“I was really concerned when Woods scored that 9-point ride early but I sort of told myself to relax and concentrate on getting a great wave. There were a lot of excellent waves coming through and I’d scored big prior to the final and realized I simply had to score a big one again,” said Carmichael afterward.

Carmichael responded to Woods’s ride with a 8.75 before backing it up with a 7.75. Woods needed a 7.5 but failed to find it in the final 10 minutes.
This was Carmichael’s first final and best-ever result in any ASP Pro Junior event. He took home $7,000 in prize money and Woods with $3000.

Billabong Pro Junior Asia 2010 Final Day Results:

Final:
1. Wade Carmichael (AUS/NSW/Central Coast) 16.50
2. James Woods (AUS/Qld/Coolangatta) 15.50

Semi 1: Wade Carmichael def. Blake Ainsworth
Semi 2: James Woods def. Thomas Woods

Quarter 1: Wade Carmichael def. Garrett Parkes
Quarter 2: Blake Ainsworth def. Ty Watson
Quarter 3: James Woods def. Ryan Callinan

Event No. 4 of 10 on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay was nothing but blaring Vuvuzelas and roars from the bluff as these two titans went tit-for-tat in an incredible Final exchange. The young South African proved the victor, dominating from the outset and securing an emotional first win.

“This is the best day of my life,” Smith said. “The crowd on the beach has been supporting me the last few days and hearing the cheers and the Vuvuzelas just gets me fired up to perform. It feels like they’re pushing me along. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

The most experienced surfer at Jeffreys Bay, Smith left very little to chance in the Final against Melling, opening his account with a blazing 8.90 before backing it up with some scintillating forehand surfing for a 9.03. The combination of scores (17.93 out of a possible 20) proved insurmountable for Melling.

“I knew the swell was dying and I had to take advantage of every wave that came through,” Smith said. “Adam (Melling) is such a dangerous surfer. He’s been in form all day and I knew that if he got the waves, he would get the scores. I went out there knowing I had to open up strong.”

After taking the ratings’ lead over former nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 38, yesterday, Smith solidified his position as the ASP World No. 1 with today’s emphatic victory.

“It definitely is a different feeling,” Smith said. “To be chasing the lead and defending the lead are two different things. It’s a long year ahead and you can’t count anyone out until it’s over. I’m going to enjoy this feeling for now.”

Smith’s Final’s berth almost never was, as the big South African was comboed by lethal Australian Bede Durbidge (AUS), 27, with four minutes remaining in their Semifinal clash. Catching two waves in under a minute, Smith unloaded a barrage of aerials and forehand blasts to claw his way back into the lead.

“I’m still not too sure what happened – it’s all a blur,” Smith said. “I got that first one where I did the little grab air that I didn’t think was good, but the judges scored the whole wave pretty well. Then I backed it up and put everything I had into it.”

Melling’s “Cinderella” climb to the Finals was nothing short of sensational. Rated a lowly 41st on the ASP World Title Race rankings heading into Jeffreys Bay, the 2010 ASP Dream Tour rookie powered his way through five rounds of competition before coming short in the Final. His Runner-Up finish sees him bumped up to ASP World No. 19, well inside the safety zone for the dreaded mid-year field reduction.

“The ocean didn’t cooperate with me in the Final so that’s a shame but I couldn’t be happier,” Melling said. “We had amazing waves and to get the best result of my career is huge. I came into Jeffreys with a long road ahead if I were to make the mid-year cut-off, and now that I’m 19th, I feel like I have a bit of a buffer heading into Tahiti. I worked really hard to get here and I want to stay here.”

Durbidge suffered one of the hardest losses of the event, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by a last-minute crusade by Smith. Despite the bitter loss, Durbidge’s Equal 3rd vaults him from 10th to 7th on the ASP World Title Race rankings heading into the fifth event of the year.

“I had him comboed with only four minutes to go,” Durbidge said. “He took off on that one-footer and pulled that ‘Superman’ air and finished off well, then came out and got another one. I think he got two waves in a minute or something. It’s a hard way to lose, but Semifinals is my best result of the year and it’s something to build on. The focus is on Tahiti now.”

Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, consistently wowed audiences with his performance from Round 1 onwards, collecting the event’s highest heat total in yesterday’s Round 4. Despite today’s Semifinal loss at the hands of Melling, the Western Australian moves up to ASP World No. 2 heading into Tahiti.

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available via www.billabongpro.com/jbay10Jeffreys Bay

In excellent, one-metre conditions, Friend outpointed youngster Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW), in a thrilling final which was decided by the smallest of margins.

In a seesawing final, Friend posted a combined two-wave heat total of 14.60 (out of a possible 20) to Banting’s 14.50 clinching the win by only 0.10 of a point.

One of 12 Mick Fanning hand picked wildcards, Friend was in blistering form throughout the entire with the elated Sunshine Coaster ecstatic with his historic win.

“I finished second in the Hurley Burleigh Pro Junior at the beginning on the year and missed out on $25,000 at that event, so this is definitely a nice reward,” said Friend.

“To surf in front of two-time world champion Mick Fanning was a massive thrill and competing against Australia’s best junior surfers always pushes you to want to do well,” he said.

Friend was one of only a handful of the country’s top junior surfers selected by Mick Fanning to compete in the event, which is a specialty, invitational competition.

For his efforts today, Friend walked away with a whopping $AUS 10,000 – one of the biggest cheques in professional junior surfing.

Meanwhile, Matt Banting once again solidified himself as a future surfing champion with the 16-year-old giving away up to four years age difference to some of his rivals.

Banting will undoubtably be making massive inroads into the Pro Junior series in years to come.

There was also plenty of action outside the surf, there live music from Brisbane indie sensation Yves Klein Blue sending the crowd abuzz.

Stoked to give something back to the groms, Mick Fanning will be attended the Finals to today to show his support and also check out who the next big name in surfing will be!

www.surfingqueensland.com

Event No. 5 on the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Movistar Peru Classic culminated in dramatic fashion today with some major upsets and stunning performances.

Lima wasted little time in the Final bout, assaulting the glassy righthanders with a barrage of hi-fi fin throws and searing carves, amassing the highest heat total of the event, a 16.50 out of a possible 20, to best her young Australian opponent.

“I feel great!” Lima exclaimed after exiting the water. “I knew I needed to put up high scores early on because Sally (Fitzgibbons) has been surfing so well all event. I have some really good boards and I fell like I have been surfing well. I’m so stoked right now!”

The win marks Lima’s third elite victory of her career and vaults the South American from 7th to 3rd on the ASP Women’s World Tour ranking.

“It’s the biggest result I have had since last year,” Lima said. “It’s really good for me. I feel like I have been surfing well this year but haven’t been making heats. This is very good for my confidence and the rest of the season. I wish we didn’t have such a big break though.”

Fitzgibbons continued her sizzling level of performance in Peru, logging in excellent wave scores in virtually every round of competition. Today’s result marks her third, consecutive Runner-Up finish this season, firmly cementing her place at ASP Women’s World No. 2.

“Another bridesmaid,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s a good result all the same and great for my rating, but I want to win one really bad. Silvana (Lima) was ripping though. I couldn’t really get into a good rhythm in that heat. I felt good all day, but she got the jump on me and I was never able to answer back. It’s all good though. We’ve had amazing support here in Peru and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, former ASP Women’s World Champion (2004) and 2009 Movistar Peru Classic winner, once again pulled out some late heat heroics to best Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26, in the Quarterfinals but was unable to overcome a rampaging Fitzgibbons in the Semifinals.

“It’s disappointing for sure,” Mulanovich said. “Sally (Fitzgibbons) was surfing really well and I could get the waves I needed. I started out with a strong heat, but got the best waves at the end. It’s another strong result, but I would have liked to make the Final.”

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP Women’s World No. 1, suffered a last-minute defeat at the hands of Lima in their Semifinal bout.

“It was an interesting event and we had challenging conditions throughout,” Gilmore said. “The past few days have been pretty fun on the lefts, but today it felt a bit between swells. It was too small for the left and still kind of big for the right. Equal 3rd is a good result but I felt like I have had a nervous energy about me all event. I hadn’t prepared enough on the righthander and that showed in my wave ion.”

Despite the somewhat uncharacteristic loss, Gilmore still retains a healthy lead in the hunt for her fourth consecutive ASP Women’s World Title, and will use the mid-season break to recharge before the end of the year.

“I’m going to go home and then on some surf trips to Indonesia,” Gilmore said. “I’m working on a film project with Ava Warbick and I’ll use the time to recharge before the US Open in July and then onto Portugal after that.”

The next stop on the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro Portugal from October 7 through 11, 2010.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com 

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC FINAL RESULT:
1 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 16.50
2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 10.77

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 11.77 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.00
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.60 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 11.56

The ASP Top 17 blitzed San Bartolo’s punchy three-to-four foot (1 metre) lefthanders today as Round 1 of the Movistar Peru Classic presented by IPD was completed.

Event No. 5 on the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Movistar Peru Classic enjoyed its first day of competition, with the world’s best female surfers annihilating the South American lefthander of San Bartolo.

Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26, former ASP Women’s World Champion (2005) and current ASP Women’s World No. 4, capped off the day’s festivities with the highest heat total of the day, a 16.43 out of a possible 20, for a rampaging forehand assault.

“I was considering the righthander before the heat started but I’m happy I surfed the left,” Hedges said. “Any chance to get to surf my forehand, I like to take advantage. The waves seemed to pulse for that heat there and Coco (Ho) is such a good surfer that it really pushed my surfing.”

With three Equal 3rds and an Equal 9th in her scorecard this season, the powerful goofy-footer is one of the few surfers who can make an assault on current ASP Women’s World No. 1 Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22.

“I definitely feel like my surfing has been solid this season,” Hedges said. “I made a strategic mistake in the last event that cost me the dearly. Trying to rebound from that and just push my surfing with each heat.”

Gilmore advanced into Round 3 behind former ASP Women’s World Tour campaigner Julia de la Rosa Toro (PER).

Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, 2009 ASP Women’s World Runner-Up and current ASP Women’s World No. 7, brought the South American flair this morning, posting a solid 13.90 out of a possible 20 to best Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Sage Erickson (USA), 19, in Round 1 of competition.

“The waves aren’t too bad,” Lima said. “There are some fun waves coming through and it’s much better than everyone thought it was going to be. As the tide gets higher and the swell s a little bit, I think it will only get better.”

While the young Brazilian has been a perennial threat at all venues since her elite inception, Lima has yet to make catch a fire in 2010, something she hopes to remedy in South America.

“I have had a consistent year but haven’t made a Final yet,” Lima said. “I feel like I am surfing well and I have good boards. Just have to stay focused and keep surfing.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, enjoyed the backing of hundreds of spectators on the beach today as the former ASP Women’s World Champion (2004) blasted her way to a Round 1 victory.

“It’s always an honor to surf at home in Peru,” Mulanovich said. “The support from my family and friends is always appreciated. The waves today were pretty fun. It’s not the best, but it’s clean and contestable. Hopefully the waves improve over the next few days.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, current ASP Women’s World No. 2, continued to perform strongly in Round 1 today, posting an impressive win over Amee Donohoe (AUS), 29, and Anali Gomez (PER).

“It always feels good to get through Round 1,” Fitzgibbons said. “I felt pretty good in the heat, but the waves were challenging. I’ve been in Peru for one or two weeks now and it’s been good preparation. I was working at the Red Bull camp and getting used to the waves and the water.”

Coming off two Runner-Up finishes in New Zealand and Sydney, the progressive natural-footer is keen to mount the winner’s dais and sees Peru as the ideal opportunity.

“Sitting in No. 2 on the rankings and in the ASP Women’s World Title hunt is a great place for me,” Fitzgibbons said. “It takes the pressure off and makes me hungry to better myself at the same time. I’ve had a few Runner-Ups and to walk away with a win in Peru would be amazing.”

Melanie Bartels (HAW), 28, current ASP Women’s World No. 4, opened the day’s affairs with an impressive display of backhand prowess amidst the morning’s challenging conditions.

“It’s really challenging out there,” Bartels said. “There’s a lot of water moving and it’s hit or miss with the waves. These aren’t the waves I’m used to � the water is cold and the lefts are lumpy � so I’m stoked to get through Round 1. I can relax a bit and focus on getting a good result in Peru.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8am to assess conditions for a possible 9am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be Bruna Schmitz (BRA), 20, Sage Erickson (AUS), 19, and Anali Gomez (PER) in the opening heat of Round 2.

Event updates will be available on the ASP Twitter and Facebook pages as well as live scores available at www.aspworldtour.com/2010/ziulscores.asp

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 11.50, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.50, Nikita Robb (ZAF) 9.50
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.90, Paige Hareb (NZL) 10.97, Sage Erickson (USA) 9.60
Heat 3: Julia de la Rosa (PER) 9.00, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.80, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 8.73
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.00, Amee Donohoe (AUS) 9.93, Anali Gomez (PER) 8.50
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.50, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 10.04, Valeria Sole (PER) 9.56
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 16.43, Coco Ho (HAW) 13.10, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 12.77

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Bruna Schmitz (BRA), Sage Erickson (USA), Anali Gomez (PER)
Heat 2: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Nikita Robb (ZAF), Valeria Sole (PER)

The swell remained a solid 4-5ft (1-1.5m) throughout the entire day with a strong onshore wind making conditions again tough for the girls and turning heats into another battle of physical fitness as well as surfing ability.

Gilmore stormed home claiming the Swatch Girls Pro title leading from the opening siren and finishing off with an 8.5 out of a possible 10 with only seconds remaining smashing the long rights on offer at low tide to seal the victory which never looked in doubt.

Scoring a 9.8 and an 8.5 for a two-wave combined total of 18.30 out of a possible 20 in her quarter-final Gilmore sent out a clear message that she was inform and gaining momentum with each performance. The reigning ASP Women’s World Junior Champion Laura Enever (AUS) came closest to causing an upset when she forced Gilmore to the wire in their semi-final however with less than 30-seconds to go Enever could only look on as her slim lead was shredded to pieces by the eventual Swatch Girls Pro winner.

“For the final I changed my whole stategy because we have been surfing the right down the beach but the tide ped out too much and I thought I would take that risk and paddle over to the other side of the beach. It was hard out there for the first half of the heat because I was a little lost but I managed to find a couple of waves.”

“It is good training and great to hang out with all the girls here,” continued Gilmore about her experiences at the Swatch Girls Pro 2010. “It is hard work these events because you have to surf more times and there are more girls in the water so it is difficult but it feels good to know that I can still cut it and compete at these events and I’m sure that all these girls are hungry to join the world tour soon.”

Gilmore had this to say about her Semifinal bout against Enever.

“The young girls coming through at the moment are really full on and I didn’t think I was going to make it through that heat against Laura but it came down to wave ion and it was definitely a tough event so it makes it all the more rewarding.”

“At most events I build up my pace through the event and try and hold off the best for the final,” continued Gilmore. “It can be hard to put on a good show when the conditions are so difficult but hopefully everyone enjoyed it and I know I did.” (laughs)

Coco Ho (HAW) 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour “rookie” of the year has finished off a great week finishing second in the Swatch Girls Pro adding to her runner-up place yesterday in the Swatch Girls Pro Junior to find some confidence leading into the remaining events of the year.

“It is great to come to France and make the podium for both the Pro Junior and the WQS and to surf the final against Stephanie Gilmore, the best surfer at the moment and to be part of all this here.”

“The conditions didn’t go my way to find a good scoring wave and hopefully for the other events left on the tour this will help my confidence to know I can make finals.”

Laura Enever (AUS) pushed Gilmore to the wire in Semi No. 1 as Evener held the lead until the final 30-seconds of their clash. Finishing equal 3rd and a finalist in the Swatch Girls Pro Junior the current ASP Women’s World Junior Champion has shown that her surfing is on par with the best in the world.

“I’m not really disappointed and I am happy with my overall result here which is my best WQS so far this year and there is nothing bad about losing to Stephanie even if she does beat you in the last 30 seconds of the heat and she is surfing amazingly as always.”

Enever on a tight travel plan and with airports starting to close once again looked on the bright side of her close defeat in the Semifinal.

“I’m really excited because I made the semi-final of the WQS and the final of the Pro Junior so I’m really happy with my results and even if I made the final I would miss my flight home so I guess everything works out for a reason and I’m stoked because it has been an amazing week and I’ve had a lot of fun and I can’t wait to come back next year.”

“There was a lot of paddling out there and I kept paddling but she only needed a small score so I knew she was going to get it as soon as she stood up.”

Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) finished equal third surfing with a knee injury suffered in one of her heats yesterday and was forced to pull out all the stops in her semi-final against Ho failing to regain the lead after having a strong opening ride.

“I needed a 5 point ride and it wasn’t a hard score to get but it is tricky score to get out there when the waves are like they are today and I got a little lost at the start of the heat so if I had not done that I think things would have been a lot more beneficial for me but Coco has been surfing good all week so well done to her.”

Miley-Dyer goes away with a huge confidence boost after overcoming current ASP ranked No. 2 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in their close scoring Quarterfinal clash. Coming from behind to gain the lead and hold on during the final minutes Miley-Dyer caps off an excellent European leg.

“That was a really good heat for me against Sally because I had one score and for me coming into the rest of the year to have beaten Sally and she has done so well this year and it is a really good confidence boost for me to have gotten that result and remember how I used to get through heats and win events so this Europe leg has been very good for me.”

The Swatch Girls Pro Junior an ASP Grade-2 event was run in conjunction with the Swatch Girls Pro bringing together a fantastic blend of both European and overseas talent for this second event on the ASP European Women’s Pro Junior Series.

Sarah’s third wave in the final was an outstanding and decisive 9 point ride with final scores of Sarah Mason on 16 to Airini Mason on 11.25.

Today’s result sees the talented sisters, Sarah 15 and Airini 20 years of age, now comprehensively leading the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series ratings with Sarah first and Airini in second.

“So stoked to win today,” said Sarah Mason.

“It’s always good to come back home and compete where I started my surfing life and the waves throughout this event have been really good.”

“Surfing against my sister in the final was a little hard, but who ever won it was a good result for the both of us and it feels great right now.”

“I’m excited to lead to the ratings and with only three events remaining this season I’m going to really do my best and try and win the ratings.”

Sarah has been on a roll over the past month with outstanding results coming in her country of birth firstly by winning the TSB Bank Pro Junior in Taranaki followed by her huge round three win at the ASP World Tour event where she defeated current World Champion Stephanie Gilmore and today’s victory caps off an incredible run.

“It’s all happened fast and I guess it gives me a lot of confidence.”

“I began this season simply aiming to get experience on the Pro Junior circuit for the coming seasons but I’ve changed my goals now � Winning the series and qualifying for the ASP World Junior Title Series in Bali and Sydney are my focus now.”

The top two rated surfers on the Australasian Pro Junior Series will qualify for the ASP World Junior Title Series which is made up of two events that run in Bali in October and Sydney next January to determine an ultimate ASP World Junior Champion.

Right now Sarah and Airini hold those first and second positions on the ratings and both will be keen to take a unique sister qualification.

Pro Junior Men’s round of 16 also ran in excellent conditions today as winds abated and high scores were posted across all heats.

New Zealand surfers again stood out with Mount Mauganui’s Alex Dive revelling in familiar waters by taking a powerful heat win over Sam Wrench (AUS) who also progressed to the quarter finals in second place.

“The waves are amazing this morning,” said 18 year old Dive.

“The wind is really lining conditions up so you can score big out there and that was a great heat win for me.”

“Making the quarterfinals is already the best I have ever done in an Australasian Pro Junior event and I feel confident I can go further here, especially if the waves are good again tomorrow.”

Dive scored an excellent 8.75 out of a possible 10 in his heat win today excelling in the conditions and along with Davey Cathels (AUS), Sean Peggs (NZ), Ty Watson (AUS) and Ryan Callinan (AUS).

Tomorrow’s quarterfinals will at Manu Bay around 8:00am with the final expected to run around 11:30am with conditions again expected to be excellent.

Monster wave of the day went to Sarah Mason’s 9 point ride in the final!

The third stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina culminated in dramatic fashion today with the rookie claiming his inaugural victory in front of a capacity crowd at Praia da Vila.

“What do I say?” Andre said. “This is my dream. This is everything I have worked for in my life. To be on the beach and hear that I was the winner, something special came over me. I don’t know how to put into words. It’s a miracle. I have had some bad things happen in my life, but this is amazing. I am so thankful to everyone for this.”

The young Brazilian was a standout in every round of competition, blending full-rail carves with effortless air reverses, and dominated the challenging Final conditions to best Slater. The win vaults Andre from 13th to 4th on the elite ASP World Tour rankings and puts him in excellent position heading into the close of the first half of the season.

“It’s very important in terms of my ranking,” Andre said. “Not only to help make the Top 32 cut-off, but also to help my seeding at J-Bay and Teahupoo. I know Kelly (Slater) can get a score whenever he wants so I tried my best to get scores early and keep the pressure on.”

Andre becomes the first rookie to win an ASP World Tour event since Bobby Martinez (USA), 27, in 2006, and the first South American since compatriot Adriano de Souza (BRA), 23, last year in Spain.

“Adriano (de Souza) has been my hero for a long time,” Andre said. “All the pressure has been on him these past years and I have learned from him. He is an inspiration and has helped me so much this year. It feels amazing to represent my home country and win here for Brazil.”
BILLABONG SANTA CATARINA PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.40
2 – Kelly Slater (USA) 14.00

BILLABONG SANTA CATARINA PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Jadson Andre (BRA) 17.70 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 16.67
SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.50 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.56

BILLABONG SANTA CATARINA PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Jadson Andre (BRA) 15.50 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.27
QF 2: Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.27 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.17
QF 3: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.34 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 12.43
QF 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.43 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.87
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina will be available via www.aspworldtour.com/santacatarina

The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay from July 15 ? 25, 2010.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

In a thrilling climax to event no.4 of the 2010 ASP Women?s World Tour, Gilmore came from behind to win, showing experience and patience in building 4-6ft (1.5-metre waves) at the host venue of Dee Why.

Following four consecutive lay days, the world-class Dee Why point break delivered the ultimate finale, churning out high-scoring, quality waves and a massive 2000-plus crowd for the world?s top female surfers.

Gilmore has now won three of the four events she has contested this year after taking victory on the Gold Coast in early March before winning at Bells Beach in the same month.

?It?s incredible how good this feels,? said Gilmore. ?Competing in Australia is one of my favourite things to do. I feel comfortable in these waters and have won this event a few times. I guess I?m on a roll and I?m feeling good.?

Queen Gilmore made a perfect start to the 35-minute decider, showing plenty of speed, power and flow to net a 7.00 before Fitzgibbons hit back to take the lead for the majority of the final.
Fitzgibbon’s second-placing shores up her position on the tour, now sitting just behind Gilmore in the rankings.

The former world junior champion earned her spot in the final with a thrilling win against 2004 world champion Sofia Mulanovich.

Needing a score of 5.2 with eight seconds to go, Fitzgibbons picked up a wave and rode it impressively to the shore and was awarded seven points for her efforts.

The win was Gilmore’s 15th world tour victory and her first Beachley Classic titles since 2007.

COMMONWEALTH BANK BEACHLEY CLASSIC FINAL RESULTS:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.20 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.40

COMMONWEALTH BANK BEACHLEY CLASSIC SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.33 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 9.14
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.97 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.16