BSR 2009 04 13

BSR pic of the day

Bali Surf Report
Date = Mon, 13 Apr 2009
Time = 09:30 AM
Location = Padma – Legian
Size = 2-3 ft
Surfers = more than 20
Tide = high tide
Wind = onshore wind
Weather = cloud and sun
Water = not really calm and strong flow
Wave = small wave, 2ft dominant, not really consistent and power

Legian: High tide at Legian can serve up some of the most power-packed beachbreaks in the world. Always bigger than Kuta, although it usually closes-out on low tide. It also closes out on high tide if the swell is over 8 feet. Because Legian is in the curve of the beach, it collects the compressed energy of all swells. If Kuta is only 3 foot, sometimes Legian can be mignificent at 4 – 6 foot. A handy hint is that Kuta Reef is often about the same size at Legian. A hot crew of young Bali locals surf here regularly, so smile, share and be friendly to enjoy your sessions here.

Lima Claims Maiden ASP Dream Tour Victory at Rip Curl Women’s Pro

Silvana Lima (AUS), 24, claimed her maiden ASP Dream Tour victory today, defeating reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21.

BELLS BEACH, Victoria – Silvana Lima (BRA), 24, claimed her maiden ASP Women’s World Tour victory today, defeating reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and two-time defending event winner Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, to take the Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford New Fiesta and become the first Brazilian in history ever to win at the iconic venue.

Event No. 2 of 8 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro culminated today with an action-packed Final that saw both athletes pushing the levels of high-performance surfing. Despite both surfers racking up high scores, it was Lima who would rise to the occasion and ring the bell for her inaugural win.

“This feels amazing,” Lima said. “This is the first World Tour event I’ve ever won and to win it at Bells Beach is like a dream. To be the first winner from Brazil to ring the Bell, it’s amazing. I am so happy. I hope everyone in Brazil stays up and parties big.”

The high-flying Brazilian wasted no time in racking up scores against Gilmore, opening with a 9.17 before backing it up with an 8.17 in the opening minutes of the Final to put her opponent on the ropes.

“Steph (Gilmore) is so good out there in any conditions and I knew I needed to get scores on top of her quickly,” Lima said. “I was able to get really strong waves at the start and my boards felt like they were working really well.”

The win rockets Lima into No. 2 on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings, once again cementing her position as a legitimate ASP Women’s World Title threat.

“The World Title is always my goal, every year,” Lima said. “Last year was a really good year for me, but I couldn’t win an event. Now that I have a win, my confidence is very high and I look forward to the next event.”

Gilmore was the form surfer of the morning, eliminating Paige Hareb (NZL), 18, in a close Quarterfinal before racking up the highest single-wave score of the event (a 9.60 out of a possible 10) in her Semifinal bout, but was unable to find a rhythm against her South American opponent in the Final.

“Silvana (Lima) finally got me and she was ripping,” Gilmore said. “Her win was well-deserved and I hope it creates a great rivalry for the year ahead.”

Despite her runner-up finish, Gilmore has further established her stranglehold on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings lead heading into the mid-year break.

“Of course I’m disappointed not to come away with the win but runner-up is still a solid result for me,” Gilmore said. “Bells is one of those places that makes you hungry to come out on top and it would have been amazing to get three in a row. Congratulations to Silvana though and I’ll look ahead to the rest of the year.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and last year’s ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) No. 1, put is a solid performance at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro, ousting veteran Jacqueline Silva (BRA) and former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, from competition before falling to Gilmore in today’s Semifinal.

“I had an okay start but Steph (Gilmore) really came steaming back with some big scores,” Fitzgibbons said. “There were definitely a few waves I would have loved to have been on, but that’s how our sport goes and the ocean wasn’t in my favor this time around. Last year was a good year for me so I am trying to take confidence from that to find a big result as the year progresses.”

Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, former ASP Women’s World Champion, put in another strong performance at Bells Beach, taking down Samantha Cornish (AUS), 28, before falling to eventual winner Lima in the Semifinals.

“It is still a pretty good result and I am happy for that,” Mulanovich said. “I couldn’t do anything out there so it was frustrating. I was a bit nervous and couldn’t really read the waves that well. I was just falling off, getting stuck on my turns and once you do it once, it gets stuck in your head so it is a little bit psychological. I am always stoked to come back here though. I love this wave and I love this place.’

Highlights from the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford New Fiesta will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Snickers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:30am for a possible 8am start.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:

1 – Silvana Lima (AUS) 17.34

2 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.06

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:

SF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.60 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.67

SF 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) 15.00 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 7.57

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:

QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.50 def. Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 12.00

QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.43 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 7.50

QF 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) 7.23 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 7.07

QF 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.83 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 7.50

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

Heat 2: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)

Heat 3: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Dayyan Neve (AUS)

Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)

Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)

Heat 7: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Owen Wright (AUS)

Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Adam Robertson (AUS)

Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)

Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Drew Courtney (AUS)

Heat 12: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)

Heat 13: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)

Heat 14: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

Heat 15: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)

Heat 16: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. David Weare (ZAF)

Dee Why: Free Breakfast? Yes. Waves? No

Always a queue when anything is free in Dee Why

Geez, that’s keen. Windsurfing in a 3 knot sou’easter at Kiddie Korner…

Byron Bay Easter

Well the surfs been kinda ok this Easter here in the bay. About the 2-3 foot mark, fairly clean, But it’s been pretty crowded, pissing down rain and the waters brown from all the rivers emptying out, and once again our banks are on the move so the shapes pretty weird. This is not unusual for Easter up here. Just ask all the crew that spent up big on Gumboots to sell to the punters at the Blues Fest. Everyone that lives here knows that Easter is usually a wash out. Wish I could be more positive but that’s just the way it is right now. On the Bright side, if your looking for a less crowded wave, look for the afternoon session. While everyones trampling around in the mud at the Blues fest there’s usually a few quieter waves to be had.

If all the rain and cabin fever is getting you down, Take a stroll through the In Byron Bay Today Archives. January and Febuary were particularly good months with heaps of girls and good waves. Enjoy the rest of Holidays guys and I’ll be back tomorrow with a proper update  and fresh photo’s.

Wish it was today but it's back in Feb in Byron

south-west vancouver island

on sunday at 9 am: almost nothing stirring at our rivermouth point, alas, under a low, grey, thin ceiling, with a still atmosphere, and sun burning through – a reminder of the clear, hot conditions last week – it’s turned to heavy rain, suggesting that today’s dismal wave conditions won’t prevail – very limited surfmobile traffic (happy easter !) suggests that conditions are little better, further up the straits, but expect a quick turnaround – splendid gale warning in effect at the straits’ mouth – marine winds southeasterly to 35 knots – please stay tuned …..

Grey Monday

Grabbed a few pictures as soon as it got light enough…

Swell is back to the ESE at a metre by 8sec. More thoughts later today.

The Bureau says:

Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Monday until midnight: Wind: E/SE 10/15 knots tending NE in the afternoon and reaching 15/20 knots later chiefly offshore.Sea: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: E’ly to 1 metre. Isolated thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Wind: N/NW 10/15 knots. Sea: about 1 metre.Swell: E’ly to 1 metre. Isolated thunderstorms.
Wednesday: Wind: W/NW 10/15 knots, turning SW 10/20 knots later.

Set wave manages to get going after a fashion.

The only man in the water from Longy to Dee Why.

Little one peels gently in toward the seaweed and sand.

Usual crowd in attendance on one of the few peaks around.