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The
ASP World Tour Season 2002
With
the sandbanks primed to perfection, all organizers need is
another cycle of Queensland cyclone swell to reproduce the
monumental wave action of the past weeks. Contest Director Tom
Carroll, the little general, has the experience of the past
weeks to draw from in selecting the daily venue, and what we do
know is that the Gold Coast point breaks bring out the absolute
best in the girls. While
most pre-tour publicity has highlighted the inevitable showdown
between reigning 4-times World Champion Layne Beachley and her
predecessor, fellow 4-times Champion Lisa Andersen, there is
much, much more to the Roxy than the "4x4 showdown". Defending
Event Champion Melanie Redman will again prove hard to handle,
Mel's 2001 World Runner-Up boosting her confidence going into
the tour opener. The Hawaiian's, Megan Abubo and Rochelle
Ballard, have awesome reputations in great surf. Who can forget
Rochelle's record-setting tube riding performances at Burleigh?
And youngsters Sam Cornish, a former Roxy Champion, and Chelsea
Georgeson will be chomping at the bit to have a crack at the
worlds best in their rookie season. But seasoned campaigners
Neridah Falconer, Pauline Menczer and the younger but no less
experienced Serena Brooke provide an indomitable barrier to the
young brigade taking line honors. The
women's tour then heads out into pacific paradise for the
running of the Roxy Jam, April 27 - May 4, and the Billabong
Pro, May 7 - 18. Tavarua
and its reef surrounds offer an idyllic location for the second
of the Roxy WCT's. This is a big budget event that attracts huge
media, and with the girls showing great outer reef form last
year, 2002 should see an epic event. A
good thing too, because in mid May the girls get to take on
prime time Teahupoo. We have witnessed the most awesome displays
of hell-woman assaults on Teahupoo over the past years, with
Keala Kennelly and Kate Skarratt leading the charge. The
Billabong is also pivotal in the title race, for example, if
Layne Beachley hadn't conquered her fears and triumphed at
Teahupoo in 2001, she would not be World Champion today. There
is quite a break between Tahiti and the second half of the tour,
commencing in Portugal in September, but the girls will busy
themselves chasing re-qualification points in Durban and
Huntington Beach, where vital 6-Star points are on offer. A run
of 5-Stars in Europe provides a perfect lead-up to the critical
European WCT leg. The
Figueira Pro runs Sept 17-24. The quaint Portuguese seaside
resort of Figueira da Foz regularly provides some of the
cleanest, most consistent waves on tour. The girls receive first
class star treatment from the event promoters, Joao Lagos, and
this Portuguese hospitality brings out the very best in women's
surfing. From
Sept 26-Oct 8 the girls will do battle in the 3rd of the Roxy
events, based on the Southwest Coast of France. Renowned for
classic conditions and brilliant Atlantic swells in the fall,
this event throws up a multi-pronged challenge, as the world's
best women surfers have to deal with daily mobility between the
classy beach breaks of Anglet and the roping barrels just to the
north at Capbreton. The
season finale is fittingly slated for Hawaii in the traditional
November-December window. With a 6-Star Roxy event at Haleiwa
and the season ending Billabong Pro set for Honolua Bay on Maui,
this leg represents the final thrust for both 2003 WCT
qualification and world title ascendancy. With
the talent pool deepening in women's surfing, with 18 surfers on
the 2002 WCT, there remains a fair amount of intrigue
surrounding this year's tour. Will it be a two horse race
between superstars Beachley and Andersen, will Serena, Megan or
Melanie Redman break through for a maiden title, or will the new
school put 'em all to the sword? The answers will begin
unfolding this coming week. 2002 Women WCT Events
Mar
18-24, Gold Coast, Roxy Pro Apr
27-May 4, Tavarua-Fiji Roxy Pro May
7-18, Teahupoo, Billabong Pro Sept
17-24, Figueira da Foz, Figueira Pro Sept
26-Oct 8, SW Coast France, Roxy Pro Oct-Nov,
Hawaii Billabong Pro [Source:
Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, ASPWorldTour.com] |
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