LAGIDE, Peniche/Portugal (Saturday, October 9, 2010) – Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour rookie, has claimed her second career victory today, taking out the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Portugal over reigning three-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP Women’s World No. 1, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, in offshore six-to-eight-foot (2.5 metre) waves at the backup venue of Lagide.
The young Hawaiian was the dominant surfer from the outset of the event, consistently notching up the highest heat and wave scores of the round, and continued her backhand decimation with an excellent 17.44 out of a possible 20 in the Final.
“I’m really excited – my breath is taken away at the moment,” Moore said. “I’ve just been trying to take it heat by heat and not think about it who I’m coming up against all event, and focusing on my surfing each heat. I didn’t have too much time to think about it between the Semis and Final. The waves were so good so we had a quick turnaround, but once I was out there and I was looking at Steph (Gilmore), I was thinking, ‘wow, I’m in the Final with Steph right now.’”
The prodigious natural-footer had no easy path to her Final with Gilmore this afternoon, having to advance past Australians Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, and Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), 27, in her Quarterfinals and Semifinals respectively.
“Sally (Fitzgibbons) and I have had great match-ups all year and she has been surfing so well all event so I definitely felt a bit of relief after getting through that Quarterfinal,” Moore said. “Not to discount Claire (Bevilacqua) or Steph (Gilmore), but that Quarterfinal win gave me a bit of confidence for sure.”
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