“We were both nervous and kind of blowing it. We’re good friends and have surfed with and against each other a lot, and somehow we both manage to mess up and fall off when we do,” said the forever pleasantly natured Peruvian, who was not even aware she’d retain the ASP ratings lead, regardless of the eventual result in the Billabong Pro Teahupoo.
“We’re a long way from the end of the season, and though I’ve improved a lot since my horror start to the season, I don’t even look at the ratings. I’m just here to surf and do my best and get good results.”
Mulanovich had progressed to that point after somewhat of an upset victory, when three-times Billabong Pro Tahiti champion Keala Kennelly from Kauai failed to emerge from a long sustained barrel late in their quarter-final exchange.
Redman-Carr beat South African Heather Clark in their quarter-final, after the goofy veteran produced some great individual moves, but failed to put it all together on enough waves. In the opening quarterfinal of the day, Chelsea Georgeson had made patience a winning virtue when she out-lasted a more restless Rochelle Ballard.
The final day of action in the women’s division of the Billabong Pro Tahiti began at 11am, after a very slowly rising swell started materialising on the incoming tide, whilst organisers and the eight girls remaining in the draw anxiously willed the waves upwards after first an 8.30am, and then 10am holding call.
Conditions differed right throughout the day and never settled into a pattern whatsoever, sometimes cleaning up after passing rain squalls, but ripped up and ridged at others. Once again the girls, and everyone associated with running against the odds today, made a sustained sterling effort in getting the job done.
“All the girls stick together, especially in this place,” said Melanie Redman-Carr who achieved her aim of making the final, but was obviously a little disappointed with her result.
“Here in Tahiti, everybody backs everybody else! Everyone wants to see you have a go, and get a good one, be careful on the reef, and see nobody hurt – even though we all want to see a bit of action”
Yet again, for the second consecutive event in challenging and sizeable conditions, the girls of the ASP have shown that they are lifting the proverbial performance and charging mantles. They are off to Perrinporth in the United Kingdom for their next WCT event which begins in just over a week’s time.
The next call for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, which will hopefully see the long-awaited introduction of the Foster’s Men’s World Tour surfers, will be at 6.30am tomorrow (Tuesday May 10th).
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS (1st>Semi-final; 2nd=equal 5th, 552 pts/usd$3000)
Q1: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 15.17 def. Rochelle Ballard (HAW) 11.60 Q2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.00 def. Keala Kennelly (HAW) 13.16 Q3: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 14.83 def. Heather Clark (RSA) 14.37 Q4: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 9.47 def. Trudy Todd (AUS) 8.17
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
(1st>final; 2nd=equal 3rd, 756pts/usd$4000) S1: Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 12.67 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 11.16 S2: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 15.17 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.00
FINAL RESULT
(1st=winner 1200pts/usd$10,000; 2nd=runner-up 972 pts/usd$6000) Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) 14.00 def. Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 10.50
