ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP) INTERNATIONAL
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Event No. 1 on the Fosters ASP and ASP Womens World Tours
Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast, Australia
February 24 March 12, 2007
COOLANGATTA, Australia (Monday, Feb. 19, 2007) The 2007 Fosters ASP World Tour and ASP Womens World Tour will kick off at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros presented by Samsung next week.
In addition to a plethora of dynamic rookies, improved judging technology and an innovative nation versus nation team event, the Fosters Surf Showdown, will add to the anticipation of the Gold Coast event.
This seasons Fosters ASP World Tour will match last seasons record 14 new faces set to storm the top ranks.Ten of the new comers include complete rookies such as Australians Luke Munro, Kai Otton, Ben Dunn, Josh Kerr and Dayyan Neve, along with South Africans Ricky Basnett and Royden Bryson, Brazilian Leonardo Neves, American Gabe Kling and Frenchman Jeremy Flores.
In addition, returning veterans Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Bernado Miranda (BRA) and former ASP world tour runner-up Mick Campbell (AUS), are back in action after their various absences from the top-tier tour.
The ASP Womens World Tour will also feature some fresh faces this year. South African Rosanne Hodge, Frenchwoman Caroline Sarran and Australian Stephanie Gilmore will each make their ASP Womens World Tour debuts, with Hawaiian Melanie Bartels and Australian Amee Donohoe returning after a brief hiatus from the ASP World Tour stage.
This seasons rookies are really going to shake things up, ASP CEO Brodie Carr said. On the mens side, you have aerial freak Josh Kerr and the prodigious Jeremy Flores, and on the womens side, we have the giant slayer Stephanie Gilmore. Its going to be exciting to see how the old guard deals with the onslaught of new faces this year.
Following the 2007 ASP World Tour season opener at Snapper Rocks, the Fosters ASP World Tour will travel to the dream venues of Bells Beach, Australia; Teahupoo, Tahiti; Somewhere in Chile; Jeffreys Bay, South Africa; Lower Trestles, California; Hossegor, France; Mundaka, Spain; Imbituba, Brazil and Pipeline, Hawaii.
The ASP Womens World Tour will join the mens tour in Bells Beach before branching off and heading to Itacare, Brazil; Santander, Spain; Sydney, Australia; Sunset Beach, Hawaii and Maui, Hawaii.
Both the mens and womens tours will benefit from the addition of an instant replay system this season, increasing the precision of the already top-notch judging panel.
The instant replay system will further ensure that scoring and the delivery of scoring is as accurate and immediate as possible.
All the action kicks off on February 24, 2007 with the Fosters ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet.
A gala event where the worlds best swap wetsuits for lavish gowns and penguin suits and enjoy a night of revelry and honor, the 2007 Fosters ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet will take over the world famous Jupiters Casino on Australias Gold Coast Saturday night.
The evening will see the crowning of the 2006 Fosters ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA), and 2006 ASP Womens World Champion, Layne Beachley (AUS), as well as the ASP World Junior champions Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Nicola Atherton (AUS).
The waiting period for the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros begins February 27, 2007. Be sure to catch all the action at www.aspworldtour.com, www.quiksilver.com and www.roxy.com
For a full list of surfer profiles, season schedules, event profiles, news stories and much more, be sure to log on to the new and improved www.aspworldtour.com