The surfing season has wrapped-up for the top women pros for 2013 with Carissa Moore, 21, being crowned the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Champion. Now with the women’s division no longer a part of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing again for the 3rd year in a row, the big North Shore Hawaii events coming up in December, will once again be featuring the top male surfers only.
The last women’s event therefore was with the completion of the EDP Cascais Girls Pro in Portugal last weekend where Moore won and it was this season’s ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) close.
In a year that witnessed the world’s best female surfers compete at Snapper Rocks, Margaret River, Bells Beach, Taranaki, Barra da Tijuca, Huntington Beach, Hossegor and Cascais, 2013 not only hosted one of the closest battles ever seen for the world surfing crown, but also a fierce fight in terms of qualification and requalification for next year’s elite tour.
The 2014 ASP Top 17, the world’s best female surfers, will be comprised of the Top 10 finishers on the 2013 ASP Women’s WCT rankings, the top six finishers on the ASP Women’s World Tour rankings (barring surfers who have already qualified through the Top 10 on the ASP Women’s WCT rankings) and the ASP wildcard.
2013 ASP Women’s WCT Top 10: 1. Carissa Moore (HAW) 2. Tyler Wright (AUS) 3. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 4. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 5. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 6. Coco Ho (HAW) 7. Lakey Peterson (USA) 8. Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9. Pauline Ado (FRA) 10. Laura Enever (AUS)
2013 ASP Women’s World Tour Top 6 (barring double qualifiers): – Malia Manuel (HAW) – Dimity Stoyle (AUS) – Alessa Quizon (HAW) – Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) – Paige Hareb (NZL) – Joanne Defay (FRA) ASP Wildcard: – Alana Blanchard (HAW)
This year’s ASP Wildcard has been allocated to Alana Blanchard (HAW), 23, who finished Equal 10th on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour rankings. She will rejoin the elite ASP Top 17 in 2014.
The 2014 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) schedule will be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the ramp-up has started for the Swatch ASP Women’s World Longboard Championship to take place November 20-24, 2013 in Wanning, Hainan Island, China. This will be their third edition in Wanning, Hainan Island starting with interviews at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai on October 17, 2013.
Swatch Proteam surfers in attendance to help launch this year’s event and excite the Shanghai surf fans will be California’s Kassia Meador and China’s Darci Liu. “Coming to China on a surf trip is like nothing else, ” said Kassia. “With the sport so young and new here, it feels so fresh to come and spread the art of surfing to a brand new audience. Just two years ago nobody in the surf world knew what a beautiful tropical surf spot Riyue Bay in Wanning was. All of us competitors feel really blessed to come and be a part of this amazing event.”
“In two years I’ve seen surfing grow tremendously and appreciate what the Wanning Government and Swatch are doing to promote and encourage Chinese to learn more about surfing,” said Darci. “I’m really looking forward to having Swatch and the friends I’ve made at the event return this year to join us all in Wanning for the SWATCH GIRLS PRO CHINA 2013.”
Stay tuned for more to come from the Swatch Longboard Championships.
