SURFING'S ELITE GATHER DOWN UNDER TO KICK OFF 2007 WORLD TOURS

COOLANGATTA, Australia (Monday, Feb. 19, 2007) – The 2007 Foster’s ASP World Tour and ASP Women’s World Tour will kick off at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros presented by Samsung next week.

In addition to a plethora of dynamic rookies, improved judging technology and an innovative nation versus nation team event, the Foster’s Surf Showdown, will add to the anticipation of the Gold Coast event.

This season’s Foster’s ASP World Tour will match last season’s record 14 new faces set to storm the top ranks.

Foster’s ASP World Tour Rokies

Ten of the new comers include complete rookies such as Australians Luke Munro, Kai Otton, Ben Dunn, Josh Kerr and Dayyan Neve, along with South Africans Ricky Basnett and Royden Bryson, Brazilian Leonardo Neves, American Gabe Kling and Frenchman Jeremy Flores.
In addition, returning veterans Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Bernado Miranda (BRA) and former ASP world tour runner-up Mick Campbell (AUS), are back in action after their various absences from the top-tier tour.

The ASP Women’s World Tour will also feature some fresh faces this year. South African Rosanne Hodge, Frenchwoman Caroline Sarran and Australian Stephanie Gilmore will each make their ASP Women’s World Tour debuts, with Hawaiian Melanie Bartels and Australian Amee Donohoe returning after a brief hiatus from the ASP World Tour stage.

“This season’s rookies are really going to shake things up,” ASP CEO Brodie Carr said. “On the men’s side, you have aerial freak Josh Kerr and the prodigious Jeremy Flores, and on the women’s side, we have the giant slayer Stephanie Gilmore. It’s going to be exciting to see how the old guard deals with the onslaught of new faces this year.”

Foster’s ASP World Tour Schedule

Following the 2007 ASP World Tour season opener at Snapper Rocks, the Foster’s ASP World Tour will travel to the dream venues of Bells Beach, Australia; Teahupoo, Tahiti; ‘Somewhere’ in Chile; Jeffreys Bay, South Africa; Lower Trestles, California; Hossegor, France; Mundaka, Spain; Imbituba, Brazil and Pipeline, Hawaii.
The ASP Women’s World Tour will join the men’s tour in Bells Beach before branching off and heading to Itacare, Brazil; Santander, Spain; Sydney, Australia; Sunset Beach, Hawaii and Maui, Hawaii.
Both the men’s and women’s tours will benefit from the addition of an instant replay system this season, increasing the precision of the already top-notch judging panel.
The instant replay system will further ensure that scoring and the delivery of scoring is as accurate and immediate as possible.
All the action kicks off on February 24, 2007 with the Foster’s ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet.

Foster’s ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet

A gala event where the world’s best swap wetsuits for lavish gowns and penguin suits and enjoy a night of revelry and honor, the 2007 Foster’s ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet will take over the world famous Jupiter’s Casino on Australia’s Gold Coast Saturday night.
The evening will see the crowning of the 2006 Foster’s ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA), and 2006 ASP Women’s World Champion, Layne Beachley (AUS), as well as the ASP World Junior champions Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Nicola Atherton (AUS).