Top 5 female surfers of 2011 ASP Women’s World Tour – Part 1
The 2011 season of Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Tour may have ended, but the performances and thrilling battles that took place over the course of seven months will surely live on for a while. It is safe to assume that the women
surfers are no longer content with getting overshadowed by the men in the sport.
The amount of talent and skills exhibited over the last few months have indeed been impressive and made it quite clear that the female surfers are catching up to the male surfers.
Over the last few months, we have been treated to some of the most memorable performances by some of the best female surfers in the world. It would be injustice to start walking towards the next season without taking some time out to sit and admire the ladies
who made the 2011 season so unforgettable. Here are the top five surfers who deserve a standing applause for their exhilarating performances since the beginning of this year.
1. Carissa Moore
Even before her inception onto the elite ranks, the 18-year-old Hawaiian had begun to give the best females surfers in the sport a run for their money. In 2009, she entered an elite Tour event as a WildCard and walked away with victory. Participating in
her rookie season of Women’s World Tour, Moore finished in third, announcing herself as a formidable threat to the title in the coming years. It took her just one year to climb to the throne, becoming the youngest surfer to have attained the honour.
The 2011 ASP Women’s World Tour season had been somewhat of a dream tour for the Hawaiian prodigy. Since the very first event, she had asserted herself as the strongest contender for the title and kept on maintaining this status throughout the season.
The first stop on Women’s World Tour, Roxy Pro, saw Moore dominate the waves in Australia. Making her way confidently through the entire competition, she capped it off with a convincing victory over Australia’s young sensation Tyler Wright in the final.
The second stop on the Tour kept Moore in Australia for Rip Curl Women's Pro. Once again, the 18-year-old drilled through the initial rounds to gradually make her way into the finals. This time she was met by Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons, another surfer
who seemed to be in excellent form. The battle between the two turned out to be quite intense, but eventually it was Fitzgibbons who managed to emerge triumphant.
The third event of the season, Subaru Pro TSB Bank Women's Surf Festival in New Zealand, started off great for Moore once again. Once again, she mercilessly took down her opponents to earn her place in the Finals, where she was once again met by Fitzgibbons.
For the second time in a row, the Hawaiian succumbed to her Australian rival.
Stop number four, Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic, brought Moore back to Australia. The 18-year-old proved to be unstoppable in the initial rounds and kept the momentum going during the quarter-finals and semi-finals to eventually enter the final for
the fourth consecutive time. Facing Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich for the top honours, Moore showed off her A-game to seal the fate of the contest in her favour.
Moore kept her domination going at Billabong Rio Pro in Brazil to make yet another appearance in the final and clinch victory.
By now, Moore nearly had her hands on the 2011 ASP Women’s World Tour title, requiring a Top-3 finish at the sixth stop of the season, Roxy Pro, in France. As it turned out, she managed to make her way into the finals for the sixth time in a row. Despite
losing the final to Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore, Moore secured her first ASP Women’s World title, making history in the process.
The final event of the season, Nike US Open of Surfing, in America turned out to be the only competition this year where she was unable to find a place in the final, getting eliminated in the semi-final stage.
The 2011 season of ASP Women’s World Tour had been nothing short of perfect for the young prodigy from Hawaii. There had been a lot of hype surrounding her before the start of the season and she surely justified it.
To be continued in Part 2.
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