| 
(Sunday,
28th January, 2007): Teenage sensation Stephanie Gilmore (Kingscliff, NSW, Aus),
took her surfing to new levels to win back to back Roxy Pro WQS titles at Phillip
Island today defeating fellow world ranked competitor Melanie Bartels (Oahu, Haw)
in a one sided affair. 
Summerland’s Beach, home of the world-famous Penguin
Parade, provided the perfect venue to finalise the six remaining divisions of
the Roxy Women’s Surf Festival. With winter-like conditions and gusty westerly
winds, the protected point-break turned on perfect 1 to 1.5 metre waves –
some of the best surf of the entire week. 
Eighteen year-old Gilmore timed her tournament run to perfection,
peaking on the final day, to be simply unbeatable. The super-stylish natural footer
had Bartels on the ropes just 10 minutes into the 30 minute decider, opening with
an excellent 8.33 and then quickly backing it up with a near-perfect 9.17 in the
right-handers. 
Gilmore further extended her lead with another 9.0 point ride
midway to leave Bartels with no come-back. “I’m
just so stoked,” said a grinning Gilmore on returning to the beach. “It’s
is such a great start to my year, I’ve managed to keep my Roxy ‘QS title,
get Mel back for her win over me at Sunset Beach last year and it’s my birthday
tomorrow. I couldn’t be happier.” 
“I guess I was a bit nervous earlier in the week but
it all came together at the right time for me today.” Bartels’
raw talent has never been doubt but until recently the competitive arena had proved
her undoing. The Hawaiian’s turn of form includes wins in her home waters
last December and now her excellent result at the Roxy Surf Festival. Gilmore
was just simply too good today, however, leaving Bartels requiring an impossible
18.18 on the final siren. 
“I got smashed,” said Bartels. “The waves were
good but I just couldn’t get it together against Steph. She is such a great
competitor and any heat you have against her you know you have to be totally on
your game. She is the surfer to beat. But this is a good start for me and a definite
confidence booster for the start of the year. I am believing in myself and my
surfing right now.” 
Gilmore commenced her assault with the demolition of world
no.2 Melanie Redman-Carr (Dunsborough, WA, AUS) in semi-final one. She also managed
the day’s only barrel ride for an 8.57 to finish with a heat total of 16.84.
Redman-Carr was left requiring two waves with a small heat total of 8.83 and was
eliminated in equal third. 
Former world no.2 Serena Brooke (Coolangatta, Qld, AUS) fell
victim to Bartels in semi-two finishing with a heat total of 8.57 to the Hawaiian’s
11.97. The equal 3rd result for Brooke is a great start to her come-back campaign
where she will rejoin the tour’s elite ranks after falling off the at the
end of last year. 
Defending Roxy Women’s Longboard division champion Chelsea
Williams cross-stepped and glided her way to the victory podium for the second
time in two years, the Gold Coast natural footer easily finding the longest scoring
waves today ahead of fellow Gold Coaster Selby Riddle (Coolangatta, Qld, AUS)
and Sunshine Coast duo Rosie Locke (Noosa, Qld, AUS) and Sharon Jackson (Alexandria
Headland, Qld, AUS). 
Williams’ total score of 14.50 was more than double that
of her nearest opponent in Riddle, but she hit the sand oblivious to her win,
missing the commentator’s announcement due to the wind and rain. 
“Holy cow! Are you sure I won? I thought I was coming
last?” she exclaimed. Williams’ win today
was crucial; it guarantees her seeding direct into the main event of the Roxy
ASP Women’s World Longboard Championships scheduled for Biarittz, France
mid year. 
Riddle was second today on 6.40 points, Locke finished third
on 5.77 points and Jackson fourth on 5.07 points, with all three minor place-getters
also eligible for the Biarritz tournament. An interference
penalty did little to dent Erica Hosseini’s impressive run to glory in the
all-international final of the Pro Junior division against French National Champion
Alize’ Arnaud (Capbreton, FRA). 
Thinking she held priority, Hosseini paddled hard for a wave,
unaware Arnaud had stood to her feet on the inside position. With scores of 6.67
and 6.0 points secured, the mistake cost Hosseini half of her highest scoring
ride, but it was still enough to defeat Arnaud who held a two-wave combined final
total of just 5.83pts. 
Relieved, Hosseini returned to the beach only to discover
the judges thought she had “flipped them off” with a raised middle finger,
a gesture which if dealt the full extent of ASP law would have cost her a fine
of AU$1,000. The incident was dismissed completely
when it was discovered she had simply raised her hands to request the previous
scores and ask how much time was remaining in the final. 
“I am sooo happy, I can’t believe I blatantly dropped
in (on Alize’) and I can’t believe I still won! I’m taking my prize
money to the casino tonight and putting it all on red!” joked the Californian.
The former Quiksilver ISA World Junior finalist (2005) rates
her win today as the most satisfying of her young career. En-route to today’s
final Hosseini accounted for the likes of Australasian Junior Champion Airini
Mason (NZ), World ISA Junior runner-up and Australian National Champion Sally
Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW, AUS) and inspiring Hawaiian performer Bethany Hamilton
(Kauai, HI). 
The resounding efforts continued with 15 year-old Laura Enever’s
scoring an emphatic victory in the Under-18 girls. Enever entered this year’s
event as the defending U/18 division champion and two days earlier claimed victory
in the U/16 girls. The natural footer admitted the
top spot in today’s U/18s could’ve gone to any of the other three finalists,
with her good mate and travelling companion Sally Fitzgibbons finishing second,
New Zealand’s Page Hareb third and Airini Mason also of New Zealand, fourth.
It’s not the first time these surfers have stood on the podium together.
“We were all in the Gromfest final together at Lennox
(Head, NSW) and we surf against each other all the time so it just depends on
who gets the best waves as to who is going to win,” said Enever. “It
makes it fun to have your friends out there, but we don’t give waves away.
We still hassle each other, but not too much.” Enever’s
best wave included four top-to-bottom re-entries, and a fancy recovery when she
slipped from her feet but still managed to hang on to her board and stand back
up. Ultimately, her quick reaction proved to be the difference, holding out Fitzgibbons
10.83pts to 9.36pts. Hareb was third on 6.00 points, and Mason fourth on 5.67
points. Enever’s outstanding form in the week-long
event saw her awarded with a bonus prize, a Samsung K5-MP3 player. Under
13 girls’ competitor Tyler Wright (Culburra, NSW, AUS) added yet another
trophy to the bulging Wright-family mantle. Younger sister of 15 year-old Kirby
and 17 year-old Quiksilver ISA World Junior Champion Owen, Tyler undeniably has
the competitive surfing gene pumping through her veins. Smart
tactics saw Wright choose Summerland’s outer-reef where she linked longer
waves to the beach to claim victory ahead of fellow pint-sized standout Sarah
Mason (NZ), local India Payne (Phillip Island, Vic) and Lauren McAleer (Curl Curl,
NSW, AUS) Tyler was a finalist at the Australian titles
at Ballina last December and attributes her win today to practise sessions she
had Phillip Island when she travelled south in the family van two years ago.
The annual Roxy Women’s Surfing Festival is Australia’s
biggest celebration of women’s surfing, bringing together a huge cross section
of participants contesting seven divisions. The
Roxy Women’s Surfing Festival is based at Woolamai Beach, Phillip Island,
but mobile for the best quality surf with a choice of nearly 20 quality breaks,
depending on conditions, with contestants ready to surf a variety of reef, point
and beach breaks. | 
