Honolulu surfer Carissa Moore once again proved to be a wunderkind Down Under.

Moore upset world champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia on the way to a third-place finish in the Roxy Pro Gold Coast women's contest yesterday.

The final day of the event was run in 2- to 4-foot waves at Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta, Australia.

It is the second consecutive year that Moore upset the women's world champion at the Roxy Pro event. She defeated Layne Beachley and placed second last year.

Moore is 15 and a sophomore at Punahou School. She was the only amateur in the field of 18, and had to qualify for the contest by winning a trials event.

"I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't do as well as I did last season," she said. "It has been a great experience for me and I'm really thankful for the opportunity to compete here again this year."

Moore eliminated Gilmore in the third round, 15.33 to 14.5. Moore received a score of 8.83 (out of 10) in the closing minutes of the heat.

"I'm so stoked," she said. "This is my first time ever surfing against Steph and she has been absolutely ripping. It see-sawed back and forth, but I ended up getting that one at the end that was really exciting."

Moore then defeated Wai'anae's Melanie Bartels in the quarterfinals, 17.57 to 9.07. Her two wave score of 17.57 was the best heat of the entire contest.

"Melanie is an incredible competitor, and I feel lucky that I was able to get the better waves out there," Moore said.

Australian Samantha Cornish ended Moore's dazzling run in the semifinals. Cornish's two best waves received a total of 16.9 to Moore's 15.53.

Moore needed a score of 8.08 to win the heat in the closing minutes, but she received a 6.7 on her final wave.

"Carissa has been surfing so well all event and she has a really big future," Cornish said.

Peru's Sofia Mulanovich defeated Cornish in the final to win the contest.

Mulanovich, a former world champion, received $12,000 for the victory. Cornish earned $7,000.

Moore received $5,000 for third place.

Among the other Hawai'i surfers, Bartels received $4,500, and Megan Abubo of Waialua received $4,000. Abubo was eliminated in the third round.

The Roxy Pro Gold Coast was the opening event of the 2008 World Championship Tour for women. Moore is not a regular competitor on the world tour.

Bartels and Abubo are the only Hawai'i women on the world tour.

The next contest on the women's tour is the Rip Curl Pro, which is scheduled to start March 19 at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. Moore is not expected to enter.

The men's Quiksilver Pro did not run heats yesterday. Hawai'i surfers still in the contest are Andy Irons, Bruce Irons and Roy Powers.