Posted on: Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Australian captures Maui surfing finale
Advertiser Staff
Australia's Chelsea Georgeson had a near-perfect final in near-perfect waves yesterday to win the Billabong Pro Maui women's surfing contest.
Georgeson scored a 9.75 ride in the final two minutes of the final heat to defeat fellow Australian Samantha Cornish.
"I'm so happy," said Georgeson, 21. "It's a perfect end to the perfect year. I'm just so ecstatic about winning the last event of 2004. I haven't won an event all year, so I'm stoked."
The Billabong Pro Maui was the final event of the 2004 World Championship Tour as well as the final contest in the women's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Georgeson also won the Triple Crown title as the best overall performer in the year-ending Hawai'i events.
Georgeson received $10,000 for winning the contest, and another $10,000 for winning the Triple Crown title.
Georgeson scored an 8.75 early in the final, but still trailed Cornish for most of the 30-minute heat. Her 9.75 ride proved to be the last wave of the heat.
"Chelsea surfed unbelievable and just got the right waves," said Cornish, who won the Billabong Pro Maui last year. "She deserved to win on the day. I had the best surf and I had a great day, too, so I'm really happy."
Kaua'i's Rochelle Ballard was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and was the top finisher among the Hawai'i surfers.
Ballard finished the year ranked No. 2 on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour. It is the highest she has ever finished in her 14-year professional career.
Peru's Sofia Mulanovich clinched the 2004 women's world championship last month at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach. She was eliminated in the third round of the Billabong Pro Maui.
Four Hawai'i surfers qualified to compete on the 2005 World Championship Tour for women: Ballard, Megan Abubo, Keala Kennelly and Melanie Bartels.
The Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters contest was postponed yesterday because waves were too massive and unruly at the Banzai Pipeline.
However, many big-wave surfers went out anyway during an "expression session" yesterday afternoon. Among the standouts were Hawai'i surfers Tamayo Perry, Rocky Canon, Kainoa McGee, Liam McNamara and Danny Fuller.
The first round of the main contest is expected to resume today. For status of the event, call 596-7873.
Final results
1, Chelsea Georgeson (Australia), $10,000. 2, Samantha Cornish (Australia), $6,000. 3 (tie), Trudy Todd (Australia) and Heather Clark (South Africa), $4,000. 5 (tie), Melanie Redman (Australia), Rebecca Woods (Australia), Layne Beachley (Australia) and Rochelle Ballard (Hawai'i), $3,000.
2004 women's final standings
1, Sofia Mulanovich (Peru), 5,484 points. 2, Rochelle Ballard (Hawai'i), 4,584. 3, Chelsea Georgeson (Australia), 4,572. 4, Layne Beachley (Australia), 4,368. 5, Maria Tita Tavares (Brazil), 3,846. 6, Jacqueline Silva (Brazil), 3,768. 7, Keala Kennelly (Hawai'i), 3,348. 8, Laurina McGrath (Australia), 3,336. 9, Megan Abubo (Hawai'i), 3,078. 10, Samantha Cornish (Australia), 2,964. 11, Trudy Todd (Australia), 2,940. 12 (tie), Heather Clark (South Africa) and Melanie Redman-Carr (Australia), 2,748. 14, Pauline Menczer (Australia), 2,556. 15, Melanie Bartels (Hawai'i), 2,238. 16, Lynette MacKenzie (Australia), 1,980.
The final day of the competition was completed in clean 6- to 8-foot surf (with some wave-faces near 15 feet) at Honolua Bay, Maui.
Men's Pipeline Masters postponed by big surf
Billabong Pro Maui
ASP World Championship Tour
