2011 ASP Women’s World Tour: Billabong Rio Pro kicks off at Barra Da Tijuca - Part 1
The fifth of the seven stops of 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Tour, Billabong Rio Pro kicked off on Thursday, May 12 at the Barra Da Tijuca in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
The competition was scheduled to start on the May 11, but the unsuitable conditions compelled the event organisers to delay the contest until mother-nature became more cooperative. After reassessing the conditions on Thursday morning, it was decided to get
the Women’s contest underway in clean two-to-three foot waves.
The fifth stop of the ASP Women’s World Tour is a crucial point in the series as it plays a substantial role in determining the outcome of the season. With not too many events left, the coveted points on offer in Rio are more appealing than ever.
With the top female surfers in the world in attendance, the day promised to deliver the highest level of surfing action.
The first day of the event kicked off with the ASP top-18 women participating in round one of the competition. The round kicked off with the ASP rookie from Australia, Tyler Wright, facing her compatriot Claire Bevilacqua and America’s Courtney Conlogue.
Currently sitting in third place on the current ASP Women’s World Tour standings, Wright is having an excellent season so far. She continued to exhibit her excellent form. Getting off to a quick start by locking one of the smaller inner waves, she soon moved
herself in the lead by throwing a flurry of forehand turns to earn the highest single-wave score of the day, 8.77. Finishing with a two-wave score of 14.27 against Conlogue’s 10.17 and Bevilacqua’s disappointing 4.70, the 17-year-old secured her place in the
third round of the event.
“When they came through there were some fun ones out there but it’s pretty inconsistent,” Wright said. “The main thing for me was to get started quick and get the ball rolling and I’m glad I did because nothing came in for the last 12 minutes.”
The second heat of the day pitted Brazil’s Silvana Lima against the sole New Zealand participant in the current season of ASP Women’s World Tour, Paige Hareb along with Australia’s Australia’s Felicity Palmateer. Performing in front of the home crowd always
puts the athlete under pressure due to high expectations.
However, Lima managed to shake off the nerves and get down to business. Scoring 12.50 off her two waves against Hareb’s 11.50 and Palmateer’s 9.47, the 26-year-old took a commanding first round victory.
“I was nervous at first but I feel so much better right now,” Lima said. “The waves are small and clean and everything’s good because I’m in Brazil.”
The first two heats were just the beginning of the intense action that awaited the surfing fans at Rio on Thursday.
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