New/old World Champ

Steph Gilmore has won another world title, winning the Roxy Pro in France last night.

The waves so bad early that I couldn't be bothered watching for more than a couple of minutes in the first round so can't tell you how she surfed or anything else.

The stupid thing is that it is July and the world champ has been picked and there is only one event left.

Taj wins

Taj has won the Quikie Pro in okay waves while Steph Gilmore won the Roxy

Taj snuck through in the final minute of his semi with Ace Buccan and then beat a consistently over scored Adriano DeSouza. Seems the ASP wants a Brazillian world champ ?

Lots of pros will be over for the Margaret River Masters before the next World Tour event at Bells at Easter.

Gilmore wins

Steph Gilmore got a little bit of revenge for losing the world title by beating Carissa Moore in the final of the Roxy Pro. This is Gilmore's best result this year.

J-Bay starts

First round heats have started at the Billabong Pro at J-Bay. The waves are small and the wind side/onshore and pretty inconsistent.

Taj has to surf in round two after not getting through his heat. At least he turned up which is more than can be said for Kelly Slater who decided to stay in Fiji and surf massive waves. He is expected to make round two but you never can be sure.

Coverage on the web, iPads, iPhones and FuelTV for those with Foxtel.

I'm finding it very hard to watch J-Bay, the Roxy Pro, the Tour de France and the footy all at once !!

New girls and epic battles

The Roxy Pro finished today with the new crop staking a claim in 2011. Steph Gilmore lost to new comer Laura Enever in the quarters as did stalwarts Slivana Lima and former world champ Chelsea Hedges. The only "rookie" to go down was Coco Ho to Sally Fitzgibbons. Sally (20 and in her 3rd season) didn't last another heat getting beaten by Carissa Moore. The final was between Moore and Owen Wright's more successful little sister Tyler with the American taking home the bacon.

The semi consisted of a 17, 18, 19 and 20 year old with a combined four years on tour. Wright and Enever are both in their first world tour events as proper members rather than wildcards. Changing of the guard ?

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.34
2 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.37

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 17.53 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 11.84
SF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 16.00 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.50

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.77 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 10.44
QF 2: Laura Enever (AUS) 15.67 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.50
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 19.20 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 14.50
QF 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 18.37 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 11.83


The Quiksilver Pro ran in some nice but flukey conditions. Both the non-elimination round four and round five ran. Round five had some super close heat and a classic between Taj Burrow and Adriano de Souza. The final combined heat score between the two of them was 38 out of 40 with both both holding two nines !!!! The only real name to fall out today was Parko in a close one to Jordy, who eats up drivey crumbling rights.

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.07, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.83, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.80
Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.53, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.14, Kelly Slater (USA) 11.06
Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA) 16.60, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.63, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.87
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 15.23, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.76, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.56

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.80 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.60
Heat 2: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.27 def. Michel Bouez (PYF) 12.94
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 19.06 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18.94
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.67 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.17

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Dusty Payne (HAW) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
QF 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
QF 3: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Round three over

Round three of the Men and four of the Women were run in good but changeable conditions today. It looks like the Roxy Pro will finish tomorrow and possibly the non-elimination round four for the blokes.

Taj, Parko and Slater just smashed it (look at the heats on demand especially for Slater's body surfing tube) and were another level up. However Julian Wilson and Jordy aren't far away. Mick Fanning was the big scalp in heat one

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Dusty Payne (HAW), Tiago Pires (PRT), Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Brett Simpson (USA), Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Taj Burrow (AUS)

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS)
QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Laura Enever (AUS)
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Coco Ho (HAW)
QF 4: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)

Girls then boys

Round four of the Roxy Pro is in the water to be followed by round three of the Quikie.

Round two for the men was run yesterday. The only real upset was Bede Durbidge going down in the first heat to wildcard groom Matt Banting. Banting get Slater in this round.

Taj has probably the hardest heat of the round against Julian Wilson. If the waves clean up this could be the best heat of the year.

For those with access to OneHD it should be on TV otherwise check out the webcast.

Roxy Pro

Finally some waves for Snapper as well. Not good enough for the blokes so the Roxy Pro and King of the Groms were sent out instead. Round two and the non elimination round three were run for the girls.

Nothing dramatic happened. WA's Clare Bevo, who made it into the event when someone pulled out, lost in round two as did Alana Blanchard, who is back on tour after failing to qualify last year.

The waves were ok but a bit slow and hard really open up on. The backwash on takeoff was killer and a few got smashed !!!!

Quikie and Roxy Pros start today

Round 1 of both the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros have run today in mixed conditions at Snapper Rocks.

Taj and Slater are through to round three in the non-elimination round. Taj hasn't lost a heat at Snapper for a while having won the last three events held there. Hopefully he will make it four.

Heats on demand and a webcast are on the Quikie Pro website.