Surfing news

Reigning ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was in sensational form this morning, lighting up the punchy three foot (1 metre) surf at Duranbah Beach to claim a Round 1 victory in the Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by LG. photo Robertson Covered Images

It’s been a big week on the Gold Coast, the ASP Annual General Meeting and Board meeting is done and dusted, the ASP Banquet, where we crown the respective World Champions, went off successfully and the first shots have been fired in the 2008 Men’s & Women’s World Tours.

New Zealand’s Page Hareb (Taranaki) put a halt to ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons’s (Geroa, NSW) recent winning streak by defeating the Australian in a fiercely fought Final, to win the Billabong Pro Junior Series – Coffs Harbour today. photo ASP

The 2008 ASP World Tour roster has been eliciting excitement among the surfers and ASP enthusiasts alike since the new Top 45 were confirmed last December. In three short weeks, the world will take a front row seat to what many are expecting to be a mind-blowing season. photo ASP

ASP World Junior Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, NSW, AUS) proclaimed her arrival as Australia’s next biggest talent, taking out the 6-Star ASP World Qualifying Series Roxy Surf Festival, at Phillip Island, on Australia Day. photo ASP

Top seeded surfers showed they meant business at the Roxy Surf Festival at Phillip Island this morning, dominating in the solid one-metre waves, on offer at Woolamai Beach. photo ASP

Young Australian super star surfer Sally Fitzgibbons, fresh off her win at the ASP World Junior Championships in Sydney just two weeks ago, took out another major event on the ASP Australasian Pro Junior circuit by winning the Ozmosis Nova Pro Junior at Gunnamatta today. photo ASP

The start of the Roxy Surf Festival has been delayed for 24 hours with below par conditions on offer at Phillip Island, today.

French surfer Lee-Ann Curren achieved the biggest win of her professional surfing career by winning today’s Kustom Jetty Surf Pro Junior at Jan Juc beach in Victoria. photo ASP

ASP Australasian Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) may have been one of the smallest competitors in the Billabong World Junior Championships but her performances were by far the biggest; the diminutive was surfer crowned the 2007 ASP World Junior Champion, at Sydney’s North Narrabeen Beach today. photo ASP Robertson Covered Images

Steaphanie Gilmore (AUS) has claimed the 2007 Billabong Pro Maui after a showdown against fellow finalist and defending Billabong Pro Maui Champion Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) in two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Honolua Bay. photo ASP Kirsten Covered Images

Stephanie Gilmore tops the ASP Women's World Tour Rankings

After a brief pulse last night which saw some solid sets break through Honolua Bay, the swell has dropped once again, prompting event organizers to call the Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines off for the day.

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines is scheduled to kickoff competition today with the six-woman Trials hitting the two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Honolua Bay at 9:15am. photo ASP Covered Images

The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines has completed the first day of competition, and the three remaining surfers in contention for the ASP Women’s World Title set the pace with blistering forehand surfing in the two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Honolua Bay, Maui. ASP Towner Covered Images

Former ASP World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) tamed 8 to 10 foot (three metre) surf at Sunset Beach to win the Roxy Pro Hawaii today. Her victory has put her just 101 points behind ratings leader Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and put her well and truly in the race to win her second World Title heading into the final event on the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour in Maui next week. photo ASP Kristin Covered Images

The final seven heats of the Roxy Pro Hawaii, the second to last event on the ASP Women’s World Tour, will wrap up in excellent eight foot conditions at Sunset Beach this morning. The first Quarternfinal will hit the water at 8am. photo ASP Rowland Covered Images

Current ASP ratings leader Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) needed a second chance to show the world why shes No. 1 on Day 1 of the Roxy Pro Hawaii, but she did so in her Round 2 heat at Sunset Beach today.

Hawaiian surfer Megan Abubo has been a staple on the ASP Women’s World Tour for the last 11 years, but after a shaky start to the 2007 season, the 29-year-old appeared to be in jeopardy of losing her spot amongst the elite in 2008. photo ASP Towner Covered Images

Rounds 1 and 2 of the Roxy Pro Hawaii, the second to last event on the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour, will run in four to six foot (one to two metre) waves at Sunset Beach this morning. photo ASP Kirsten Covered Images

Yesterday’s completion of the women’s Reef Hawaiian Pro in Haleiwa, Hawaii, the 16th and final ASP Women’s World Qualifying Series (WQS) event of 2007, cemented the position of seven surfers on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour. photo ASP TOSTEE

After more than a decade of trying to win the first leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Haleiwa’s own Megan Abubo, 29, finally sampled the sweet taste of home-town victory today, winning the $30,000 REEF Hawaiian Pro in front of a hugely adoring local crowd. photo ASP Towner Covered Images

Top Australian surfer Mick Fanning has backed a bid by British surfers to overturn a British Airways ban on taking surfboards on its flights.

Rookie sensation and current ratings leader on the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), scored an incredible last-minute victory over reigning and seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS) to claim the inaugural Mancora Peru Classic. photo ASP Towner Covered Images

Former ASP Women’s World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS) led the Australian charge, advancing through her Round 2 heat before posting an emphatic win over Melanie Bartels (HAW) in Round 3. photo ASP Towner Covered Images

Event No. 6 of 8 on the 2007 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Mancora Peru Classic saw event organizers and competitors make the call to run this morning in clean one-to-three foot (0.5 metre) waves at the main point in Mancora. ASP Towner