Team News

South Africa team updates: Hodge in 2nd on WQS; Palmboom carries SA flag; Durban prepares

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 April, 2008 : - - Rosanne Hodge charged into second place in the latest ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) women’s rankings following her outstanding third place finish in the 6-Star rated Midori Pro at Newcastle in Australia on Saturday.

Hodge advanced through three rounds of four-person heats then defeated Hawaiian veteran Megan Abubo in a one-on-one quarterfinal before being ousted by reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and eventual Midori Pro winner Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in their semifinal clash.

The East Londoner, who turns 21 in three weeks, earned a substantial haul of 1 825 ratings points and also pocketed US $2 000 which took her career prize-money over the US $50 000 mark (approx R400 000 at current exchange rate).

Reigning ASP Africa Pro Champion Tarryn Chudleigh posted the best WQS result of her short career at the same event. Starting in Round 1, the 17 year-old from Kommetjie left a trail of more established campaigners in her spray as she progressed through four rounds to the final 24 before being eliminated in equal 13th place overall with 1 125 ratings points and US $800.

Rising star Sarah Baum, 14, from Athlone Park made it through two rounds to the last 48 while Tammy-Lee (Chaka’s Rock), Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) and Nikita Robb (East London) were all eliminated in their opening encounters in the 70 strong field.

All of the girls except Sarah will be competing in the 5-Star rated Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River in Western Australia this week, where the swell is predicted to reach 20 foot during the event!

Midori Pro – Newcastle, Australia

Final
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)

Semifinals
SF1:  Gilmore def. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
SF2:  Fitzgibbons def. Alan Blanchard (HAW)

ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) Ratings (after Midori Pro, event #4 of 15)
1.  Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)  6 150 points
2.  Alana Blanchard (HAW)  3 700
2.  Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)  3 700
4.  Laurina McGrath (AUS)  3 690
5.  Bruna Schmitz (BRA)  3 675

South Africans
22.  Nikita Robb (East London)  2 235
25.  Tammy-Lee Smith (Chaka’s Rock)  2 160
32.  Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie)  1 905
40.  Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand) 1 525
74.  Sarah Baum (Athlone Park)  780
 

Rudy Palmboom Jnr heads the SA challenge on the men’s WQS

Reigning ASP Africa Pro Junior (U20) champion, Rudy Palmboom Jnr, 19, from the Bluff, is the highest placed South African in the current men’s WQS rankings. Palmboom is in 46th place after amassing 1 381 points from his equal 25th place in the 5-Star rated Hang Loose Pro in Brazil in February and his 33rd in the Mark Richards Pro at Newcastle last week, where he was the highest finishing SA competitor.

In equal 47th place on rankings, just six points behind Palmboom, are Greg Emslie (East London) and Warwick Wright (Durban) who both earned 1 375 points in Brazil. Next in line is Damien Fahrenfort who is 55th on 1 338 from three events before a big drop to Dave Richards (Kommetjie) who is 179th, followed by Clinton Gravett (East London) in 196th, Brandon Jackson (Durban North) in 221st and Josh Redman (Umdloti) is 255th.

This week all but Gravett, and including David Weare (Durban) and Gavin Roberts (Scottburgh) who have yet to compete in a WQS event this year, will be contesting the 6-Star Prime rated Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River.

The WA event starts a series of three 6-Star Prime rated events this month that includes the Quiksilver Pro Durban presented by Virgin Mobile in association with Resolution in Durban (14-20 April) and the O’Neill Highland Open by Swatch (23-30 April) in Thurso, Scotland, which is proudly touted as the ‘coldest WQS event’ as it takes place 54 degrees North of the equator!

Surf City prepares for the 6-Star Prime rated Quiksilver Pro Durban

Durban, SA’s Surf City is preparing for an influx of international surfing stars who will be visiting our shores for the 6-Star Prime rated Quiksilver Pro Durban presented by Virgin Mobile in association with Resolution.

Headquartered at the New Pier on Dairy Beach in the middle of the city, with an alternate venue at Ansteys on Bluff should conditions dictate, the event has a US $135 000 (approx R1 million) prize-purse and the Prime rating boosts the ratings points earned by 20%, from 2 500 for the winner to a whopping 3 000.

All four of SA’s World Tour campaigners have entered, with Jordy Smith, the 2007 runner-up, and Travis Logie having the advantage of surfing on their home beach while Ricky Basnett (Bluff) and Royden Bryson (East London) have both won events on the Durban beachfront.

The international contingent includes the likes of current WQS ratings leader Patrick Gudauskas and fellow Americans Gabe Kling and Brett Simpson, Australian World Tour members Ben Dunn and Jay Thompson, Brazilians Neco Padaratz, Leonardo Neves and 2007 ASP World Pro Junior Champion Pablo Paulino and a host of other super stars.

The event kicks off on Friday with the Kommunity Project Future Stars event where eight surfers from historically disadvantaged communities are flown to and accommodated throughout the event, followed by the inaugural Grade-2 Quiksilver Pro Junior presented by Virgin Mobile in association with Resolution which runs on Friday and Saturday, 11 & 12 April, where dozens of SA and international U20’s will be vying for the R80 000 at stake.

The trials for the Quiksilver Pro Durban are scheduled for Sunday 13 April and the main event runs from Monday to Sunday, 14-20 April.

All the action can viewed live via webcasts at www.quikprodurban.com where 1989 ASP World Champion and former Durbanite Martin Potter will be the anchor, as well as via numerous other portals and access points ranging from webcasts on cellphones through Mxit, Facebook and MySpace sites to Podcasts and Boardriders TV footage.

www.aspafrica.com

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