Australia's Falconer gets first jewel
Advertiser Staff
Making the most of infrequent waves, Australian Neridah Falconer won the Roxy Pro yesterday at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach.
Aaron Chang • Tostee.com
The contest, the first jewel in the women's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, was completed in wave faces of 6 to 8 feet.
Australian Neridah Falconer caught just two waves in the final, but her total score of 11.67 was enough to win the Roxy Pro.
Falconer, 30, caught just two waves in the final. Still, her total score of 11.67 points was enough to edge fellow Australian Layne Beachley's 10.57.
"I was consistent today," Falconer said. "I don't think I was surfing at my best, but I persevered with what I had and it paid off. It was kind of a strange way for me to win. I'm used to winning with really good form, but today it was consistency that paid off."
Beachley is the four-time defending world champ, and currently ranked No. 1, but yesterday's contest did not count toward the World Championship Tour ratings.
Another Australian, Samantha Cornish, placed third. Brazil's Jacqueline Silva, who was the two-time defending champion of the contest, caught only one wave in the final and finished fourth.
Kaua'i surfers Rochelle Ballard and Keala Kennelly were eliminated in the semifinals.
The second contest in the women's Triple Crown series, the Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro, will run tomorrow through Dec. 7.
Final results
1, Neridah Falconer (Australia), $6,000. 2, Layne Beachley (Australia), $3,000. 3, Samantha Cornish (Australia), $2,300. 4, Jacqueline Silva (Brazil), $1,700. 5 (tie), Rochelle Ballard (Hawai'i) and Sofia Mulanovich (Peru), $1,400. 7 (tie), Marie Pierre Abgrall (France) and Keala Kennelly (Hawai'i), $1,100.
