ROXY PRO GOLD COAST TO COMMENCE AT SNAPPER ROCKS

COOLANGATTA, Australia (Monday, Feb. 27, 2007): The first official heat of 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour competition will commence at 8am local time on the Gold Coast of Australia today, Monday, Feb 27, 2007.
Rounds 1 and 2 of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Samsung will run at Snapper Rocks in three to four foot (one metre) waves. Two girls will be eliminated from competition today – the very first day of their 2007 season.

“The girls are starting at 8am and will run through 12pm; it is the perfect tide for that time of day and we have three to four foot, perfect lines running through Snapper,” Contest Director Rod Brooks said.

Making their ASP Women’s World Tour debuts will be France’s Caroline Sarran, South Africa’s Roseanne Hodge and Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore. Back on tour after short hiatuses from the elite-tier competition will be Hawaiian Melanie Bartels and Australia Amee Donohoe.
Fourteen-year-old Carissa Moore (HAW) won yesterday’s Roxy Pro Trials to earn a wildcard into the main event. She will meet reigning ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS) and Jacqueline Silva (BRA) in Heat 3 of Round 1.

At noon, the Foster’s 45 will surf in an exhibition to trial a new competition format conceptualized by eight-time Foster’s ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA). In the format, two two-man heats are in the water at the same time with each heat surfing priority-free for the first half of the heat and with man-on-man priority in place for the second.

“At 12pm we will trial Kelly Slater’s new format,” Brooks said. “That format is four men in the water, surfing two separate heats, with priority for one surfer in each heat. We are trialing the format for the final event of the year at Pipeline where having four men in the water at once is mandatory.”

If the format is successful, it could also be adopted in situations where there is waning time in an event waiting period as it cuts the time it takes to run a contest in half.

ROUND 1 ROXY PRO GOLD COAST MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Silvana Lima (BRA), Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Heat 2: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Megan Abubo (HAW), Amee Donohoe (AUS)
Heat 3: Layne Beachley (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Carissa Moore (HAW)
Heat 4: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
Heat 5: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Rochelle Ballard (HAW), Caroline Sarran (FRA)
Heat 6: Rebecca Woods (AUS), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)