BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Wednesday, May 16, 2012) – John John Florence (HAW), 19, has won his maiden ASP ASP World Championship Tour event, taking out the Billabong Rio Pro over Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in barreling three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Barra da Tijuca.

Florence, currently in his rookie year on the ASP WCT, proved unstoppable on the final day of Billabong Rio Pro competition, topping prodigious Australian Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, and Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, on his way to triumph over Parkinson.

“This is the best feeling in the world,” Florence said. “I had that bad heat at Arpoador to start and we had a couple of lay days and I had to just sit and think about it. I can’t even believe this right now. I’m in shock. I was just sticking to my game plan and not thinking about the other guys. I’m so happy right now.”

Florence, who now sits at No. 6 on the ASP WCT, will look to carry the momentum from today’s massive victory to the upcoming ASP WCT events in Fiji and Tahiti.

“This helps my confidence so much,” Florence said. “I have a lot of confidence going into events with barreling waves like Pipe. Obviously I have a lot of confidence in barrels from my experience at Pipe, but coming here, I wasn’t expecting a big result. I was just hoping to make a few heats.”

Parkinson utilized his complete skill set at Barra Da Tijuca, driving through barrels, lofting airs and unloading powerful carves en route to his Finals berth, but was unable to find a rhythm against Florence and finished runner-up overall.

“I’m a little bit disappointed as I never really got a start in that final, but overall, I’m stoked,” Parkinson said. “The quality of waves here were unreal. Yesterday, we had full barrels and good sections for turns and airs, it was good for the event.”

Parkinson’s finish today propels the Australian into the frontrunner position for the ASP World Title, but Parkinson was humble in claiming his spot atop the rankings.

“It’s a good feeling I suppose,” Parkinson said. “It’s a long way to go and I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but I’m stoked. I’ve had a couple of really nice consistent results. I have been in this position before though so I’m hoping to maintain my performance level throughout the rest of the year.”

Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, put in an amazing performance at the Billabong Rio Pro with an astounding array of barrels and airs to take an equal 3rd place finish. Kerr surfed strong on the Final day of competition, but was unable to surpass Florence in their Semifinal bout.

“I tried an air on the first wave I got and turned around and saw John John (Florence said) in the most perfect barrel,” Kerr said. “Out here in this beachbreak you’ve got to keep an open mind. The wind came up from the south in my heat so I was looking for the backhand airs. John John got the perfect barrel and there’s not much I could do about that.”

Kerr’s equal 3rd place finish at the Billabong Rio Pro matches his career-best result as he continues to build momentum against the world’s best surfers.

“I’ve had three Semifinals now, but it’s better than no Semifinals,” Kerr said. “I’ve had three back-to-back results and for me, going from 33rds on my previous years on tour until last year, it’s good progress and hopefully I can keep it going.”

Kerr was responsible for a big upset in the Quarterfinals, eliminating 2011 Billabong Rio Pro champion and local favorite Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, when he took to the air in the back half of their bout.

“I was definitely on the back foot,” Kerr said. “Adriano (de Souza) had a 14 point heat total and I just relaxed and figured it’s a couple of 7s. I knew my airs could get me those scores. I was lucky to land that one at the end. I knew I had to launch into the flats because there’s no soft landing, it just dumps. I was lucky to keep it steady under my feet.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-time ASP World Champion, eliminated Brazilian Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, in the Quarterfinals but lost a hard-fought heat to close friend Joel Parkinson in the Semifinals to finish equal 3rd overall.

“It’s always fun surfing against Joel and we started out bang-for-bang,” Fanning said. “That’s just the way it goes, but it’s always fun. Even though you lose, your friend’s in the Final, so you win. I would have liked to make the Final but I just didn’t get the right waves and Joel (Parkinson) surfed great.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion, was absent from the Billabong Rio Pro, citing an ankle injury. The Floridian’s absence relinquished his former frontrunner status on the ratings and Slater now sits at ASP World No. 8.

To watch highlights from the Billabong Rio Pro log on to http://wctbrasil.com/

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

The next stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Volcom Fiji Pro, which holds a waiting period from June 3 through 15, 2012.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL:
1 – John John Florence (HAW) 16.37
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.44

BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.00
SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.94 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.86

BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.90 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.60
QF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.57 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5.90
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.94 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.43
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.84 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.27

Current ASP WCT Top 10 (After Billabong Rio Pro):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19700 pts
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18250 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 18200 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17200 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15750 pts
6. John John Florence (HAW) 15750 pts
7. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15700 pts
8. Kelly Slater (USA) 13700 pts
9. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12250 pts
10. Owen Wright (AUS) 12150 pts

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

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Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, drove through two barrels to post the day's highest heat total of Billabong Rio Pro competition.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Tuesday, May 15, 2012) – The Billabong Rio Pro, Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, returned to the powerful beachbreak of Barra da Tijuca for the second consecutive day in three-to-five foot (1-1.5 metre) barrels which provided the ideal canvas for the world’s best surfers to push the limits of high-performance beachbreak surfing.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, current ASP World No. 5, rebounded after a Round 4 loss, threading the needle on two deep barrels to earn the day’s highest heat total of a near-perfect 18.33 out of 20 eliminating powerhouse Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in the process.

“It was just one of those heats where I waited for a while and got one good one and thought ‘that could be amazing, just that one wave.’” Parkinson said. “Then I got another one. Poor Jordy (Smith) really got nothing. It was a lot like home, the good ones have a really nice draw on the water off of the bank. It’s really dumpy, so you air drop into it and it’s hard to find a rail. Who would have thought you’d come to Brazil and get two 9s getting barreled?”

Parkinson has now faced off against Smith four times in the three ASP WCT events this year and admits their seesaw battles have created a friendly-but-competitive rivalry between the two surfers.

“I think there is a rivalry,” Parkinson said. “We don’t talk about it, but we just keep catching each other. We’ve had three events and it’s four times that we’ve surfed against each other and it’s been back and forth.”

Parkinson will face Tiago Pires (PRT) in the Quarterfinals when competition resumes.

Josh Kerr (AUS), 28, was clearly in rhythm with the afternoon’s barreling conditions. The talented natural-footer put on a dominant performance, earning one of the day’s highest heat totals of 17.84 to relegate defending event champion Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, and Jeremy Flores (FRA), 24, to Round 5 of competition. The Australian admitted to being spurred on by De Souza’s Perfect 10-point ride acquired early in the heat.

“I saw Adriano’s wave go down and we were sitting in a different spot than everyone else,” Kerr said. “We were getting 9s and 10s and I feel bad for Adriano (de Souza). I wasn’t expecting a little backdoor shootout and I’m stoked to get some good waves.”

Kerr will take on Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, in Quarterfinal No. 4.

Adriano de Souza put in a valiant effort today, posting the event’s only perfect 10-point ride for a critical forehand barrel ride. De Souza went on to take a Round 5 win in a rematch of last year’s final, topping Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, in a tough battle to advance to the Quarterfinals.

“I was focused on the right, but I knew there was a little channel and I went over to the left,” De Souza said. “Luck is really going my way and I’m stoked. The waves were really hard and I’m stoked to make it through this heat.”

De Souza admitted that advancing to the Quarterfinals alleviates some of the pressure that came along with competing as defending Billabong Rio Pro champion and is hoping to carry the momentum into the Final day of competition.

“Making it through that round, some of the pressure is off,” De Souza said. “Being defending event champion, I’m really looking to do well here and head to Fiji without pressure. Hopefully the crowd is going to push me to the Final.”

John John Florence (HAW), 19, took an amazing come-from-behind victory in his Round 4 heat to advance to the Quarterfinals. In need of two scores to overtake Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, Florence drove through a lengthy barrel for a 9.63 to take him out of a combination situation before finding another barrel in the dying seconds, earning 8.10 for the ride and claiming victory.

“It was Taj (Burrow) and Julian (Wilson) and those are two guys you never want to have in a heat,” Florence said. “It was windy when I first paddled out and I was trying to do airs and have fun with it. Then the wind stopped and I got the one in the middle of the heat that was a pretty decent barrel. I finally got that last one and there was only 10 seconds left. I wasn’t even sure I had gotten the score when I hit the beach.”

Florence, who is highly-regarded for his barrel-riding ability, was surprised to find barrels at this year’s Billabong Rio Pro and is elated to come away with a guaranteed 5th place finish in Brazil.

“I couldn’t get a good wave and dug my rail a lot at the start of my heat,” Florence said. “That one good barrel came through and I was just trying to figure out what the conditions were doing. I was searching for any kind of peak and couldn’t find one, then I got the wave at the last second. I’m stoked to make the Quarters here in Brazil. For me to be able to make Quarters here is amazing.”

Florence will face Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, in Quarterfinal No. 3.

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, was responsible for two big heat victories today. The young Brazilian bested fellow countryman Heitor Alves (BRA), 30, in Round 3 and went on to topple Australian icons Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, and Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in Round 4 to advance directly to the Quarterfinals, his best result of the season.

“My heats are always like that, where someone is always getting a score at the end to get through,” Muniz said. “I’m just happy. Mick (Fanning) and Joel (Parkinson) are two of my favorite surfers. I knew there were a couple of lefts and for some reason my board didn’t feel good on the rights, but on the lefts, it felt good.”

Muniz, who has been working to recover from an ankle injury sustained this past December, is nearly at full strength and the talented natural-footer was relieved to have a breakthrough result to help rebuild his competitive confidence.

“My ankle is feeling better,” Muniz said. “Everyday it’s feeling a bit better. It’s feeling better than the first round at Arpoador even, but running on the beach is still a little sketchy. I’m just stoked that it’s feeling better so I can show a bit of my surfing.”

Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, continued to find success in the challenging surf at Barra da Tijuca, besting Tahitian charger Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, and Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in their three-man non-elimination Round 4 bout to advance directly to the Quarterfinals.

“It was a tough heat,” Pires said. “The wind got really strong and the rain doesn’t help either. I knew it was going to be a tough heat because those guys are really complete surfers and they have the whole bag of tricks. I was just looking for a good nugget and a good barrel. I waited and waited and that wave came from heaven.”

Pires, current No. 25 on the ASP World Title Race, has a deep relationship with Brazil and is using his paramount support from his local fans to march to his best result of the 2012 season thus far.

“I love Brazil, I’ve been coming here for so many years and I’ve had some really good results here,” Pires said. “It’s been a nice event and I’m really focused and it’s all going well for me.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start to the Billabong Rio Pro. To watch the event LIVE log on to http://wctbrasil.com/

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
QF 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.33 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.00
Heat 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.20
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.43 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.77
Heat 4:Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.73 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 7.90

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.40, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.67, Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.50
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.90, Mick Fanning (AUS) 11.43, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.73
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 17.73, Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.50, Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.20
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.84, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.10, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 5.97

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.37 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.33
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.00 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 4.17
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.34 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 8.50
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.07 def. Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 12.67
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.50 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.70
Heat 8: John John Florence (HAW) 16.23 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.14
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.90 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.94
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.73 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 7.33
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.33 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.17
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.10 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.77

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

Adam Melling (AUS), 27, led the day’s proceedings with superior barrel-riding skills. The powerful natural-footer charged into two deep tubes, earning the day’s highest single wave score of 9.67 out of 10 en route to the day’s highest heat total of 17.00 out of 20.

“I was pretty happy with that one,” Melling said. “I snuck out of that first one that was a bit of a close out and on my way back out that other one doubled up real well and ran off. I was stoked to get that one on the way back out. It was sucking out off of the bank pretty well. It feels really good to get good waves in a heat. They’re definitely out there.”

John John Florence (HAW), 19, led the rookie class with unmatched versatility this morning, driving through barrels and punting critical airs in the pounding conditions to take a dominant Round 2 victory over replacement surfer Willian Cardoso (BRA), 26, with a strong 16.20 out of 20 heat total.

“It was a really hard heat and I was so tired,” Florence said. “We’ve been sitting around these last couple of days. There really haven’t been any waves and then we were straight into these conditions. I try to take the heats as a free surf. It seems like I surf the best when I’m having fun, but obviously you’ve got the jersey on and you know you need to finish your waves off.”

Florence, current No. 10 on the ASP WCT ratings, was relieved to avoid an equal 25th place finish after a tough Round 1 loss and knew his Round 2 draw against Brazilian powerhouse, Cardoso, would be no easy task.

“I had a really bad heat at Arpoador the other day and I was kind of nervous going into this one,” Florence said. “I just wanted to make it through. Willian (Cardoso) is such a good surfer and I’m just happy to make it out of that round.”

Florence will now face fellow rookie Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, in Round 3 of competition.

Peterson Crisanto (BRA), 19, Billabong Rio Pro Wildcard, began the day by delivering a big upset, eliminating event favorite and fellow countryman Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, in the opening heat of Round 2. Crisanto focused on the barreling rightnhanders while Medina struggled with the strong current and thumping waves.

“I knew that heat wasn’t going to be easy with Gabriel (Medina) so I just tried to stay on the rights and try and find the barrels,” Crisanto said. “I almost made the first barrel, but I made the second one, so I’m happy to get through to the next round. I just tried to stay relaxed and find the right waves.”

Crisanto will take on Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in Round 3 of the Billabong Rio Pro.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, was extremely patient in his Round 2 matchup against Billabong Rio Pro Wildcard Tomas Hermes (BRA), 25, and his strategy paid off. The Tahitian drove through two righthand barrels, picking off his first ride in the opening minutes and waited until the dying seconds of the bout to post his second score.

“I was waiting for that one for so long,” Bourez said. “I got my first wave at the beginning and got my second one at the last second. I love these conditions, it fits my surfing. I like to wait for the right ones and get the big barrels. Sometimes you have to go big and do big turns, but I expect to find the barrels today.”

Bourez would go on to eliminate an in-form Brett Simpson (USA), 27, in the final heat of the day, advancing through to Round 4 of competition.

Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, prevailed over the day’s stormy beachbreak conditions to take out two heat victories, topping Australians Kai Otton (AUS), 32, in Round 2 and Owen Wright (AUS), 22, in Round 3.

“Adam Melling must have been surfing another break out there,” Pires said. “You get out there with the psych and I could not find the waves. There were lots of close outs and it was just really tough. I’m stoked to make it through though, it’s my first time advancing to Round 4 this year.”

C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, navigated through the tough conditions brought on by building wind and dropping tide to post an 8-point score which proved to be enough to secure his win over ASP WCT Rookie Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, in their Round 2 match-up.

“These conditions are a giant equalizer no matter who you have,” Hobgood said. “You know you’re not going to get many chances. You could go from a dog fight trying to find 2s and 3s, that’s how slim it is and luckily a little later I got a chance on a left. It’s tough, there are not many out there. It looks easy from the beach and when you’re taking off you’re thinking, ‘I hope I make the drop here.’”

Hobgood will take on Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 26, in Round 3 when competition resumes.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7am start.

Highlights from today’s Billabong Rio Pro will be available via http://wctbrasil.com/

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.40 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.40
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.70 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 8.53

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 10.83 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 7.17
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.10 def. Tomas Hermes (BRA) 12.66
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 16.20 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 7.16
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) 6.00 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 5.47
Heat 5: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.83 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 7.46
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 9.33 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.60
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 2.64
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.36 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 7.97
Heat 9: Travis Logie (ZAF) 9.33 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 5.70
Heat 10: Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.90 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.20
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.16 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 6.50
Heat 12: Adam Melling (AUS) 17.00 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.26

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

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Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, winner of the 2012 Billabong Rio Pro.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Sunday, May 13, 2012) – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, has taken out the Billabong Women’s Rio Pro over Coco Ho (HAW), 21, by a score of 14.10 to 14.03 in peaky one-to-three foot (.5 metre) waves at the primary venue of Barra da Tijuca.

Event No. 5 of 7 on the 2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, the Billabong Pro Rio culminated in a thrilling fashion this afternoon with both Fitzgibbons and Ho exchanging the Final’s lead multiple times before the hooter sounded..

In need of a high 7-point ride with just minutes remaining in the heat, Fitzgibbons bashed a blowing lefthander on her backside, notching a 7.93 out of 10 to take the elite win, her second of the year.

“That was so crazy and Coco (Ho) had me on the ropes for sure,” Fitzgibbons said. “I just had my fingers crossed and knew there would be one towards the end. I made a few mistakes and it happens in Finals but I was able to recover there at the end. I’m so excited.”

Fitzgibbons, current No. 2 on the ASP Women’s WCT, has significantly narrowed the gap between her and current ASP frontrunner Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, but remained humble in regards to her chase for the 2012 ASP World Title.

“This makes the World Title race more interesting, but thinking ahead, it’s still pretty far to go,” Fitzgibbons said. “There are still a couple of events, but to get a win, it’s an amazing result. To win at Bells too, it’s been an awesome year so far.”

Ho, who was ranked 12th on the ASP Women’s WCT ratings before the Billabong Rio Pro, had yet to advance beyond the Quarterfinals this year, but her Runner-Up finish to Fitzgibbons vaults the young Hawaiian to 9th in the world and restores her confidence to appropriate levels.

“This result really opens things up for me,” Ho said. “I’ve been having a really tough year and I’m stoked to get into this Final. This is my best result of the year and this has been an important event for me. Congrats to Sally on her win.”

Carissa Moore (HAW), 19, last year’s Billabong Rio Pro winner and reigning ASP Women’s World Champion, was edged out of a hard-fought battle against Fitzgibbons in their high-scoring Semifinal affair. Both competitors posted big-scores in the dying seconds of the heat, but it was Fitzgibbons who earned the best of the exchange, handing Moore and equal 3rd place result.

“I think we all want to make the Final and it’s disappointing,” Moore said. “I’ve lost to Sally (Fitzgibbons)twice this year and I’ve just got to keep trying in the next couple of events and that’s it.”

Moore, who was dominant over the course of 2011, has yet to find a win this year, but remains focused on attaining a strong performance to end out the season..

“I think it’s been a bunch of things this year,” Moore said. “I think finding the right waves is one thing overall and I need to switch it up and bring something different out.”

Alessa Quizon (HAW), 18, Billabong Rio Pro wildcard, put in an incredible performance at this year’s event, tearing through the world’s best female surfers and finding her way into the Semifinals. Quizon put up a good fight against fellow Hawaiian Coco Ho, but ultimately fell during last minute exchange, finishing with a respectable equal 3rd place finish overall.

“This has been an amazing event for me,” Quizon said. “I had nothing to lose and it’s been a great learning experience for me and I’m happy that I made it to the Semifinals. I could tell that Coco (Ho) was getting the scores that she needed and I was looking for one big score and I just didn’t find it. Sometimes it happens that way.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible recommencement to men’s Billabong Rio Pro competition. For all of the LIVE action log on to www.billabongpro.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

The next stop on the 2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour is the Roxy Pro Biarritz from July 10 – 14, 2012

BILLABONG WOMEN’S RIO PRO FINAL RESULT:
1 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.10
2 - Coco Ho (HAW) 14.03

BILLABONG WOMEN’S RIO PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) 14.16 def. Alessa Quizon (HAW) 10.94
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.47 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.36

CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WCT TOP 5 (After Billabong Rio Pro):
1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 38,400 pts
2. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 36,900 pts
3. Carissa Moore (HAW) 30,200 pts
4. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 29,600 pts
5. Tyler Wright (AUS) 28,700 pts

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, current No. 2 on the ASP Women’s WCT Rankings, got the best of a wave-starved heat this morning, tearing into select waves with precision and nailing one of the day’s highest heat totals of 16.00 out of 20 in Round 3.

“Everyone was struggling to get waves and there were only a few opportunities to get scores,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s really nice to have a good start to the heat. I was just hoping to find a couple of those rights and hopefully the swell picks up for the remainder of the event.”

Fitzgibbons would go on to defeat Pauline Ado (FRA), 21, in this afternoon’s Quarterfinals to earn her Semifinals berth.

Carissa Moore (HAW), 19, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion, took a come-from-behind win over Laura Enever (AUS), 20, in the final heat of the day to advance through to the Semifinals. The defending Billabong Rio Pro champion has yet to secure an elite ASP Women’s WCT event in 2012, but is hoping the Billabong Rio Pro will act as the catalyst to change her momentum for the year.

“It would be great to build momentum off of this event for the rest of the year,” Moore said. “Each event is a clean slate and I’m trying to find momentum and find rhythm. I haven’t really done as well as last year this season, but I’m stoked to be surfing and traveling and I’m looking forward to the finish of this year.”

Coco Ho (HAW), 21, put in a standout performance today, besting four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current rankings’ leader Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, on two separate occasions. Ho won her three-woman Round 3 heat and went on to take a dominant victory over Gilmore in the Quarterfinals by a score of 14.93 to 7.23, out of 20.

“It was definitely crunch time in that man-on-man heat and Steph (Gilmore) is trying to win a World Title and I’m trying to requalify and get a really good result,” Ho said. “There definitely weren’t as many jokes and laughs as the last heat. Steph had priority most of the heat and kept taking the first one and somehow there started being more waves in a set and I kept getting really lucky.”

Ho, current No. 12 on the ASP Women’s WCT Ratings, needed a big result to remain on the ASP Top 17 roster for 2013 and is hoping her guaranteed equal 3rd finish at the Billabong Rio Pro will mark the beginning to a strong end to 2012.

“I’ve had a pretty bad beginning to the year and anything from here on out is a bonus,” Ho said. “I’m looking forward to finishing up the year strong.”

Gilmore continually posted solid scores throughout the event despite the challenging conditions. The progressive natural-footer’s Equal 5th place at the Billabong Rio Pro is another strong result, but admittedly pushes her clinching of the 2012 ASP Women’s World Title further away.

“It’s always tough to lose in conditions like this,” Gilmore said. “That’s competition though and we all have to deal with the same field of play. The window for our event here was never going to have the best waves and would likely favor some of the surfers that excel in these conditions. Brush it off though and focus on the next one. There are still two more events and that will have a major bearing on this year’s title race.”

Alessa Quizon (HAW), 18, Billabong Rio Pro wildcard, continued to shine amongst the ASP Top 17, eliminating 2012 ASP Women’s WCT rookie Lakey Peterson (USA), 17, before Courtney Conlogue (USA), 19, to advance to the Semifinals.

“We had a restart and then there were no waves until the last 20 minutes or so,” Quizon said. “It was really stressful. I’ve surfed against Lakey (Peterson) in amateur and Pro Junior events and she’s an awesome surfer. I’m just going in to this event as the underdog. I have no expectations and I’m just trying to gain experience and have a good time.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 10am at the primary site of Barra da Tijuca to assess conditions for a possible 10:30am start. A Billabong Women’s Rio Pro winner will be crowned tomorrow.

Highlights from the Billabong Rio Pro will be available via www.billabongpro.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Alessa Quizon (HAW) 12.77 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12.50
QF 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 14.93 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 7.23
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 10.50 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 9.17
QF 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 8.43 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 8.33

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Alessa Quizon (HAW) 12.56 def. Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.87
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.26 def. Tyler Wright (AUS)11.44
Heat 3: Pauline Ado (FRA) 12.10, def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 10.33
Heat 4: Laura Enever (AUS) 13.10 def. Malia Manuel (HAW) 9.60

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA)11.87, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 11.66, Tyler Wright (AUS) 7.96
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 15.40, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 15.07, Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.30
Heat 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.00, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 12.16, Malia Manuel (HAW) 10.50
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.83, Laura Enever (AUS) 11.67, Pauline Ado (FRA) 10.20

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

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SAN CLEMENTE, California/USA (Saturday, May 12, 2012) – Courtney Conlogue (USA), 19, is building momentum amongst the world’s best women’s surfers. Currently rated No. 4 on the ASP WTC Rankings, Conlogue is fresh off of her maiden elite win at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic and is leading compatriots Lakey Peterson (USA), 17, and Sage Erickson (USA), 20, among the ASP Top 17. SURFING Magazine caught up with Conlogue to see what she does when she’s not in the water. This… is their story…

Reading: I always end up reading three books at a time because I will start reading one and get intrigued by another one and next thing I know I am halfway through a bunch of books. I am also into the glamour mags – they are full of good tips on facial masking and exfoliating. It is also fun to check out the new fashion trends and what I should be wearing. I have also come to love Tracks Mag which is printed in Australia. They always have awesome articles and photos from surfers’ travels.

Browsing: Would Instagram count? When I’m home, that is by far the most entertaining. Checking out everyone’s little artistic eye and having a bit of fun on my own to entertain myself. YouTube is so much fun as well. Watching funny videos and catching up on the latest America’s Got Talent if I missed out on it the week before. The funny thing about the internet is you are only meaning to check your email or Surfline to see what the waves are doing, but the next thing you know you are on Facebook, YouTube or watching the heats on demand from the previous WT Event and 2 hours have slipped by.

For the full interview with Conlogue check out Surfing Magazine.

For more on Conlogue view her full ASP WCT PROFILE.

Watch Courtney Conlogue compete at the Billabong Rio Pro!

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

Travis Logie (ZAF), 33, will face off against Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 30, in Heat 9 of Round 2 when Billabong Rio Pro competition resumes.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Friday, May 11, 2012) – With small one-to-two foot (.5 metre) waves on offer at Barra Da Tijuca, event organizers at the Billabong Rio Pro have opted to call competition off for the day.

Stop No. 3 on the Men’s ASP World Championship Tour and No. 5 for the women, the Billabong Rio Pro ran at the backup location of Arpoador for the first two days of competition, completing men’s Round 1 and Rounds 1 and 2 of women’s action.

“With minimal swell on offer and plenty of time remaining in the waiting period, we’ve called competition off for today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We’ll return tomorrow morning to reassess conditions for a possible restart to competition.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, will face off against fellow Brazilian Peterson Crisanto (BRA), 19, when Billabong Rio Pro Men’s competition resumes while Tyler Wright (AUS), 18, Courtney Conlogue (USA), 19, and Alessa Quizon (HAW), 18, will be up first in Billabong Rio Pro Women’s Round 3.

The Billabong Rio Pro holds a waiting period from May 9 through 20 while the women’s waiting period runs from May 9 through 13. To watch the event LIVE log on to www.billabongpro.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

Billabong Rio Pro event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time for a possible restart to competition.

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 11: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Lakey Peterson (USA), Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW), Laura Enever (AUS), Pauline Ado (FRA)

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals

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Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, four time ASP Women’s World Champion, took out her Billabong Rio Pro Round 2 heat over veteran competitor Melanie Bartels (HAW), 30, while posting the day’s highest heat-total of 16.70 out of 20.

ARPOADOR, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Thursday, May 10, 2012) – The Billabong Rio Pro returned to the lefthanders of Arpoador to complete Round 2 of women’s competition in challenging one-to-three foot (0.5 metre) waves.

Event No. 5 of 7 on the 2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, the Billabong Rio Pro made the most of the conditions on offer today, completing the elimination Round 2 and setting up for a finish by the final day on the waiting period this Sunday.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current frontrunner, commanded her Round 2 bout against replacement surfer Melanie Bartels (HAW), 30, earning one of the day’s highest single-wave scores of 8.50 out of 10 en route to the day’s highest heat total of 16.70 out of 20 with fluid backhand surfing.

“I was pretty worried going into that heat because the waves were just so minimal,” Gilmore said. “Performance-wise, when it’s inconsistent and very hard to surf, there are so many things going through your mind. It was really nerve-wracking, especially going against Mel Bartels, she’s one of my favorite surfers and I was nervous.”

Gilmore, who suffered a surprising Round 1 loss to wildcard Alessa Quizon (HAW), 18, yesterday, admitted that the combination of jet lag and the tight takeoff zone of Arpoador provided additional challenges yesterday, but the phenomenal natural-footer has regained focus for the future rounds.

“The girls really were hassling really hard yesterday,” Gilmore said. “When you’re sitting next to the rock you’re basically pushing each other on to that rock. It’s like a weird war out there and young Alessa (Quizon), it’s her first World Tour event, I think and I was still pretty jet-lagged after that first one.”

Coco Ho (HAW), 21, bounced back this afternoon from yesterday’s difficult Round 1 loss, and was responsible for some of the day’s highest scores. Ho caught only two waves in her heat, but managed to post the day’s highest single-wave score of 8.57 out of 10 and nearly matched Gilmore’s two-wave total with a combined 16.57 out of 20 in her heat win over New Zealand’s Sarah Mason (NZL), 17.

“Aproador is pretty fun when there are waves, it was just inconsistent and scary for a heat,” Ho said. “I got my two, so I’m really stoked. I’m really happy that I just got to surf, because in my Round 1 heat, I didn’t even get to surf.”

Ho, current No. 12 on the ASP Women’s WCT rankings, is coming off of her season-best result of a 5th place finish in Sydney and is looking to climb the rankings with a solid performance at the Billabong Rio Pro.

“I’m looking for a good result here in Brazil,” Ho said. “I’m pretty comfortable in these waves and I’ve had good results in the Star events here. My results in Brazil are what got me on tour a few years ago and I’m just hoping to keep my consistency throughout the event.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 21, runner-up at last year’s Billabong Rio Pro, returned to form this afternoon, getting the best of veteran Jacqueline Silva (BRA), 32, despite the inconsistent conditions in her heat.

“Conditions today are a little bit tricky, but everyone’s on the same boat,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s tough when you get hard conditions like we have this week, but the weather’s nice and there are people down here supporting me all the way down here in Brazil. I just hope there is a little pulse in the next round.”

Courtney Conlogue (USA), 19, current No. 4 on the ASP WCT Rankings, advanced to Round 3 of Billabong Rio Pro competition this afternoon with a win over rookie surfer Justine Dupont (FRA), 20, with solid backhand surfing at Arpoador.

“I was just trying to pick the best waves out there with how inconsistent it is and have priority when the right waves came,” Conlogue said. “It was super tricky with the dropping swell and the tide change. I’m stoked I got through that Round 2 heat and I’m looking forward to the next round.”

Conlogue, who is fresh off of her maiden ASP WCT victory in Sydney, admittedly felt a bit of pressure entering the Billabong Rio Pro, but feels back on track after her Round 2 victory today.

“I had a bit of nerves, the conditions were a little tricky and it was only my third surf out here at Arpoador,” Conlogue said. “I’m stoked to have had that second chance and I’m really looking to the remainder of the event.”

Billabong Rio Pro event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 8am local time at the primary site of Barra da Tijuca to assess conditions for at possible 8:30am start.

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Mobile Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Pauline Ado (FRA) 10.00 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 8.17
Heat 2: Laura Enever (AUS) 12.96 def. Sage Erickson (USA) 12.23
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.70 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.60 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 5.30
Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.17 def. Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.47
Heat 6: Coco Ho (HAW) 16.57 def. Sarah Mason (NZL) 10.00

BILLABONG RIO PRO WOMEN’S ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Lakey Peterson (USA), Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW), Laura Enever (AUS), Pauline Ado (FRA)

ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals