HONOLUA BAY, Maui/Hawaii – The last of seven stops on the ASP Women’s World Tour season, the Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines, is on this morning in good six foot (2 metre) conditions at Maui’s iconic point-break of Honolua Bay and will crown a champion by day’s end.

The culmination for the ASP Women’s World Tour season plays a critical role in several surfers’ campaigns towards requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s Dream Tour. The Billabong Pro Maui also represents the final event of the Vans Triple Crown, which boasts an additional prize purse of $25,000 to this year’s winner.

Due to a compromising interference by a non competitor in the Heat 8 of Round 3 yesterday, this morning’s action will rerun the heat and follow through with Quarterfinals, eventually crowning the 2009 Billabong Pro Maui and Vans Triple Crown champion by day’s end.

“We’ve got good six foot waves today and we want to capitalize on this swell, so we’ll crown a champion this afternoon,” Rodney Kilborn, Billabong Pro Maui Contest Director, said.

Yesterday’s action saw three-time ASP Women’s World Champion and two-time Billabong Pro Maui champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, clinch the day’s highest heat total while overtaking the Vans Triple Crown Ratings. ASP Women’s World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, was also a leader in yesterday’s competition, earning the day’s only perfect 10-point ride with a throttling barrel.


Billabong Pro Maui pres. By Hawaiian Airlines Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
QF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (HAW)
QF 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
QF 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
QF 4: Rebecca Woods (AUS) vs. TBD