New wave of local talent for women’s surfing
Thu 14 September 2006
Gemma Colvin, Journalism
As an increasing number of girls take up the sport, there is no denying that women’s surfing is currently undergoing a revolution.
The Sunshine Coast has long been recognised as a popular destination for surfers worldwide. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that local surfers are continuing to make an impact in the surfing world.
Up and coming surfer Tara Christie from Kawana has already secured numerous top placing results in the six years she has been surfing. Christie scored 5th place at the Billabong Pro teen event in February 2005, which is widely recognised as both the richest and he toughest junior men’s and women’s surfing circuit in the world.
In November 2005, Christie placed 4th in the Under 21s and 3rd in the open women’s events of the Billabong Girls Queensland Surf Series (QSS). The QSS is the richest open women’s circuit in Australia, and is well respected, as the series winner gains a spot in the trials for the first World Championship Tour (WCT) event held at the Gold Coast, the Billabong website reported.
These are promising results from the surfer who aims to enter the women’s professional circuit.
Balancing her studies at the University of the Sunshine Coast and work commitments, Christie still manages to surf every day.
Christie believes that that women’s surfing is on the rise, with more girls taking up the sport and more publicity being given to the women’s events.
To illustrate this was the announcement of the richest prize pool in the history of women’s surfing - the new Havianas Beachley Surf Classic event.
The Havianas (Layne) Beachley Surf Classic, masterminded by six-time world champion Layne Beachley, is Sydney's first stand-alone women’s surfing event in over a decade, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) website reported.
Beachley recently secured global fashion label Havianas as the major sponsor of the event, which is offering $A135,000 in prize money.
After winning the inaugural Billabong Girls Pro Brazil in late August this year, her first ASP Women's World Tour event win in two years, Beachley is now the number one ranked female surfer in the world, her website Beachley.com reported.
Fresh from her recent triumph, Beachley is sure to assert her position at the competition which runs from 9 October to 15 October 2006, and will feature the world’s top 17 ranked female surfers, the Billabong website said.
ASP President and 1978 world champion Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew is also excited about the elite women’s surfing tour returning to Sydney, the Realsurf website reoprted.
"I am absolutely stoked to see ASP Women's World Tour surfing return to Sydney with the Havianas Beachley Classic,” Mr Bartholomew said.
“With the inspiration of six-time world champion Layne Beachley, this event will be huge for the growth of women’s surfing".
The introduction of the Havianas Beachley Surf Classic marks the independence of the women's surfing tour.
With more support and publicity being given to the women’s surfing events, the sport will continue to evolve and future stars, such as Christie, will have more opportunities to turn their professional surfing career dreams into reality.
Image(s) designed by Billabong website, Will Burgess, Scott Needham