isle underway in great surf
# 4 : Coming soon  

About ASP:
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing's undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the Foster's ASP World Tour, the ASP Women's World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

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