Jessica Santorik : photo NZ Surfing Magazine

Rip Curl Clean & Clear Women’s Pro

Tay Street Mount Maunganui New Zealand
15 - 16 March 2008

Super Santorik Smashes Opponents

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 March, 2008 : - - Raglan’s Jessica Santorik claimed her first win of the year today taking out New Zealand’s richest women’s surfing event - the Rip Curl Clean and Clear Women’s Pro held at Mount Maunganui’s Tay Street. 

Santorik clinched the final less than half an hour after winning the Clean and Clear Expression Session for the most radical turn in a specialty 20 minute surf off.  With the result Santorik holds on to first place on the Corona Crown Series with one event remaining.

Mount Maunganui turned it on for the final day with perfect 1.0m – 1.5m waves and offshore winds making conditions optimal for good surfing.  A big beach crowd witnessed some great surfing and many contributed to the Brest Cancer Foundation to go along with proceeds generated from the event.

Santorik was one of several standouts during the weekend and she was the surfer to put it together in the final posting 14.5 out of a possible 20.  Early in the final Santorik posted a 7.50 for two critical backhand turns and a floater later backing that up with another 7.0 point ride.

“I was quite stoked eh, I got a good early one in.  I knew good waves wouldn’t come easy but my start gave me the early advantage and plenty of time to get a second good ride” commented Santorik“.  However even her second 7.0 point ride was not enough to settle her nerves “I was a little bit worried about the other girls as they only needed small scores to catch me so I am lucky they didn’t” Santorik reiterated.

Rosa Thompson (Auck) who contested three finals throughout the day held down second place for much of the final but when Daisy Thomas (Chch) blasted a huge forehand turn that netted her 6.0 points, she jumped into second place pushing Thompson back to third.

Mischa Davis (Piha) looked out of sorts in the final until she also chimed in with a good 6.35 point ride to put her back in the hunt.  However with less than five minutes remaining time was against her and the other girls and a last ditch effort by Davis on a rare lefthander fell short of what she would have wanted.  Thomas did enough to hold on to second place with Thompson in third and Davis in fourth.

The results of the Rip Curl Clean and Clear Women’s Pro had little affect on the Corona Crown Series ratings with one change in the top five - Thomas moves back into the top three pushing today’s fifth placed surfer Laura Rishworth (Mnt) to fourth.  Confirmed starters for the Corona Super 16 are Santorik, Davis and Thomas with Rishworth, Thompson and Alexis Poulter in the trials.    

Rosa Thompson (Auck) earlier took out the under 18 girls division scoring 13.00 out of a possible 20 in the final.  It was yet another battle of the titans between Thompson and closest of rivals Alexis Poulter (Rag).  With both surfers holding excellent early rides it came down to who could muster up the energy to find another ride. 

Both girls had surfed at least three heats today and were triple finalists.  Thompson was the surfer to get the better of the exchange this time around posting a 5.75 point ride compared with Poulter’s 4.75.  Gisborne girls Jayda Martin – Fitzharris placed third and Chloe Shutt placed fourth.

The Clean and Clear Under 16 Division was the most hotly contested final of the day.  Grace Spiers (WGM) opened up with a 5.5 to take the early lead.  However it was Alexis Poulter (Rag) and Rosa Thompson (Auck) that came back with an excellent two-wave exchange that saw them jump ahead. 

Poulter scored an 8.25 and Thompson a 7.00.  Spiers came back with her own 6.5 point ride but with Poulter nailing a last minute 8.25 she sealed the win getting one back on Thompson who beat her in the under 18s.  Thompson placed second, Spiers in third and Gisborne’s Gabe McCarthy – Marriott in fourth.

Whangamata’s Renee Jacobson entered her first ever surfing event and walked home the victor.  It was more than beginners luck too after her first wave scored 6.75 points.  She followed that up with a 4.15 late in the heat after briefly slipping to third place.  Jacobson has only recently began surfing but is a well accomplished athlete having previously competed at national level in several different sports. 

Waihi Beach surfer Gina Samson finished in second place after having won the Police National Champs earlier in the week.  Gina Kennings (Rag) placed third unable to catch a good second scoring ride having earlier surfed to a final-high 8.0 point ride.  Cheryl Lowe (Mnt) finished in fourth.

Daisy Thomas (Chch) had too much style and finesse for the longboard finalists when she stormed to 15.0 point heat total to win the final.  Smooth arcing cutbacks and go for broke turns on the inside section were what Thomas was all about.  Alexis Poulter (Rag) also caught some huge waves but her part time approach to the longboard discipline could not match Thomas and she finished in second place ahead of Rea Ansin (Auck) in third and Shelley Jones (Auck) in fourth.

Ella Spiers (WGM) took her first ever win at a national level when she won the under 14 girls division.  With some huge sets breaking out the back it was Spiers that managed to snatch the best open faced wave to score 6.50.  She backed that up with a 3.70.  Gisborne’s Gabe McCarthy – Marriott placed second just ahead of Ella Williams (WGM) in third and Chloe Shutt (Gis) in fourth.

The Sansom twins of Auckland continued their domination of the under 12 girls division when they made it a one-two for the family.  This time around it was Gabriela who took first honours.  Her first wave score of 6.0 points set the pace and her very next wave she posted the highest wave of the final - 7.25 which sealed the deal.  Her sister came back with a 6.0 point ride but that was the best she could muster.  Hannah Kohn (Gis) placed third in the final with local girl Demi Hewitt placing fourth.

Results from the Rip Curl Clean and Clear Women’s Pro

Open Women Final
Jessica Santorik (Rag), 1, Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 2, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 3, Mischa Davis (Auck), 4

Open Women Semifinals
Heat 1 Jessica Santorik (Rag), 1, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 2, Laura Rishworth (Mnt), 3, Thandi Durham (Tara), 4
Heat 2 Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 1, Mischa Davis (Auck), 2, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 3, Marie Boyer (Fra), 4,

Under 18 Finals
Rosa Thompson (Auck), 1, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 2, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 3, Chloe Shutt (Gis), 4

Under 18 Semifinals
Heat 1 Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Chloe Shutt (Gis), 2, Abigail Daunton (Gis), 3
Heat 2 Rosa Thompson (Auck), 1, Jayda Martin-Fitzharris (Gis), 2, Nicola Colson-Koster (Auck), 3

Under 16 Finals
Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 2, Grace Spiers, (Whnga), 3, Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott, 4

Under 14 Girls Finals
Ella Spiers (WGM), 1, Gabriella McCarthy-Marriott (Gis), 2, Ella Williams (Whmata), 3, Chloe Shutt (Gis), 4

Under 12 Girls Finals
Gabriela Sansom (Auck), 1, Bianca Sansom (Auck), 2, Hannah Kohn (Gis), 3, Demi Hewitt (Mnt), 4

Longboard Finals
Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 1, Alexis Poulter (Rag), 2, Rea Ansin (Auck), 3, Shelly Jones, (Auck), 4

Longboard Semifinals
Heat 1 Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, Rea Ansin (Auck), 2, Ella Williams (Whmata), 3, Anna Jolly (Piha), 4
Heat 2 Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 1, Shelly Jones, (Auck), 2, Cheryl Lowe (Mt), 3, Chloe Shutt (Gis), 4 

Over 30s Final
Renee Jacobsen (WGM), 1, Gina Samson (Waihi Bch), 2, Gina Kennings (Raglan), 3, Cheryl Lowe (Mnt), 4

Over 30 Semifinals
Heat 1 Gina Samson (Waihi Bch), 1, Cheryl Lowe (Mnt), 2, Sherene McCormick (Napier), 3
Heat 2 Renee Jacobsen (WGM), 1, Gina Kennings (Raglan), 2, Anna Jolly (Piha), 3

The 2008 Rip Curl Clean & Clear Women’s Pro boasts seven divisions catering for women of all ages and level’s of ability.  Additionally Clean & Clear will be giving away $500 cash to the winner of the Expression Session, a specialty event giving competitors a chance to lay down their best moves in a free surfing extravaganza.  Curl Magazine will also have awards for the highest heat score and highest single wave score at the event.

Surfing New Zealand are proudly partnered by Corona, Vodafone, Hyundai, SPARC & Smokefree.

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