ASP Australia - Melanie Bartel takes second place

SNAPPER ROCKS, Australia (Sunday, March 8, 2009) –

Great start from our team rider Melani Bartel who is now second in the ASP ranking.
Melanie's board is a eps parabolic epoxy 5"10 x 18 x 2.215, squah tail milkman. Melanie got her boards just before the contest, what a magic result.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion, has won the Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by LG Mobile, defeating Melanie Bartels (HAW, Kazuma), 26, in the Final to claim the inaugural event on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour.

Gilmore wasted no time in the Final, securing the day’s high single-wave score of a 9.57 out of a possible 10 on her opening wave for a fluid series of fin releases and power carves.

“It’s a new start for me,” Gilmore said. “To win on your home turf, in front of all these people, it’s unbelievable.”

Bartels struggled to secure a scoring wave in the first half of the Final, only able to a post 7.50 out of a possible 10 with under five minutes to go.

"I am ecstatic right now,” Bartels said.

“Surfing against Steph (Gilmore) in a heat is always a challenge for me. I know how good she is.

I knew I needed to put up big scores, but no waves came through. She surfed unreal and I am just glad that I got to surf Snapper with one other person out."

Despite the disappointing showing in Final, Bartels’ runner-up finish sees the Hawaiian rocket up the ratings from ASP World No. 7 to No. 2 heading into the rest of the season.

"To get a good result at the beginning of the year gives momentum to go into the next event and feel a little bit more confident and relaxed,” Bartels said. “I’ll just work on my surfing and see what mistakes I have done in this contest and just hope for the better in the next and try not to make the same mistakes."

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.07
2 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 12.50

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.33 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 12.16
SF 2: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 17.34 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 13.27

CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR RATINGS:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 1200
2 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 972
3 – Paige Hareb (NZL) 756
3 – Coco Ho (HAW) 756
5 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 552
5 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 552
5 – Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 552
5 – Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 552
9 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 360
9 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 360
9 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 360
9 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 360
9 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 360
9 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 360
9 – Alana Blanchard (HAW) 360
9 – Megan Abubo (HAW) 360
17 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 180
18 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 0