Unlike most ASP Women's World Tour contests, the majority of which are standalone tournaments, the Roxy Pro Hawaii shares a contest window with a 6-star men's World Qualifying Series (WQS) event – the O'neill World Cup of Surfing. The men will take to the six foot (two metre) Sunset Beach surf this morning.
Both events are the second stop in a three part series known as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Once the women's competition does commence, The Roxy Pro Hawaii will kick off with a 12-girl trials event to nominate both the event wildcard and an injury replacement surfer for world No. 7, Silvana Lima (BRA). Lima has withdrawn from the Hawaiian leg of the tour after suffering a knee injury.
The surfers featured in the Roxy Pro Hawaii trials will include Carissa Moore (HAW), Rosie Hodge (ZAF), Jennifer Useldinger (USA), Jennifer Quam (HAW), Malia Manuel (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW), Leila Hearst (HAW), Coco Ho (HAW), Melanie Bartles (HAW), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tais Almeida (BRA) and Laurina McGrath (AUS).
Several of the trialists are already accustomed to surfing with the world's best. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), who has already won two ASP Women's World Tour events as a wildcard, cemented her spot on next year's elite tour with a No. 2 finish on the women's WQS which wrapped up last week in Haleiwa, Hawaii. Melanie Bartels, who surfed on the ASP Women's World Tour in 2004 and 2005, also requalified for 2007 and will be eager to get in some extra practice with a main event berth at Sunset. Laurina McGrath is also a previous elite tour surfer.
The top six surfers on the WQS join the top 10 finishers on the ASP Women's World Tour and one wildcard to make up next year's elite tour. Because three of the top six surfers who have qualified on the WQS are elite tour competitors also qualifying on the ASP Women's World Tour, it's possible that girls sitting as low as 9th place on the WQS may qualify by default. Roxy Pro trialist Rosie Hodge (ZAF) currently occupies that 9th place spot.
Logon to www.aspworldtour.com for updates.
Round One Roxy Pro Hawaii Match-ups: (1st and 2nd advance to Round Three; 3rd surfs Round Two)
Heat 1: Megan Abubo (HAW), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Trudy Todd
Heat 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
Heat 3: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS), Julia Christian (USA), Wildcard (TBD)
Heat 4: Layne Beachley (AUS), Rochelle Ballard (HAW), Wildcard (TBD)
Heat 5: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS), Heather Clark (ZAF), Serena Brooke (AUS)
Heat 6: Rebecca Woods (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Keala Kennelly (HAW)
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