LOBITOS, Piura / Peru (Thursday, Jul, 26, 2012) - Thursday’s highlights were provided by the South American surfers at the ASP 6-Star Movistar Women’s Pro presented by Rip Curl and Petrolera Sapet. Waves in the 3-5 foot range (1-1.5 meters) and off shore winds were on hand at the lefthand pointbreak of Lobitos, in Piura, Peru. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) scored the highest wave of the event so far with a 9.8 (out of a possible 10 points) and qualified into the Round of 24 alongside fellow Peruvian, Anali Gomez.
?I’m so happy that two Peruvians qualified from my heat,? said Gomez, who won the ASP South America Title in 2010 and came Runner-Up in 2011. ?I was a little nervous in the beginning, but I tried to find a good rhythm against my competitors. Nicola (Atherton, AUS) was sticking close to me, but after Sofia caught her best wave (9.8), I felt confident enough to find two good waves which enabled me to qualify. Lobitos is an enchanting place and thank God I made it to the next Round with Sofia, which is so motivating to get a good result here.?
The 3,500 points going to the Event Winner at the Movistar Women’s Pro will be crucial in deciding the outcome of the ASP World Star Series. The top six ranked surfers will qualify for one of the 16 spots on the 2013 ASP Women’s Tour.
Jacqueline Silva (BRA) and Sofia Mulanovich (PER) both need good results in Lobitos to help maintain their elite status on the WCT next year. Jacqueline Silva scored a heat wave total of a 15.50 (out of a possible 20 points) to qualify into the Round of 24 along with Laura Macaulay (AUS) who scored an 11.90 on her two best rides.
?I feel like I started off well here in Lobitos,? said Jacqueline Silva. ?Actually, it was even better than I expected. It feels like it’s been a while since I had a good heat with a high score. The waves are really good and you just need a little patience to pick the best ones coming in. The swell picked up a little and conditions are really good. I’m concentrating on getting a good result because my last ones haven’t been that great. I’m going to give it my all to try and qualify for 2013 in the next few events.?
Three other surfers currently on the WCT that need good results at the ASP 6-Star Movistar Women’s Pro are Pauline Ado (FRA), Sage Erickson (USA) and Rebecca Woods (AUS). All three qualified into the Round of 24, guaranteeing at least 543 ranking points.
?I’m very happy to qualify into the next Round,? said Rebecca Woods. ?The waves are great here in Lobitos and I was really anxious to compete on these perfect lefts. We all know about the quality of the waves here in Peru and I’m excited that a Women’s Star Tour event is taking place in these conditions.?
On a sad note, Sofia Mulanovich rushed off the beach after the completion of her heat due to the shocking news of the passing away of a close friend. Maki Block, son of legendary Peruvian surfer, Piti Block, died surfing on Thursday morning in a big wave session at Peņasca beach, near his home.
Competition continues tomorrow (Friday) where Ornella Pellizzari (ARG), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Dimity Stoyle (AUS) and Anali Gomez (PER) will face off in Heat 1 of the Round of 28. A call is set for 9am (local time) and is broadcast live at: http://www.aspsouthamerica.com.br/
The 2012 ASP Movistar Women’s Pro is presented by Rip Curl and Petrolera Sapet and is brought to you by Nosotras, Sony, Powerade, Tasa, Alojamiento Peru Hosting, Barena, Star Peru, Burn, Ron Cartavio, San Jose Rent a Car, Tablas Wayo Whilar, Xtreme Fujita Japan, Cirujano Roberto Valdivia, Mapfre Seguros and Estructuras Aro.
ROUND OF 24 ? 3.a=13th place (U$ 800 and 650 points) / 4.a-19th place (U$ 700 and 543 points):
Heat 1: Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Ornella Pellizzari (ARG), Anali Gomez (PER), Dimity Stoyle (AUS) Heat 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Justine Dupont (FRA), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Laura Macaulay (AUS) Heat 3: Pauline Ado (FRA), Philippa Anderson (AUS), Felicity Palmateer (AUS), Lorene Chauvel (PER) Heat 4: Rebecca Woods (AUS), Sarah Baum (ZAF), Suelen Naraisa (BRA), Gabriela Leite (BRA) Heat 5: Paige Hareb (NZL), Alana Blanchard (HAW), Georgia Fish (AUS), Bianca Valenti (USA) Heat 6: Sage Erickson (USA), Alizee Arnaud (FRA), Freya Prumm (AUS), Barbara Segatto (BRA)
