Drug Aware Pro
Presented by Rusty

ASP 6-Star Prime WQS Mens Event
ASP 6-Star WQS Womens Event
Surfers Point- Margaret River West Oz
15 - 21 March 2010 

Live Coverage   |  Results/Photos/News  |  Highlights/Heats on Demand

Chelsea Hedges Wins the Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 21 March, 2010 : - - Surfers’ Point Margaret River, Western Australia: Chelsea Hedges (AUS/Gold Coast) won the Association of Surfing Professionals 6-Star Prime Rated Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River defeating Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS/NSW) in a nail-biting finish.

In what is believed to be a first for surfing, the final result went down to the last wave which both surfers surfed in the final 30 seconds! A recent rule change allows 2 surfers to surf the same wave providing they split the direction. When Fitzgibbons (who held priority) elected to go left, Hedges quickly decided to go right and both girls scored well on their respective backhands on the same wave.

Fitzgibbons took the wave requiring a 7 point ride to win the event, and she scored a 7.4 to go to the lead, however, Hedges improved her score with a 6.4 ride to regain the lead and take the win.

“That was an unbelievable finish” said a delighted Hedges after the win. “It’s a recent rule change that we can split the peak and I was fortunately discussing it with fellow competitor Paige Hareb (NZ) this morning and we were saying how we thought it could work at a break like this and amazingly it has won the event for me!”

“I knew when Sally started paddling for the wave she’d get the score to beat me and my mind raced on the idea to go right and better my own low  scoring ride of a 5.5 and I did that with a 6.43 to win.”

Today’s result for Hedges continues the great start to the season for the 2005 ASP World Champion who placed 3rd in the opening event of this season and the 26 year-old who had a year off competing in 2008 to have a child is feeling great about her form.

“I came back last year after having a baby and was tentative and unsure how I’d cope with the new young emerging surfers like Sally and my 2009 season was just a fair one.”

“This year I’ve stepped up my training and preparation and my boards are great and winning here has me in a perfect place as I head to Bells Beach for my next event – I can’t wait!”

Fitzgibbons was disappointed to place 2nd but knew when she saw that Hedges had taken that last same wave that she’d probably lost the final.

“I finished the ride and felt great as I knew that I’d achieved the score to go to first but then I glanced across the peak and realised Chelsea caught the same wave and inside me I sought of knew she’d probably won as she only had to improve on a low score so it was disappointing for me but full credit to Chelsea, she surfed great and her early wave in the final was the wave that won it for her.”

Today’s win was 26 year-old  Hedges first ASP victory since she won the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast in 2007. The following year she had the season off to have daughter Mieka, before returning last season and finishing the year in 7th position on the ASP World Tour Ratings.

The next event for both Hedges and Fitzgibbons will be at Bells Beach beginning March 30th.

Drug Aware Pro Results

Final:
1st Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 15.26 D Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.73

Semi-Finals:
Sally Fitzgibbons 18.43 D Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 15.66
Chelsea Hedges  14.37 D Tyler Wright  (AUS)12.43

Check the Full Results

1	Hedges,Chelsea	AUS
2	Fitzgibbons,Sally	AUS
3	Palmateer,Felicity	AUS
3	Wright,Tyler	AUS
5	Bulard,Cannelle	REU
5	Dupont,Justine	FRA
5	Hareb,Paige	NZL
5	Ho,Coco	HAW
9	Atherton,Nicola	AUS
9	Enever,Laura	AUS
9	Ado,Pauline	FRA
9	Blanchard,Alana	HAW
13	Macaulay,Laura	AUS
14	Arnaud,Alizee	FRA
14	Bevilacqua,Claire	AUS
14	Miley-Dyer,Jessi	AUS
14	Hosseini,Erica	USA
14	Naraisa,Suelen	BRA
19	Buitendag,Bianca	ZAF
19	Beardmore,Sarah	GBR
19	Defay,Joanne	FRA
19	Curren,Lee Ann	FRA
19	Hodge,Rosanne	ZAF
19	Hagiwara,Mizuki	JPN
25	Pellizzari,Ornella	ARG
26	Chudleigh,Tarryn	ZAF
27	Paul,Wini	NZL
28	Prumm,Freya	AUS
29	Stewart,Amy	AUS
30	Anderson,Phillipa	AUS
31	McGrath,Laurina	AUS
31	Sanchez,Amandine	FRA
31	Hamilton,Bethany	HAW
31	Donohoe,Amee	AUS
31	Mulanovich,Sofia	PER
31	Hashimoto,Sayuri	JPN
31	Conlogue,Courtney	USA
31	Erickson,Sage	USA
31	Silva,Jacqueline	BRA

Check the Full Ratings


Check the Highlights/Heats on Demand

Previous reports:
# 1 : 2010 Drug Aware Pro by Rusty readies for MASS festival
# 2 : Eight of the world's top ten surfers to hit Drug Aware Pro
# 3 : Mick Fanning to compete in Drug Aware Pro 6 Star WQS..
# 4 : Jake Paterson into main Drug Aware event after trials win
   
# 5 : Competitors finding focus on Day #1 of Drug Aware Pro   
# 6 : World Tour surfers flare and flail at the Drug Aware Pro 
# 7 : Taj and Sunny through Drug Aware Pro: Parko bows out 
# 8 : Taj, CJ, Bede in Drug Aware Pro 1/4s: Fanning drops out
# 9 : Josh Kerr takes out Taj, wins Drug Aware Pro by Rusty

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www.aspaustralasia.com

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