Valuable ASP Points for Baum at Pro Season Start

Sarah Baum started her 2013 pro surfing season with a meritorious fifth place finish after reaching the quarter-finals of the ASP Star rated Breaka Burleigh Pro Women’s, held in excellent 1.0 to 1.5 metre waves at Burleigh Heads in Australia on Saturday.

The in-form 19 year-old from Athlone Park, Durban, who ended 2012 ranked No. 17 on the ASP Women’s Star Series, progressed through three rounds of four and three-person heats before elimination by current ASP No. 6 Malia Manuel (HAW), in a one-on-one encounter in the quarters.

Baum collected US$1,100 and a valuable 1 560 points from the event, which was won by ASP No.2 and event top-seed Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), who narrowly defeated Courtney Conlogue (USA) – the ASP No. 5, in the final.

South Africa’s Rosanne Hodge (East London), who spent four seasons (2007-2010) competing on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT), the highest level of women’s surfing, finished equal 9th at Burleigh.

Bianca Buitendag (George), who starts her rookie year on the Women’s WCT on the Gold Coast in March, placed equal 19th and Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth) ended equal 55th in her first ASP event after a serious injury that sidelined her for the second half of last year.