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Rip Curl Venus Festival WCT (June 4-12)
Live on www.aspworldtour.com & www.ripcurl.com/venusfestival
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
2005 Women's World Championship Tour (WCT)
RIP CURL VENUS FESTIVAL HITS HOSSEGOR
Saturday, June 4, 2005 (Hossegor, France): Hossegor Beach, a stretch of sand boasting a series of world class beach breaks in Southwest France, will host the world's best female surfers from June 4 to June 12, 2005. The Rip Curl Venus Festival Trials commenced this morning with the waiting period for the main event, the Rip Curl Venus Festival WCT, beginning on Monday, June 6th.
The sixth event of nine on the 2005 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) calendar, a good result in France is crucial for any surfer hoping to contend for this year's crown. Reigning world champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), who has won three of the previous four events, holds down a sizeable lead, but Chelsea Georgeson (AUS), who placed second in England last week and won the previous World Championship Tour (WCT) event in Tahiti, is still within striking distance.
"I've surfed Hossegor a bunch and it's one of my favorite places on tour to go to. It's got some of the best beach breaks in the world and I love surfing beachies," Georgeson, who is currently rated No. 2 in the world, said.
"I'm feeling pretty confident. I've got a really good board right now which I'm stoked on, so it's going to be a tough one again, but hopefully I can just keep on the roll I'm on and get a good result here."
Layne Beachley (AUS), Megan Abubo (HAW), and Melanie Redmann Carr, who sit 3rd, 4th and 5th on the ratings respectively, will also be eager to fare well in France. With just three events remaining after the Rip Curl Venus Festival WCT, not to mention a four month break until the next competition, the girls will want to capitalize on the opportunity to surf the world renowned breaks of La Nord and La Graviere.
The women's WCT event held in France last year took place in Anglet and was won by Mulanovich. Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, the change in venue doesn't seem to be a deterrent for the Peruvian.
"I'm feeling confident going into France. It's going to be a good event for sure and the wildcards are always strong here, so I just need to keep doing what I've been doing and just go out there and have fun," Mulanovich said. Mulanovich has clearly turned her campaign around since making an early exit courtesy of event wildcard Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) on the Gold Coast in the first event of the year. Gilmore went on to win the entire event and is a trialist here at the Rip Curl Venus Festival WCT.
The Rip Curl Venus Festival Trials took to the water at 8:30am local time. Sixteen hopefuls will vie for entry into the main event via a two-day, round-robin trails, held today and tomorrow. Only one wildcard will be awarded, but with former WCT surfers Julia Christian (USA) and Marie Pierre Abgrall (FRA) and previous 2005 WCT wildcard winners, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) and Gilmore among the contenders, it's likely the pre-event surfing will prove as competitive as the main event.
In addition to the trails and WCT event, female fashioned art exhibitions, all-girl music performances, free surf lessons and surfing demonstrations will also be offered to surf fans visiting Hossegor Beach this week. The Rip Curl Venus Festival WCT will be Webcast live on www.aspworldtour.com and www.ripcurl.com/venusfestival starting June 6th.
RIP CURL VENUS FESTIVAL TRIALS SURFERS
Marie Pierre Abgrall (France)
Charlotte Caton (France)
Claire Karabatsos (France)
Aurelie Magnen (France)
Caroline Sarran (France)
Marie Dejean (France)
Emmanuelle Joly (France)
Pauline Ado (France)
Lee Anne Curren (France)
Amandine Sanchez (Reunion Island)
Miriam Imaz (Spain)
Estitxu Estremo (Spain)
Adelina Taylor (Canary Islands)
Julia Christian (USA)
Stephanie Gilmore (Australia)
Jessi Miley-Dyer (Australia)
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