Australian Chelsea Williams, California's Lindsay Steinriede & Hawaii's Kelia Moniz Set the Pace at SWATCH Girls Pro China
Hosted by Wanning

The SWATCH Girls Pro China hosted by Wanning launched professional surfing in China today with the world's best female longboarders putting on a spectacular show at Riyuewan Bay, Hainan Island. The 3-4 foot (1.5 meter) waves were ideal for surfers to unleash their full bags of tricks, much to the delight of Chinese spectators, many of whom were watching the sport for the time.

"I heard that the surfing competition was on and I wanted to see what it was," said a local Chinese woman who lives here on the island and had never seen surfing before. "I think I would like to try surfing but I don't know how to swim. I have never been to the beach before."

Hainan Island is home to more than 7,000,000 Chinese, with an area of 13,500 square miles. It's year-round tropical climate and miles of white sandy coastline have earned it the moniker "China's Hawaii".

The SWATCH Girls Pro China is the second of two events on the ASP Women's World Longboard Tour and will decide the 2011 ASP Women's World Longboard Champion.

Above: Kassia Meador (USA) was among those who advanced today in great waves.
Photo: ASP/Hayden-Smith

Chelsea Williams (AUS) was the standout performer of the opening day, earning a near perfect 18.80 out of a possible 20. Williams looked right at home on the long left runners, carving and nose-riding bigger and longer than anyone else. Williams will now face Leah Dawson (USA) in the next round.

"I'm pretty surprised I won, I couldn't hear the announcers out in the water," Williams said. "I had no idea how I was going until I came into the shore and heard that I'd won. The wave is fun, it's a little soft left-hander. I love going left because it's my forehand and I don't get the chance to go left very often. China is really cool, it's tropical and not like we expected."

Lindsay Steinriede (Dana Point, CA, USA) showed why she's the number one seed, easily defeating Taiwanese trials winner Wen Ling Chou with the second highest score of the day - 14.85 points out of 20.

"I was a little nervous because I know the conditions can be tough out there," Steinriede said. "On my first wave I was definitely a little jittery, I'd been waiting a while and was excited to get out there. It's also a while between events and I have a full-time job so you have to switch competition mode off for a little bit, but it doesn't take long to turn it back on."

Hawaii's Kelia Moniz felt right at home in the tropical island environment. Moniz unfortunately had to eliminate fellow Hawaiian Megan Godinez in order to advance.

Continued good surf is expected tomorrow and will likely see competition run to completion, culminating in the crowning of both an ASP World Longboard Champion and a Swatch Girls Pro China Champion.

For more event info, photos, video highlights and your chance to win SWATCH Touch Event watches stay tuned to www.swatchgirlspro.com

For more information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

SWATCH Girls Pro China Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Kaitlin Maguire (USA) 9.25 def. Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) 7.45
Heat 2: Summer Romero (USA) 13.85 def. Roxy Towill (ZAF) 8.40
Heat 3: Miku Uemura (HAW) 13.00 def. Estitxu Estremo (ESP) 6.96
Heat 4: Ophelie Ah-Kouen (REU) 12.25 def. Isabele Braly (AUS) 11.60
Heat 5: Chelsea Williams (AUS) 18.80 def. Amy Trujillo (USA) 9.40
Heat 6: Leah Dawson (USA) 13.35 def. Candice O'Donnell (GBR) 5.85
Heat 7: Coline Menard (FRA) 9.50 def. Rosie Locke (AUS) 5.75
Heat 8: Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 14.85 def. Wen Ling Chou (TWN) 8.90
Heat 9: Jennifer Smith (USA) 10.75 def. Darci Lui (CHN) 3.75
Heat 10: Kelia Moniz (HAW) 14.10 def. Megan Godinez (HAW) 7.25
Heat 11: Melissa Combo (AUS) 10.15 def. Kelly Nicely (USA) 9.00
Heat 12: Yuko Shimajiri (JPN) 6.85 def. Cristiana Pires (USA) 6.70
Heat 13: Kassia Meador (USA) 9.60 def. Nicole Trickett (ZAF) 5.25
Heat 14: Chloe Calmon (BRA) 12.50 def. Geodee Clark (HAW) 8.00
Heat 15: Justine Dupont (FRA) 13.25 def. Hatsumi Ui (JPN) 8.00
Heat 16: Karina Abras (BRA) vs. Rachel Barry (USA)