Rosy Opens Tour with Confidence

Rosy Hodge (ZAF) chats to one of the Roxy crew in the competitors area, during the ASP's opening 2008 event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in Coolangatta, Australia. ASP Kirstin (c) Covered Images

Rosy Hodge (ZAF) chats to one of the Roxy crew in the competitors area, during the ASP’s opening 2008 event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in Coolangatta, Australia. ASP Kirstin (c) Covered Images

Rosanne Hodge surfed well enough, but couldn’t make it past the ASP’s 2008 season’s opening event’s quarterfinals at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, which was won by Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich after the defeating Australian Samantha Cornish in clean three foot (1 metre) waves at Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta, Australia.

Hodge was eliminated from the event by Rebecca Woods (AUS) in the fifth heat of the day, South Africa’s sole representative finishing in equal ninth place overall. Woods waited patiently for the better waves to score a narrow 11.50 vs. 9.83 point victory.

The season opening event ran from Round 3 through the Final today with major upsets and inspiring performances enthralling the hundreds on the beach and thousands watching online.

Mulanovich, 2004 ASP Women’s World Champion and world runner-up last season, was in sensational form, netting the day’s highest heat total of a 17.34 out of a possible 20 to combo Cornish in the Final.

"The final started out kind of slow, but I got a good score midway and from then on, I started pushing my surfing out there," Mulanovich said. "My board felt really good out there and I when I caught that last wave, I knew that Sam (Cornish) was going to need a lot to catch me. So stoked."

The Peruvian had yet to procure a solid result at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in past seasons, but her victory today puts Mulanovich at the top of the ratings in the race for the 2008 ASP Women’s World Title.

"So stoked to finally get a good result here," Mulanovich said. "I love the wave at Snapper, but until today, I hadn’t been able to get a result.  It’s a long season and I am off to a good start, but there are still so many good girls out there.  Steph (Gilmore) and Layne (Beachley) and so many others.  Samantha today surfed so well and I know she’s hungry for a win."

Cornish, who finished No. 4 on the ASP Women’s World Tour last season, was in devastating form today netting solid scores in the three rounds leading up to the final. Although the young Australian’s conditioning held steady, the waves did not deliver for her in the Final.

"We’ve surfed four times today, but I didn’t feel too tired out there, I just couldn’t get the waves that linked through," Cornish said. "Congrats to Sofia (Mulanovich) though as she was ripping. I’m a bit bummed that I couldn’t see it all the way through today, but I’m still happy with my performance here."

The next stop on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach from Mar. 19-24, 2008.

Results of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Coolangatta, Australia: 
Final:
1 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 17.34
2 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 7.83
Semifinals: 1st advances to Final; 2nd finishes Equal 3rd
SF 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 16.90 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.53
SF 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.50 def. Amee Donohoe (AUS) 10.33
 
Quarterfinals: 1st advances to Semifinals; 2nd finishes Equal 5th
QF 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 15.60 def. Layne Beachley (AUS) 12.00
QF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 17.57 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 9.07
QF 3: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.16 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 7.10
QF 4: Amee Donohoe (AUS) 10.73 def. Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER) 10.33
 
Round 3: 1st advances to Quarterfinals; 2nd finishes Equal 9th 
Heat 1: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 14.50 def. Nicola Atherton (AUS) 8.30
Heat 2: Layne Beachley (AUS) 12.67 def. Serena Brooke (AUS) 11.66
Heat 3: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 14.40 def. Megan Abubo (HAW) 12.23
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.33, def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.50
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 15.50 def. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 12.16
Heat 6: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.50 def. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 9.83
Heat 7: Amee Donohoe (AUS) 14.90 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 10.80
Heat 8: Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER) 12.33 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 7.83
 
2008 ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings after the Roxy Pro Gold Coast:
1. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 1200 points
2. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 972 points
3. Amee Donohoe (AUS) 756 points
4. Layne Beachley (AUS) 552 points
4. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 552 points
4. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 552 points
4. Julia de la Rosa Toro (PER) 552 points
8. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 360 points
8. Silvana Lima (BRA) 360 points
8. Megan Abubo (HAW) 360 points
8. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 360 points
8. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 360 points
8. Serena Brooke (AUS) 360 points
8. Nicola Atherton (AUS) 360 points
8. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 360 points
16. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 180 points
16. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 180 points
16. Karina Petroni (USA) 180 points

 

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