[i]26 January 2006
photo courtesy of www.aspworldtour.com
Australia Day was celebrated in true sporting fashion in the Roxy Womens Surf Festival, Phillip Island, with the three newly crowned Queens of womens surfing Chelsea Georgeson (Coolangatta, Qld), Steph Gilmore (Kingscliff, NSW) and Jessi Miley-Dyer (Bronte, NSW) all advancing to round four of the blue ribbon 5-star World Qualifying Series division held in excellent five foot (1.5-2m) surf at Woolamai Beach.[/i]Twenty two year old Georgeson flew the flag high for the green n gold in her first competitive outing since claiming the ASP Womens World Title in Hawaii last December, easily outpointing Nicola Atherton (Bronte, NSW), Kim Wooldridge (Wollongong, NSW) and Amandine Sanchez (France) with the highest combined two-wave heat score of the event thus far, 17.40 out of 20.
Georgeson looked completely at ease in the picture perfect conditions, stringing together move after move with effortless style following a seven week competitive hiatus, to dominate at the location she has won at twice previously (2003 & 2004).
It was my first heat of the year and I felt really good, explained Georgeson. To have such good waves on a special day with all the girls down here having fun is a kind of honour, you cant complain. Its exciting for everyone to be able to watch Jess and Steph too. Its a proud day to be an Aussie!
Georgeson, who says she is taking a relaxed approach to the Festival and using the event as a warm-up leading into next months World Championship Tournament, the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast, will next face world number 12 Serena Brooke (Gold Coast, Qld), Leilani Gryde (HAW) and Lauren McGregor (Gold Coast, Qld).
Miley-Dyers performance today was equally as formidable as Georgesons, at least on paper, with the recently crowned World Pro Junior Champion stamping a solid win, finishing nearly four points ahead of her nearest opponent, world rated no. 9 Samantha Cornish (Crescent Head, NSW) who progressed behind her in second.
An outgoing tide forced Miley-Dyer to change strategy midway through the 25 minute encounter when she found herself languishing behind Cornish and with New Zealands Lisa Hurunui and Frances Charlotte Caton nipping at her heels.
In the final moments Miley-Dyer snared a long lefthander and with a few flashy moves, locked in the highest scoring single wave of the heat, 7.17, to comfortably take the lead and walk away with the win.
It was really hard, Id watched Chelseas heat earlier and she got two big scores so I thought, unreal, the waves are out there, said Miley-Dyer. But then it changed a lot right as I paddled out and I didnt know where to sit. I didnt really feel like I knew what I was doing and I was lucky enough to get a left when I was out of position right at the end of the heat.
Gilmore, the current and two-time Quiksilver ISA World Junior Champion completed the winning trifecta for the Aussie world champions, handling her heat against the USAs Erica Housseini, Frances Pauline Ado and unseeded Gold Coast junior tear-away Airini Mason (NZ) with casual aplomb.
Gilmore thrilled Australia Day beach goers when she snared the highest individual wave score of the event when she went straight up one of the days larger set waves, and followed through with a series of strong, linked turns including a giant floater across the top of the inside breaking wave.
Gilmores was awarded a near-perfect 9.33 out of a possible 10, which helped her finish well clear of her opponents and advance ahead of Housseini to round four.
Also progressing through to round four today were 1993 World Champion Pauline Menczer (Byron Bay, NSW), defending Roxy Pro WQS champion and world no. 3 Melanie Redman-Carr (West Aust), world no. 4 Megan Abubo (Haw) and flashy Hawaiian Melanie Bartels.
Cornish has set the benchmark in the Evian Longest Tube Ride, scoring a seamless disappearing act midway through her heat against Miley-Dyer. The clean in-and-out tube ride puts Cornish in prime position to claim a bonus $500 awarded by Evian which is on offer to any surfer from any division over the six-day Festival.
Menczer and Miley-Dyer put their years of accumulated ocean knowledge to a higher purpose mid afternoon when they paddled out to lend assistance to four unsuspecting holiday makers who became caught in a rip.
Two young girls were forced to hold on to bodyboards paddled by their two male friends as all four were dragged seaward and unable to paddle against the outgoing tide. Menczer and Miley-Dyer paddled their own surfboards to the victims and assisted water security who used a jetski to return the four safely to shore.
The incident highlighted the importance of water and surf safety education, a key component of Roxys annual Surf Jam series which tours Australia and New Zealand where girls of all ages are taught about the thrills, and dangers, of surfing.
Following round three of the WQS division, the first round of the U/18 girls hit the water.
The large surf is expected to continue over coming days with surfing in all seven divisions to be completed by the weekend.
The Roxy womens surf Festival is proudly supported by Evian, the Victorian Government Play it Safe by the Water, Bass Coast Shire and Phillip Island Nature Park.