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Roxy Pro France (May 22 - 30) www.roxy.com
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) www.aspworldtour.com 2004 Women's World Championship Tour (WCT)
Local Wildcard Eliminates World Ratings Leader
Friday, May 28, 2004 (Anglet, France): Local wildcard Caroline Sarran has caused a surprise upset by eliminating current world ratings leader Rochelle Ballard of Hawaii from the Roxy Pro France. Surfing before a home crowd in challenging six-foot (2m) waves La Madrague Beach today, Sarran pulled out all the stops on her last ride of the 30-minute encounter to out-point Ballard in the dying moments.
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Local wildcard Caroline Sarran caused a sensational upset when she eliminated current ASP WCT ratings leader
Rochelle Ballard (HAW) in the dying seconds of round 3. Sarran advanced to the quarterfinals where she will
face Keala Kennelly (Haw).
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Organizers of the fourth event on the women's World Championship Tour have waited patiently for ideal conditions and initially placed competition on hold this morning. A predicted west swell arrived right on cue, however, and continued to build steadily throughout the day. Round two heats were completed before moving directly into round three.
For Sarran and Ballard the clash was as much a contest against Mother Nature as it was against each other. Battling strong currents both surfers struggled to find decent scores. Ballard drew first blood with an average score of 5.25, but at the halfway mark Sarran clawed back with a 5.75 to take a slim lead.
As time ticked away Ballard found herself in an unenviable position - forced to surf a desperate last-ditch wave, only to turn around and see her young opponent on something better outside. Ballard's final two-wave total of 8.75 was just over one-point shy of a win.
Having finished in every WCT final so far this year, claiming an incredible three consecutive runner-up places at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Roxy Pro Fiji and the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Ballard was bitterly disappointed following her defeat.
"Sometimes that's just the way it goes," said Ballard. "It was just difficult, we were paddling the whole time looking for waves and I didn't even know what score I was looking for. I couldn't even hear anything that was going on because we were so far out. I would've loved to put up a hell of a lot better performance. I know I could've, should've, but didn't and that's just unfortunate. The waves just didn't allow it."
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'It was difficult out there', said South African Heather Clark of the conditions at La Madrague beach. 'If you
didn't have a game plan you were stuffed.' Clark's game plan obviously worked as she finally broke her spell of
equal ninths this year by advancing to the quarterfinals.
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Sarran meanwhile returned to the beach a minor hero, applauded up the sand by delighted friends and family. Competing in her third WCT and with wins over six-time world champion Layne Beachley (Manly, Aus) in the 2003 Roxy Pro Fiji plus a 9th place finish there again this year, the 19 year-old has already proved she can mix it with the best.
"I'm so happy to win in front of everybody. My friends and whole family are here and I can't ask for more than that," explained Sarran. "I haven't surfed big waves like this at La Madrague for a long time. I knew I had a five-point score then I heard Rochelle caught a wave at the end, but I couldn't tell what happened. I didn't see her the whole heat. I guess I was just lucky. I'm just really, really happy." Sarran has now drawn 2003 world #2 Keala Kennelly of Kauai, Hawaii in the quarterfinals, another big opportunity for the giant-killer with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
"Keala is good in big waves, but maybe tomorrow is smaller so it will give me a better chance to go into the semis. I watched her surf today and she had some good waves. I can't wait to get in a heat with her," says Sarran.
Kennelly advanced ahead of world #5 Samantha Cornish in another low-scoring heat today, but first had to overcome an unfortunate accident.
During an earlier practice session, the 25 year-old goofy-foot was struck by her surfboard when she came unstuck during a maneuver. One of her surfboard fins cut a deep slice in the cartilage of her left ear and the side of her face was covered with blood when she exited the water. She also suffered a minor cut and painful bruising to her left shoulder.
Kennelly received immediate medical attention from on-site doctors who used three stitches to close the cut in her ear and her shoulder was treated with ice. Following consultation with Cornish and event organizers an opportunity was also created for the postponement of her heat. Ultimately Kennelly decided to surf as planned and the result ended in her favor.
"My ear and shoulder were still painful when I surfed, but the doctors said I'm probably going to be in more pain tomorrow so that's why I decided to surf immediately," said Kennelly. "I still had some adrenaline going and my friends were pumping me up too, saying .You can do it, just go!' So I did."
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Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) who recently had back to back WCT wins in Tahiti and Fiji continued her fine form to
advance to the quarterfinals of the Roxy Jam. Mulanovich eliminated Hawaiian Megan Abubo in round 3.
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Defending Roxy Pro France champion Chelsea Georgeson (Avalon, Aus) secured the highest heat score of the day versus 2003 World Qualifying Series winner Melanie Bartels of Hawaii. The 21 year-old world #4 locked in a combined two-wave total of 17.25 out of a possible 20, which included a near-perfect 9.00 and an 8.25.
Georgeson, surfing strongly on her backhand, likened the waves to last year when she claimed her maiden WCT victory and her performance today signals an ominous warning to the other Roxy competitors.
"Against Mel I knew I had to do something good," explained Georgeson. "Sometimes she starts heats with a 9-point ride and other times she won't do too good and just give up. I think I was just lucky I managed to find some waves with an open face that enabled me to get some good scores."
Six-time world champion Layne Beachley was one of the few other surfers to post high scores today. In the final clash of round three versus 1993 world champion Pauline Menczer (Byron Bay, Aus), Beachley matched the day's highest individual wave score when she opened her account with a 9.00 caught from way outside La Madrague. She backed this up with a 4.25 to defeat Menczer convincingly.
"I sat watching all the heats before mine and saw some rights breaking down the beach and noticed no one was going anywhere near them," explained Australia's "Queen of the Waves". "So I sat out there and it paid off. I didn't go for a final maneuver on my second wave because I didn't want to get caught inside and that cost me. It taught me a lesson."
Beachley finished second to Georgeson in last year's Roxy Pro France and coming off a semi-final finish in Tahiti this month, is fired up to go one step further.
"I think the conditions really tested everyone today so it's difficult to determine who is in good form and who isn't because of the luck involved. That's part of the challenge so we'll see what happens," said Beachley.
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Kassia Meador (USA) hangs five.
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She will now face South African Heather Clark in the quarterfinals when competition is expected to resume tomorrow. Organizers will meet at 8am (local time) to assess conditions.
The Evian Longboard Expression Session final was also held today, won by the USA's Kassia Meador. The 22 year-old is known for her graceful style honed on the long rolling walls of Malibu, California, traditionally considered the .home' of longboarding in the USA.
Meador sealed victory ahead of French surfers Claire Karabatsos and Joly Emmanuelle with a delicate blend of quick nose rides and drop-knee turns to pocket EUR$1,500 (approx.USD$1,800). Karabatsos and Emmanuelle earned EUR$1,000 (approx. USD$1,200) and EUR$500 (approx. USD$600) for second and third respectively.
Daily releases and updates also available on www.roxy.com
Results Roxy Pro France Round two Heats (1st, 2nd>Rnd3, 3rd=17th) 180pts USD$2,250
Ht1: Heather Clark (ZAF) 9.90; Laurina McGrath (Aus) 8.65; Prue Jeffries (Aus) 8.50
Ht2: Samantha Cornish (Aus) 15.00; Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) 10.25; Melanie Redman-Carr (Aus) 8.70
Results Roxy Pro France Round three Heats (1st>Rnd4, 2nd=9th) 360pts USD$2,750
Ht1: Jacqueline Silva (Bra) 14.50 def. Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) 7.50
Ht2: Chelsea Georgeson (Aus) 17.25 def. Melanie Bartels (Haw) 8.50
Ht3: Keala Kennelly (Haw) 7.50 def. Samantha Cornish (Aus) 5.00
Ht4: Caroline Sarran (Fra) 10.00 def, Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 8.75
Ht5: Sofia Mulanovich (Per) 12.50 def. Megan Abubo (Haw) 10.40
Ht6: Trudy Todd (Aus) def. Maria Tita Tavares (Bra) 6.25
Ht7: Heather Clark (ZAF) 9.10 def. Laurina McGrath (Aus) 8.60
Ht8: Layne Beachley (Aus) 14.00 def. Pauline Menczer (Aus) 4.25
Upcoming Quarterfinal Heats (1st>semis, 2nd=5th) 552 pts, USD$3,000
QF1: Jacqueline Silva (Bra) v Chelsea Georgeson (Aus)
QF2: Keala Kennelly (Haw) v Caroline Sarran (Fra)
QF3: Sofia Mulanovich (Per) v Trudy Todd (Aus)
QF4: Heather Clark (ZAF) v Layne Beachley (Aus)
Further details:
JJ
On-site media liaison
jj@aspworldtour.com
Press contact:
Agence Olivia Payerne, Cathy Rourre
20, avenue Rapp 75007 Paris
Tél. 01 47 058 443v
Fax. 01 47 059 480
payerne@club-internet.fr
Jesse Faen
International Media Manager
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) jesse@aspworldtour.com
Mobile: +61-(0)-407-189-289
ASP Office: +61-(07) 5599-1550
www.aspworldtour.com
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