Congratulations to Kazuma rider Melanie Bartels for advancing to the 3rd round of 2009 Billabong Honolua contest. Melanie was on fire throughout the day getting standup barrels at perfect honolua. Check the videos at http://www.billabongpro.com/maui09/videos-vid/139/round-2-heat2DEE WHY, New South Wales (Wednesday, September 30, 2009) – The opening day of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic saw current ASP World No. 5 Melanie Bartels (HAW), 27, and reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, lead the world’s best women’s surfers through Round 1 in two-to-three foot (1 metre) surf at Dee Why.
Bartels surfed impressively throughout her entire opening round heat, but found her two best waves in the back half of her bout to claim the highest heat total of the day, an impressive 15.25 out of 20, while capitalizing on a rare barrel, leaving fellow competitors Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), 22, and Amee Donohe (AUS), 28, needing a combination of scores to top the Hawaiian standout.
“I’d been eyeing that little barrel out there,” Bartels said. “I was just waiting and that wave came to me and I was able to find that little barrel which gave me the good score. It’s been such a long time between events that I forgot I was surfing in a contest out there. I just tried to get a wave and surf.”
The explosive Hawaiian veteran started her year off strong with a runner up finish at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast before suffering a 17th place finish at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. Bartels was elated to advance directly through to Round 3 at Dee Why and get the second half of her season off in the right direction.
“Bells is a very hard wave and it was really small when we surfed it, so it was tough for me,” Bartels said. “The waves out here are offshore and bigger than two-foot, so it’s perfect, I’m stoked.”
The Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic holds a waiting period from September 30 through October 5, 2009. Event officials will reconvene at Dee Why at 7am local time tomorrow to assess conditions for the potential start of Round 2 at 8am.
Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.45, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 9.15, Layne Beachley (AUS) 8.25
Heat 2: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 15.25, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 11.05, Amee Donohoe (AUS) 10.85
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.00, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.40, Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 12.05
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA) 8.60, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 8.60, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 4.70
Heat 5: Coco Ho (HAW) 10.65, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.35, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 10.25
Heat 6: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 9.55, Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.85, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 6.40
" Unlikely Matriarch" the story of Melanie Bartels. This is a must read for all Hawaii surfers.
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
The stage is set for the final of the Roxy Pro presented by LG Mobile, with the semi-finals of the ASP women’s world tour event being completed at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast this morning.
The grand final will pit two-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore vs. Hawaiian hotshot Melanie Bartels and is expected to hit the water at 11am (Qld time).
In semi-final one, Gilmore used her home court advantage to post a sensational win against 2009 debutant Paige Hareb. Gilmore netting a high scoring 9.33 ride at her local break to defeat Hareb 16.33 to 12.16.
Hareb's impressive result has seen the young rookie jump into the world no.3 spot after just one event on the 2009 ASP women's world tour.
The second semi was equally impressive, with world no.7 Bartels dusting fellow Hawaiian Coco Ho. Bartels starting off with a bang, posting a 9.17 and an 8.17 on her first two waves to seal victory and an all-important final berth.
The Roxy Pro presented by LG Mobile is only three heats away from crowning a champion, with another call to be made at 7am tomorrow.
Contest organisers reconvened at 9am today and a call was made to proceed with Round 2 of the men’s Quiksilver Pro at Duranbah. An afternoon swell increase allowed organizers to relocate to the main contest site of Snapper Rock to hold the remaining 8 heats of round two in point break waves.
When the ASP women's world tour action commences, two-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Coolangatta, Aus) will take on rampaging rookie Paige Hareb (New Zealand) in semi one, while world no.7 Melanie Bartels will face off with young gun Coco Ho in an all-Hawaiian semi two.
Read Melanies Quote after the man on man final:
In addition to the increased prize purse, the Beachley Classic also offers a 20% increase in ratings points compared with other events this season, making it all the more valuable for surfers looking to contest the 2008 ASP Women’s World Title, crack the Top 5 or requalify for next season’s Dream Tour.
Melanie Bartels (HAW), 26, current No. 6 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, is coming into Manly hot on the heels of her maiden Dream Tour victory as a member of the ASP Top 17 in Brazil last month, and the powerful Hawaiian’s confidence is through the roof despite her unfamiliarity with break.
“I feel good – I feel confident and I’m focused and ready to go!” Bartels said. “I don’t really know much about the break at Manly because it was pretty flat last year, but I’m sure it could get good so I’m just going to be ready for anything.”
After a slow start to the season, Bartels has since rebounded in stunning fashion and finds herself in contention for Top 5 positioning pending a result in Manly.
”Steph Gilmore is a major threat at the Beachley Classic because she’s won it two times in a row,” Bartels said. “Layne Beachley will be dangerous too because she’s really consistent and Sofia (Mulanovich) because she’s very focused and also Silvana (Lima) because she just kills it. I’m just going to go out and do my thing and surf it heat-by-heat.”
Bartels will face Silvana Lima (BRA), 23, and Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER), 26, in Round 1 when Beachley Classic competition commences.
Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 22, current No. 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour ratings, missed the opening event of the season due to injury, but has since racked up three 5th place finishes. The young goofy-footer will look to improve near home turf in Manly this week.
“I’m really happy with how I’ve gone this year,” Miley-Dyer said. “In previous years, I’ve had 9ths and this year, I’ve had straight fifths so I’m stoked with my consistency. Being injured made me realize how much I love competing and how much it sucks to be on the sidelines for ASP Women’s World tour events so I’m looking to improve on my 8th ranking right now and cement my place on tour for 2009 and to move into the Top 6.”
Having grown up in Sydney, Miley-Dyer is appreciative to have an event close to home and will look to use her years of experience at the break to her advantage.
”I love having an event in Sydney,” Miley-Dyer said. “I’m always going to be a Sydney girl and I love coming home to this city! It’s definitely special for me to be able to have my family at the event and I’ve been surfing at Manly since I was a grommet. Last year, this event was critical to my end rating after I made the Semis so I’m looking to do well again.”
Miley-Dyer squares off against Amee Donohoe (AUS), 27, and Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS), 33, in the opening heat of Round 1 when Beachley Classic competition kicks off.
Nicola Atherton (AUS), 22, 2008 Dream Tour rookie and current No. 14 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, hasn’t had the best start to her maiden year amongst the world’s elite, but hopes to remedy that with the increased ratings points purse at this week’s Beachley Classic.
“I think I’m close to last on the ratings,” Atherton said. “My results so far this year have been really average, but I need to forget about that and take the positive aspects from my heats so far on tour and put my experiences to good use. The Beachley Classic is worth more points, so if I could get a good result here, it would really improve my position.”
Atherton will do battle with former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion and event organizer Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, and Rebecca Woods (AUS), 24, in Round 1 of the Beachley Classic.
The Beachley Classic begins its waiting period tomorrow, Thursday, October 9, 2008 and runs through October 14th, 2008.
The event will be webcast LIVE via www.aspworldtour.com and www.swellnet.com.au/beachleyclassic08
PRESS OPPORTUNITY
When: 11AM Thursday, October 9th, 2008
Where: BEACHLEY CLASSIC MAIN CONTEST SITE
North Steyne Road,
Queenscliff, Sydney
SURFERS in ATTENDANCE
· Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) – Reigning ASP Women’s World Champion, current ratings leader on ASP Women’s World Tour, two-time defending Beachley Classic Champion
· Sofia Mulanovich (PER) – current ASP Women’s World No. 2, 2004 ASP Women’s World Champion
· Layne Beachley (AUS) – current ASP Women’s World No. 3 on ratings, 7x ASP Women’s World Champion, Event Licensee
BEACHLEY CLASSIC Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Amee Donohoe (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)
Heat 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Karina Petroni (USA)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), TBA
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Megan Abubo (HAW), Serena Brooke (AUS)
Heat 5: Layne Beachley (AUS), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Nicola Atherton (AUS)
Heat 6: Silvana Lima (BRA), Melanie Bartels (HAW), Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER)
Current ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 3516 points
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 3504 points
3 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 3036 points
4 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2628 points
5 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 2424 points
6 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 2112 points
7 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 2028 points
8 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 1836 points
9 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1824 points
10 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1632 points
11 – Megan Abubo (HAW) 1452 points
11 – Julia De La Rosa (PER) 1452 points
13 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 1440 points
14 – Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 1260 points
14 – Karina Petroni (USA) 1260 points
14 – Nicola Atherton (AUS) 1260 points
17 – Serena Brooke (AUS) 1080 points
18 - Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 912 points*
* First replacement on ASP Women’s World Tour
