Gilmore and Slater win in Hawaii

Both Stephanie Gilmore and Kelly Slater have finished the 2008 ASP World Tours with big wins in Hawaii.


Having just been crowned ASP Women's World Champion for the second time, Steph Gilmore stormed to victory in the Billabong Pro Maui, defeating Melanie Bartels (HAW), to claim her second consecutive win in the event at Ho'okipa Beach Park and earning her first Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (an ASP Specialty Series) Title.

Nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) took the big one at Oahu, Hawaii, the prestigious Billabong Pipeline Masters. The victory is Slater's sixth of the 11 event tour, in a season that saw him top the World rankings for a record ninth time.

Slater Still Waiting

Kelly Slater (USA) is still waiting to clinch a historic ninth ASP World Title. He had it in his sights but Adrian Buchan (AUS) pipped him 15.73 to 15.16, to take the Quiksilver Pro France, in a tight final held at Les Bourdaines.

Kelly now has to move across the border to Mundaka in the Basque Country of Spain, for the ninth stop of the ASP World Tour, where appropriately, if he finishes ninth or better, he will be declared world champion for the ninth time.

Nine is considered a good number in Chinese culture and is the most exalted number because it sounds the same as the Chinese word for "longlasting". Coincidence?

Slater Heading to Ninth World Title

Kelly Slater (USA) is only one event win away from a record ninth ASP World Title.
He beat Taj Burrow (AUS) 18.97 to 18.63, to claim his third Boost Mobile Pro title at Lower Trestles, California, despite Burrow having scored a 9.00 and 9.63 before the halfway mark in the final and thinking that he had the match sewn up. Slater however is a master at stealing a win right at the end and when Taj passed up on an unpromising wave with less than two minutes to go, Kelly did what he does best.

The next stop on the 2008 ASP World Tour begins on September 19, in Hossegor, France.

Hawaiians Win in Indonesian Surf

The 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search, Indonesia, has ended with an epic barrel shootout between two Hawaiian friends, Fredrick Patacchia and Bruce Irons, who claimed his first Dream Tour win. Bruce plans to retire from the Dream Tour at the end of this season, though he still intends competing at Pipeline and Teahupoo, plus any other venues that he can get into.

Kelly Slater (USA) maintains a healthy lead on this year's ASP World Title race as they head to the next stop on the tour, which will be the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley at Lower Trestles, California from September 7-13, 2008. However, he is the only American in the top 5; Australians Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge, Taj Burrow and Mick Fanning occupying positions 2 to 5.

Taylor Knox Rides Supertubes

ASP World Tour veteran, Taylor Knox (USA) stole the show in perfect four to six foot (one to two metre) waves on day one of the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. There was no shortage of standout surfing but Taylor posted near perfect 9.90 and a 9.80 wave scores to give him an amazing combined heat total of 19.70 out of 20.00 points. He figures that is his highest combined score in a 15 year career and what's more, he had a further 9.00 in his scoreline to spare.

Kelly Slater has really shined in the 2008 tour. Having claimed three of the first four events, he is well and truly poised to campaign for a ninth ASP World Title and is looking to increase his world title lead by winning again at Jeffreys Bay, a record fourth time.

The event has a scheduled waiting period running through July 20, 2008 but it is expected that conditions will be good for round 2 playoffs to carry on tomorrow.

Kelly Slater wins in Fiji

Eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) has won his third event on the 2008 ASP World Tour after eliminating C.J. Hobgood in the final of the Globe Pro Fiji held in six foot (two metre) waves at Cloudbreak. Slater remains the only member of the ASP Top 45 to win an event in this year's tour and the win places him in a commanding position at the top of the world rankings.

Globe Pro Fiji

Current ASP World Tour No. 1 Kelly Slater (USA) met local wildcard Isei Tokoea (FIJ), when competition for the Globe Pro Fiji began at Restaurants today but unlike last week's event at Teahupoo, Tahiti, when wildcards ruled and Brazilian wildcard Bruno Santos eventually defeated local wildcard Manoa Drollet (PYF) to win the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Kelly Slater surfed a near perfect heat scoring 19.73 out of 20.00 points.

The competition, event 4 on the 2008 ASP tour, began in perfect six-foot (two metre) waves at Restaurants and saw Joel Parkinson (AUS), World No. 2 behind Slater, Bede Durbidge (AUS), Andy Irons (HAW) and Mick Fanning (AUS), ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively, all progressing to round three.