Peru surfer wins Roxy Pro
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Sofia Mulanovich became the first surfer from Peru to win a Triple Crown contest.
Bernie Baker photo |
Mulanovich, the only surfer — male or female — from Peru participating in this year's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, won the Roxy Pro yesterday.
The women's contest was completed in 2- to 4-foot waves at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach. The Roxy Pro is the first of three contests in the women's Triple Crown of Surfing series.
Mulanovich is the only surfer from Peru to ever win a Triple Crown event.
"It's pretty huge," said Mulanovich, 20. "This is the second contest I ever won in my life and the biggest. Everybody dreams about coming to Hawai'i and surfing Hawaiian waves, so I'm stoked to win it here."
Wai'anae's Melanie Bartels also had a huge day. By placing second to Mulanovich, Bartels is assured of finishing No. 1 on the 2003 women's World Qualifying Series (WQS).
"Really?" Bartels replied when told she clinched the No. 1 spot. "That was one of my goals, so I'm happy to get that. It means a lot because it means you beat everybody else on the (WQS)."
As the No. 1 surfer on the 2003 WQS, Bartels has secured a spot on the elite 2004 World Championship Tour.
"I'm just trying to have fun and represent Hawai'i and the West side," she said.
Bartels, 21, was the only surfer to represent Hawai'i in yesterday's four-woman final.
However, Bartels, Brazil's Maria Tita Tavares and Australia's Samantha Cornish were no match for Mulanovich.
"She was killing it," Bartels said of Mulanovich. "I would watch her when I was sitting out there and she was throwing big chunks (of water). Real impressive."
Mulanovich's first two waves of the final gave her a commanding lead she would never relinquish.
On her first wave, she received a score of 7.0 (out of 10) for completing five smooth turns on a long left-handed wave. On her very next wave, she all but clinched the victory with an 8.0 for completing three top-to-bottom carves along a 4-foot wave.
"I didn't have any strategy," Mulanovich said. "I just went out there and tried to do my best. I just tried to do as much moves as I could on the waves."
In the final tally, Mulanovich's two best waves scored a total of 15.0 points. Bartels came the closest with a two-wave total of 12.1.
"I just needed a wave and no wave came to me," Bartels said. "You can't force it, you just have to let it happen."
Tavares was third with 10.43, and Cornish fourth with 7.97.
Mulanovich received $6,000 and 2,500 WQS points for the victory. Bartels earned $3,000 and 2,150 points.
The Roxy Pro was the 14th of 15 international stops on the WQS. Next week's Turtle Bay Resort Women's Pro will serve as both the final stop on the WQS and the second event in the women's Triple Crown.
Waialua's Megan Abubo tied for fifth yesterday and received $1,400.
Five-time world champ Layne Beachley of Australia and Keala Kennelly of Kaua'i were eliminated in the quarterfinals. They are the top two contenders for this year's world title, although yesterday's results did not count toward the race.
Carissa Moore, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Punahou School, was also eliminated in the quarterfinals. She was awarded a sponsor's exemption into the contest and became the youngest surfer to ever compete in a Triple Crown contest.
Moore said she would donate her $700 prize to help shark attack victim and fellow amateur competitor Bethany Hamilton.
Roxy Pro final results
1, Sofia Mulanovich (Peru), $6,000. 2, Melanie Bartels (Hawai'i), $3,000. 3, Maria Tita Tavares (Brazil), $2,300. 4, Samantha Cornish (Australia), $1,700. 5 (tie), Heather Clark (South Africa) and Megan Abubo (Hawai'i), $1,400. 7 (tie), Laurina McGrath (Australia) and Chelsea Georgeson (Australia), $1,100. 9 (tie), Layne Beachley (Australia), Jacqueline Silva (Brazil), Keala Kennelly (Hawai'i) and Pauline Menczer (Australia), $900. 13 (tie), Claire Bevilacqua (Australia), Carissa Moore (Hawai'i), Prue Jeffries (Australia) and Lisbeth Vindez Diaz (Costa Rica), $700.
Vans Hawaiian Pro: The third round of the men's Vans Hawaiian Pro was also completed yesterday at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach, and world champion Andy Irons of Kaua'i led a group of eight Hawai'i surfers advancing to the fourth round.
Others still in contention from Hawai'i: Jesse Merle-Jones, Fred Patacchia Jr., Bruce Irons, Love Hodel, Pancho Sullivan, Joel Centeio and Brian Pacheco.
Six-time former world champ Kelly Slater also advanced, along with Australian stars Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.
The final day of the contest is expected to run today.
