Courtesy of WSL – World Surf League
– Roxy Pro Kicks Off 2017 WSL CT with Powerful Performances
– Nikki Van Dijk Upsets World Champion Tyler Wright
– Snapper Standouts Fitzgibbons, Weston-Webb Advance to Round 3
– more information available AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM
Credit: © WSL / Sloane
| COOLANGATTA, Queensland/AUS (Wednesday, March 15, 2017) – The first women’s event of the 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, kicked off today in two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions at the world-famous Snapper Rocks located on the Gold Coast of Australia. The event witnessed fiery exchanges and intense action as the women set out to win their Round 1 exchanges, setting the tone for this event and the 2017 season.
Tyler Wright (AUS), reigning WSL Champion and defending event winner, was not able to advance out of Round 1 as compatriot Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) blazed through the heat with an incredible 15.16, the highest heat score of the day. Van Dijk opened up her season with excellent 8.83 and a solid 6.33 to take the win over Wright and Trials winner Alyssa Lock (AUS). Wright will face her first elimination heat of the season in Round 2. “My aim was to start off strong and to build on a solid base,” Van Dijk said. “The tide is getting really low, which is making it tricky, but the swell is supposed to be picking up over the next few days so I am excited to see what it will bring. I am focusing on myself, but it definitely feels good to beat the current World Champion. I am stoked to come out on top, and I am ready for Round 3.” Three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) dominated her Round 1 match-up against Coco Ho (HAW) and Laura Enever (AUS). Battling through difficult conditions, Moore posted an 11.10 combined score to take the win and advance to Round 3. Ho and Enever will surf again in elimination Round 2. “That definitely wasn’t the best heat of my life,” said Moore. “I was pretty nervous coming into that heat. The first heat of the year is always a stressful one so I’m glad to come out on top. It’s good to be back on the road. I am feeling super prepared after a lot of training in the off-season.” Courtney Conlogue (USA), 2016 Roxy Pro Gold Coast runner-up, launched her 2017 World Title campaign with a critical Round 1 win over Pauline Ado (FRA) and CT veteran Silvana Lima (BRA). The nail-biting heat saw Conlogue barely edge out returning CT competitors Ado and Lima, who rejoined the CT this season after earning Top 6 finishes on the WSL Qualifying Series rankings. “I’ve been here training for a month now so feel like I had a lot of knowledge of this wave to pull from,” Conlogue said. “It was a long offseason with a few adjustments in my routine and equipment. It was good to put those tweaks to the test in a heat situation. It was good heat and Silvana [Lima] put up a good fight as always, so I’m stoked to come away with the win.” The opening heat of the season saw Australian challenger Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) defeat Johanne Defay (FRA) and 2016 Rookie of the Year Keely Andrew (AUS). Despite her recent win at the Newcastle Surfest and a runner-up finish at the Australian Open of Surfing, Defay struggled to find a rhythm in her opening CT heat. Andrew looked set for the win until CT stalwart Fitzgibbons came from behind in the dying seconds to take the heat win. “It feels amazing to win my first heat back in 2017 especially in that way,” Fitzgibbons said. “It was pretty tricky out there so you have to make the most of you opportunities when they come. Over the offseason, I was really falling back in love with surfing a lot of places at home and reconnecting with those spots I’m so familiar with. This is my ninth season on the CT, but I’m feeling as fresh as ever and ready for a big 2017.” Although this is not Tatiana Weston-Webb’s (HAW) first competitive appearance for 2017, the goofy-footer was feeling the heat when she paddled out in Heat 2 of Round 1. Weston-Webb came up against 2017 WSL Rookie Bronte Macaulay (AUS) and Californian Sage Erickson (USA) in her opening match-up and looked unstoppable. Weston-Webb, who posted a 13.34 heat total, will advance to Round 3, while Macaulay and Erickson are sent to Round 2. “I’m feeling really good at the moment,” said Weston-Webb. “I feel like I am surfing the best I ever have. I started the year off with a couple of QS events and didn’t get the results I was after, but was really inspired by seeing Jesse [Mendes] win at Manly. The two of us seem to really draw inspiration from each other, which is awesome. We have actually been talking more about about heats and strategy, which is new for us but seems to be working.” Following the completion of Round 1 Heat 5, event organizers called competition off for the day due to deteriorating conditions and the onset of Blue Bottle Jellyfish in the lineup. Event organizers will reconvene at 7:00 a.m. local time tomorrow to reassess the conditions and make the next call. Surfline, official forecast for the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro, are calling for: The interaction between strengthening high pressure over the Tasman Sea and a trough east of the Gold Coast will set up a prolonged run of trade windswell/swell through at least the first half of the waiting period. Local winds looking good at times and we are expecting periods of favorable to even good conditions next few days. The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and the WSL’s Facebook page as well as Fox Sports in Australia, Sky NZ, SFR Sports in France, Sport TV in Portugal, EDGE Sports in China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil. Members of the press can apply for a media credential for the event by completing the online credential form via the WSL Press Room. For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com. Roxy Pro Gold Coast Round 1 Results: Roxy Pro Gold Coast Remaining Round 1 Match-Ups: Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Round 1 Match-Ups:
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| About the World Surf League The World Surf League (WSL), formerly the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a truly global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe. The WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, running global events across the Men’s and Women’s Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels. Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the free WSL app, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Mick Fanning, John John Florence, Stephanie Gilmore, Greg Long, Gabriel Medina, Carissa Moore, Makua Rothman, Kelly Slater, Adriano de Souza and more battle on the most unpredictable and dynamic field of play of any sport in the world. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com |