Cabarita surfing ace Ashleigh Smith executes a clean turn en route to winning the open women’s division final.

Gold Coast, Aus — Queensland’s female surfing stocks look bright with the third and final leg of the prestigious Lizzy Surf Series wrapping up on the Gold Coast today.

The all-female series, boasting $2,000 in prize money, offered a 60-strong field of the state’s best ‘gidgets’ their last shot of glory in ’08 as they battled it out for elusive surf series titles. The 8 surfers who will represent Queensland at the Australian Surfmasters in ’09 within the open, senior and masters divisions were also determined. 

Main Beach provided the perfect backdrop for day two of competition with an easing easterly swell generating contestable 2-3ft beach break conditions for competitors. 

With titles on the line, Queensland’s hottest female surfers busted out their exciting competition repertoires across the seven divisions contested. 

Buderim ace Dimity Stoyle cemented her reputation as the ‘next big thing’ in female surfing, sealing her first state open women’s crown with a third place finish in the final round of the series.

17-year-old Stoyle, who is the reigning state junior champion, finishing with a total of 1860-points to pip series runner-up Ellie-Jean Coffey (1610).

Post final, Stoyle said she was excited to bag a state title double.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Stoyle.

“I’ve been training really hard this year and have been so focused to seal the series. I guess it paid off.”

Despite finishing in second, Coffey qualified for a long awaited shot at the Roxy Pro with Stoyle having already scored a decisive victory in the Trials for the ASP World Tour opener on the Gold Coast earlier this month.

“To get to surf in the trials will be amazing,” she said.

“It will definitely be the biggest event I’ve ever surfed in.”

Today’s blue ribbon open women’s final was run and won by Cabarita ace Ashleigh Smith.

Smith couldn’t put a foot wrong in the wind-affected conditions, dominating the 0.5-to-1-metre waves to finish in front of Coffey and claim her maiden Lizzy round title.

In a high-scoring final, Smith made the most of an early wave score (8.83) to dominate proceedings.

Despite a late charge by Coffey, Smith held her nerve to net a 7.73 ride in the final minute of the final.

The Cabarita ripper finishing on a two-wave combined total of 16.56 (out of a possible 20) to Coffey’s 14.40 with Stoyle (12.50) and Currumbin’s Courtney Bell (7.34) finishing in third and fourth respectively.

The progressive surfing action continued in the age divisions with Stoyle turning the tables of Cabarita star Smith, along with Brittani Nicholl (Koala Park), Currumbin’s Courtney Bell and Tugun’s Wini Paul to seal consecutive round wins in the U/21’s and the overall surf series title.

In the U/18’s final, Sunshine Coast surfing sensation Naomi Stevic (Castaways Beach) surfed away with winner’s trophy, unleashing a lethal attack of manoeuvres to defeat Kingscliff’s Codie Klein, Buderim’s Stoyle, Noosaville’s Sophie Callister and Currumbin’s Amy Hubbard. In doing so, Stevic wrapped up the overall series title.

Local Currumbin surfer Eden Putland capped off her 2007 campaign in style, defeating Suffolk Park’s Coffey, South West Rock’s Fiona Casey and Noosaville’s Callister to secure back-to-back victories in the U/16’s, along with bagging the overall series crown.

Alex Headland’s Sharon Jackson stitched up both the senior (0/28) and master’s (O/35) state crowns, following a win in the senior women’s final before finishing behind Pauline Pullman (Tugun) in the day’s master’s (over 35) final.

Lennox Head surfer Stephanie Single cemented her position at a future star of women’s surfing, trouncing her finalists today en route to bagging the U/14 girl’s crown as well as the overall Lizzy Surf Series title.

However, the all-female series was not all about fierce competition. 

The Lizzy Surf Series is designed to be a really social affair and is a perfect event for women and girls to have their first crack at competition surfing. 

Acting as a fantastic introductory series, the open women’s division incorporated a repercharge division for surfers defeated in round one of competition.

Rochedale’s Tara Christie took top honours, trumping some of the state’s top surfing talent. 

The series also featured U/21, U/18, U/16, U/14, seniors (O/28) and masters (O/35) divisions with overall champions rated on their best two of three results.